Warning: That "sealed" bearing set I bought off ebay was a total sham

I ordered a pair of cartridge bearings for my hub on ebay for $12 thinking I was saving cash. Got them in, installed them, and within 50 miles the rear wheel felt like it had sand inside. Pulled them apart and there was barely any grease in there, just some rusty residue. Anybody else run into fake bearings from online marketplaces and have a way to spot them before buying?

2 comments

2 Comments

charles5081mo ago

Started checking my bearings before I even install them now. Spin them by hand and feel for any roughness. If they don't sound smooth or that grease seems thin, they're trash. The bigger problem is how many things in our lives are just cheap copies these days. You can't trust a product just because it looks right on the outside. Got a buddy who bought "leather" boots online that started peeling after a month. The whole internet marketplace thing has made it too easy for people to sell garbage that cuts corners on the stuff you can't see. What brand did the listing say they were?

the_kevin1mo ago

I've actually had better luck with no-name bearings than name brands lately (weird, right?).