Sealed Bearing Jocky Wheels

Steve Sr. said:

Hello,

I have noticed that Shimano has decided to cheap out in the 10 speed
ultegra road group and provide only the lower wheel with a sealed
bearing. The upper is a not terribly well sealed ceramic bushing.

I would like to replace the upper with a sealed bearing unit just so
that I have one less bearing to worry about. Can any of you suggest a
source for a suitable replacement?

The ceramic is harder than the plastic used in the lower bushing. The upper
has to have built-in float to shift properly. Go ride.

--
Philip Lee

Steve Sr. said:

Hello,

I have noticed that Shimano has decided to cheap out in the 10 speed
ultegra road group and provide only the lower wheel with a sealed
bearing. The upper is a not terribly well sealed ceramic bushing.

I would like to replace the upper with a sealed bearing unit just so
that I have one less bearing to worry about. Can any of you suggest a
source for a suitable replacement?

Thanks,

Steve

As far as I know, Shimano's been doing this for ages (ie, at least
since the early 90s) - the ceramic bushing allows the jockey wheel to
float a bit...makes it possible to index with less than 'perfect' cable
adjustment.

SYJ

On Wed, 05 Jul 2006 20:28:48 -0400, Steve Sr. <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Hello,

I have noticed that Shimano has decided to cheap out in the 10 speed
ultegra road group and provide only the lower wheel with a sealed
bearing. The upper is a not terribly well sealed ceramic bushing.

That's not cheap, it's a good thing. The bushing allows lateral float
which the bearing won't. This makes shifting more reliable, and
provides for much quieter running. Shimano has been using this design
feature for their good stuff for quite a while. It works.

Quoted message said:

I would like to replace the upper with a sealed bearing unit just so
that I have one less bearing to worry about. Can any of you suggest a
source for a suitable replacement?

One word: Don't.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

Steve Sr. said:

Hello,

I have noticed that Shimano has decided to cheap out in the 10 speed
ultegra road group and provide only the lower wheel with a sealed
bearing. The upper is a not terribly well sealed ceramic bushing.

I would like to replace the upper with a sealed bearing unit just so
that I have one less bearing to worry about. Can any of you suggest a
source for a suitable replacement?

Thanks,

Steve

As others have said, the ceramic bushing is a feature of all the better
Shimano rear derailleurs. I've worn several derailleurs to the point of
really wobbly pivots, but the upper pulleys have been been fine.

Jeff

JeffWills said:

Steve Sr. said:

Hello,

I have noticed that Shimano has decided to cheap out in the 10 speed
ultegra road group and provide only the lower wheel with a sealed
bearing. The upper is a not terribly well sealed ceramic bushing.

I would like to replace the upper with a sealed bearing unit just so
that I have one less bearing to worry about. Can any of you suggest a
source for a suitable replacement?

Thanks,

Steve

As others have said, the ceramic bushing is a feature of all the better
Shimano rear derailleurs. I've worn several derailleurs to the point of
really wobbly pivots, but the upper pulleys have been been fine.

I have about 12,000km or so on my Ultegra set-up. The jockey wheels
have started to squeak pretty consistently. Squirting them with
different lubricants hasn't really helped. Do you suppose disassembling
and cleaning and lubing will suffice, or should I count on replacing
them? What sort of lube would be best?

Joseph

Quoted message said:

I have about 12,000km or so on my Ultegra set-up. The jockey wheels
have started to squeak pretty consistently. Squirting them with
different lubricants hasn't really helped. Do you suppose
disassembling and cleaning and lubing will suffice, or should I count
on replacing them? What sort of lube would be best?

Can't hurt. (Just be careful not to mix 'em up?) They're easy to remove,
even with the chain in place.

As for lube, I'd use Tri-Flow, but that's only because it's what I have
handy.

Let us know if the squeaks go away!

Sorni

Steve Sr. said:

Hello,

I have noticed that Shimano has decided to cheap out in the 10 speed
ultegra road group and provide only the lower wheel with a sealed
bearing. The upper is a not terribly well sealed ceramic bushing.

for a low load, low speed, "fit and forget" application like this, the
shimano ceramic kicks seven different kinds of rear end. beats a metal
journal or rolling element bearing any day.

Quoted message said:

I would like to replace the upper with a sealed bearing unit just so
that I have one less bearing to worry about. Can any of you suggest a
source for a suitable replacement?

there is no finer. stick with it.

Quoted message said:

Thanks,

Steve

Quoted message said:

I have about 12,000km or so on my Ultegra set-up. The jockey wheels
have started to squeak pretty consistently. Squirting them with
different lubricants hasn't really helped.

Why not try spraying them with water to see if it helps ?? There is
very little difference between water and oil in terms of longevity
(just a couple of days) in today's bicycle bearing surfaces...

Oil just won't stay in position, even if you open the wheels and oil
them, it will drain out in 2-3 days.

Open the wheels and grease them. This is what I always do. Grease is
just oil with a soap to hold it in place. The wheels should work
great for another 10,000 km at least ...

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

Steve Sr. said:

Hello,

I have noticed that Shimano has decided to cheap out in the 10 speed
ultegra road group and provide only the lower wheel with a sealed
bearing. The upper is a not terribly well sealed ceramic bushing.

I would like to replace the upper with a sealed bearing unit just so
that I have one less bearing to worry about. Can any of you suggest a
source for a suitable replacement?

The only time I have replaced an upper wheel was on a Shimano LX unit
(MTB) where the pivots had developed enough play that shifting became a
bit off. I replaced it with a ball bearing (Bullseye?) aluminum wheel.
It did crisp up the shifting a bit. That wheel is still running OK
several years later, but I wouldn't conclude it was any more durable
than the stock Shimano -- and it was a bit expensive.

On Wed, 5 Jul 2006 21:57:50 -0400, "Philip Lee" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Steve Sr. said:

Hello,

I have noticed that Shimano has decided to cheap out in the 10 speed
ultegra road group and provide only the lower wheel with a sealed
bearing. The upper is a not terribly well sealed ceramic bushing.

I would like to replace the upper with a sealed bearing unit just so
that I have one less bearing to worry about. Can any of you suggest a
source for a suitable replacement?

The ceramic is harder than the plastic used in the lower bushing. The upper
has to have built-in float to shift properly.

Thanks everyone for the education!

Quoted message said:

Go ride.

I will!

Steve

On 6 Jul 2006 10:38:09 -0700, [email hidden] (Donald Gillies)

Quoted message said:

Oil just won't stay in position, even if you open the wheels and oil
them, it will drain out in 2-3 days.

Well that's just silly!

jeverett3<AT>earthlink<DOT>net http://home.earthlink.net/~jeverett3

Steve Sr. said:

Hello,

I have noticed that Shimano has decided to cheap out in the 10 speed
ultegra road group and provide only the lower wheel with a sealed
bearing. The upper is a not terribly well sealed ceramic bushing.

Same for 9s.....

Quoted message said:

I would like to replace the upper with a sealed bearing unit just so
that I have one less bearing to worry about. Can any of you suggest a
source for a suitable replacement?

DA pulley, if ya gotta have teeny sealed bearings.

Quoted message said:

Thanks,

Steve

Werehatrack said:

On Wed, 05 Jul 2006 20:28:48 -0400, Steve Sr. <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Hello,

I have noticed that Shimano has decided to cheap out in the 10 speed
ultegra road group and provide only the lower wheel with a sealed
bearing. The upper is a not terribly well sealed ceramic bushing.

That's not cheap, it's a good thing. The bushing allows lateral float
which the bearing won't. This makes shifting more reliable, and
provides for much quieter running. Shimano has been using this design
feature for their good stuff for quite a while. It works.

DA and XTR have been using a bearing, not the ceramic bushing, for the
top[ pulley for almost a decade. The 'ceramic' doesn't make it float.,
the sealed cart bearing top pulleys of DA and XTR have been a floatin'
for years.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I would like to replace the upper with a sealed bearing unit just so
that I have one less bearing to worry about. Can any of you suggest a
source for a suitable replacement?

One word: Don't.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

In rec.bicycles.tech Qui si parla Campagnolo said:

the top[ pulley for almost a decade. The 'ceramic' doesn't make it
float.,

Then you have different pulleys than most people here, including
myself.

--
MfG/Best regards
helmut springer

Quoted message said:

JeffWills said:

Steve Sr. said:

Hello,

I have noticed that Shimano has decided to cheap out in the 10 speed
ultegra road group and provide only the lower wheel with a sealed
bearing. The upper is a not terribly well sealed ceramic bushing.

I would like to replace the upper with a sealed bearing unit just so
that I have one less bearing to worry about. Can any of you suggest a
source for a suitable replacement?

Thanks,

Steve

As others have said, the ceramic bushing is a feature of all the better
Shimano rear derailleurs. I've worn several derailleurs to the point of
really wobbly pivots, but the upper pulleys have been been fine.

I have about 12,000km or so on my Ultegra set-up. The jockey wheels
have started to squeak pretty consistently. Squirting them with
different lubricants hasn't really helped. Do you suppose disassembling
and cleaning and lubing will suffice, or should I count on replacing
them? What sort of lube would be best?

Joseph

Take them apart, grease, not oil, as that dribbles out, reassemble and
ride-

Helmut Springer said:

In rec.bicycles.tech Qui si parla Campagnolo said:

the top[ pulley for almost a decade. The 'ceramic' doesn't make it
float.,

Then you have different pulleys than most people here, including
myself.

--
MfG/Best regards
helmut springer

7400 series ders had ceramic top and bottom, 6400, had ceramic only on
the top pulley. 7700 and XTR 9s had cart beartings top and bottom.
6500, ultegra 9s has a ceramic on the top, sealed bearing on the
bottom. 6600 and 7800 is the same as 9s...not sure of your point there
Helmet-

MY point was float was not acheived by ceramic but by pulley design.
There are floating top pulleys that are not ceramic.

Qui si parla Campagnolo said:

MY point was float was not acheived by ceramic but by pulley
design.

Ok, that got lost in the language chosen.

Quoted message said:

There are floating top pulleys that are not ceramic.

Correct.

--
MfG/Best regards
helmut springer