Carry freedom y 2.2 trailers: new plastic bearings improvement?

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SA_SA_SA
Posts: 2358
Joined: 31 Oct 2009, 1:46pm

Carry freedom y 2.2 trailers: new plastic bearings improvement?

Post by SA_SA_SA »

The new carry freedom y 2.2 models are described as having 'the high quality IGUS plastic plain bearings'...of which....'The results of this change: better running characteristics, less driving noise and the prevention of wheel axle seizure, due to corrosion or moisture'

which suggests they are in the axle...but are they in the wheels as well rather than the previous std cartridge ball bearings?



*from https://www.ambadistribution.com/products/view/1116
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SA_SA_SA
Posts: 2358
Joined: 31 Oct 2009, 1:46pm

Re: Carry freedom y 2.2 trailers: new plastic bearings improvement?

Post by SA_SA_SA »

Anyone know?
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Carlton green
Posts: 3630
Joined: 22 Jun 2019, 12:27pm

Re: Carry freedom y 2.2 trailers: new plastic bearings improvement?

Post by Carlton green »

SA_SA_SA wrote: 10 May 2021, 11:00am Anyone know?
I think that you’re going to struggle to get a reply on this just now (the change is too recent) but maybe something will emerge is some months time. A brief trawl indicates that hub corrosion can be a problem and some wheels do get suck on axles, that should be much less of an issue with a plain bearing arrangement. Good condition ball bearings in the cartridge form must surely be superior to plain bearings but plain bearings are so much easier to maintain and to service in the middle of nowhere. So a trade off between maximum possible efficiency and durability? The big losses are probably in tyre rolling resistance rather than (assumed decent) bearing friction ... but I could be wrong. In some circumstances durability is much more important than marginal efficiency gains.

My best guess is that the existing shafts are retained, the existing hubs are retained and the cartridge ball bearing is replaced by a plain one that uses the shaft as a bearing surface. It might be that the plastic bearings are ‘self lubricating’. It wouldn’t be my ideal choice but next time you use a heavily loaded wheelbarrow have a look at the (plain) bearings - correctly designed simple stuff can work very well. (Edit. I’d trust Carry Freedom to design correctly, but not necessarily other suppliers who could view the arrangement as a cheap and easy way of doing things.)

I hope that in time someone provides you with a better answer. I’ve responded because no one else has answered a question from someone who has helped so many other people.
Last edited by Carlton green on 10 May 2021, 12:33pm, edited 1 time in total.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
SA_SA_SA
Posts: 2358
Joined: 31 Oct 2009, 1:46pm

Re: Carry freedom y 2.2 trailers: new plastic bearings improvement?

Post by SA_SA_SA »

Thanks..
My theory is that the wheels keep their ball bearings and the axle gains a plastic plain bearing, rather than a metal nonintentional bearing, to avoid jamming...
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Carlton green
Posts: 3630
Joined: 22 Jun 2019, 12:27pm

Re: Carry freedom y 2.2 trailers: new plastic bearings improvement?

Post by Carlton green »

SA_SA_SA wrote: 10 May 2021, 12:27pm Thanks..
My theory is that the wheels keep their ball bearings and the axle gains a plastic plain bearing, rather than a metal nonintentional bearing, to avoid jamming...
In theory something along those lines might be possible but I’d be surprised if that (rather than each wheel just having one simple plain bearing) is the chosen solution, but I’ve been wrong before. Anyway, time will tell.

https://flatsome.carryfreedom.com/produ ... ypop-hitch
Changes 2.2

The biggest change in version 2.2 is the introduction of the high quality IGUS plastic plain bearings. The technical advantages are clear. IGUS bearings are self-lubricating, maintenance-free, chemical-resistant, universally applicable and up to 7 times lighter than their metal counterpart. The bearings can withstand extreme temperatures and are easy to replace.
The results of this change: better running characteristics, less driving noise and the prevention of wheel axle seizure, due to corrosion or moisture.
Don’t fret, it’s OK to: ride a simple old bike; ride slowly, walk, rest and admire the view; ride off-road; ride in your raincoat; ride by yourself; ride in the dark; and ride one hundred yards or one hundred miles. Your bike and your choices to suit you.
Jamesh
Posts: 2963
Joined: 2 Jan 2017, 5:56pm

Re: Carry freedom y 2.2 trailers: new plastic bearings improvement?

Post by Jamesh »

May well be plain wheel bearings.

Pushchairs often have plain bearings.

The loads on a trailer will be much less than a bike.

The typical user if a trailer won't care about efficiency as much as reliability and lack of maintainance...

Cheers James
ClappedOut
Posts: 585
Joined: 30 May 2020, 12:43am

Re: Carry freedom y 2.2 trailers: new plastic bearings improvement?

Post by ClappedOut »

Plain bearings will give zero maintenance and presumably the company has chosen these based on customer feedback i.e. zero maintenance and put away wet
jb
Posts: 1782
Joined: 6 Jan 2007, 12:17pm
Location: Clitheroe

Re: Carry freedom y 2.2 trailers: new plastic bearings improvement?

Post by jb »

The only way I could think they were better than ball races is that before they were extremely cheap non sealed balls. A quality hub on a trailer should never give any problems for its entire life time.
Plastic or a teflon type bush is fine when new but when road grit and mud get to work they'll soon become sloppy.
Cheers
J Bro
alexnharvey
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Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:39am

Re: Carry freedom y 2.2 trailers: new plastic bearings improvement?

Post by alexnharvey »

I think we have previously discussed 10 to 100 times greater frictional losses between a plastic bush and a ball bearing. YMMV!
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Tigerbiten
Posts: 2503
Joined: 29 Jun 2009, 6:49am

Re: Carry freedom y 2.2 trailers: new plastic bearings improvement?

Post by Tigerbiten »

Of the two carry freedom trailers I've owned from new, both had one of the wheel bearings fail after around 4K miles while on tour.
I've now got the same bearing in the wheel that ICE use on their trikes and it done +10k trouble free miles since the change.
So they were not the highest quality bearing.

Luck ......... :D
steelframe
Posts: 83
Joined: 3 Aug 2015, 10:02pm
Location: Berlin

Re: Carry freedom y 2.2 trailers: new plastic bearings improvement?

Post by steelframe »

Igus bearings are well known for their quality and advantages. While "plastic bearing" may sound odd and cheap Igus bearings are on the high-tech and quality side of the product range:

https://www.igus.eu/iglidur/plain-bearing?L=en

https://www.igus.eu/info/industries-bicycle?L=en
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