odd balls

[Revolution]

I've just taken my back wheel apart in order to replace the freehub which has died in this continuous wet weather and I was surprised to discover an odd number of ball bearings in the hub. The drive side had 9 1/4" balls and the left side had only 8. I've tried replacing them with 9 but it does seem very crowded in there. [I haven't tightened it up yet].
The wheel is from a
Whyte Charing cross. The only info I can find on-line is the Whyte brochure which states that the bike comes equipped with sealed bearings! although it does say in italics at the bottom that the brochure is accurate only at the time of printing
So - any ideas? odd balls or even?

[Brucey]

probably odd balls.

If you assemble with 9 in the left side and tighten the cones finger tight (well finger tight) then you will see if the bearing starts to bind or not. If it does bind then 9 balls is too many.

cheers

[Revolution]

I tried with 8 then with 9 as you suggested Brucey and I couldn't feel any difference in the bearings. So I have gone for 9.
Thanks for the advice

[Valbrona]

You'll find the one you lost on the shed floor in a week or two. Next time you dismantle a hub it is best to do it in the kitchen. If the bearings spill out everywhere there is some kind of force at work that means they will end up under the cooker, so they are thus easy to find.

[531colin]

I thought you were going to say.............

You'll find the one you lost on the shed floor in a week or two. Next time you dismantle a hub it is best to do it in the kitchen.......

............................so there is a cake tin handy to catch the balls .......

[Revolution]

there is some kind of force at work that means they will end up under the cooker,

I thought it was the fridge!
As it happens I always have a clean cloth under a hub when I take it apart in order to catch any runaways. This is the first time the hub has been dismantled so I can only assume that it was assembled with an odd number of balls.

[Revolution]

Next time you dismantle a hub it is best to do it in the kitchen.

This is only possible when my wife is at her book group.

[mig]

what is the virtue of having differently sized bearings in front and rear wheels? to do with weight their weight bearing capacity?

[nez]

Disassembly in the kitchen is handy for putting parts through the dishwasher. But not to be reported to management, of course.

[Mick F]

what is the virtue of having differently sized bearings in front and rear wheels? to do with weight their weight bearing capacity?

Yep.
Bigger balls are better at load carrying.
That's why you have bigger ones on the lower headset race in your headset.

As it happens, my Campag hubs are the same front and rear, though my old Campag hubs had bigger balls at the rear.

[mig]

hmmm. so the difference between 3/16ths and 1/8th is significant in terms of load bearing?

[Brucey]

yes; the load bearing capacity goes with the square of the ball size IIRC, so the difference is considerably greater than pro-rata with ball size.

cheers

[Vorpal]

When I disassemble bearings, I put a tea tray with a tea towel in it under the bearings. the tray catches them & the towel keeps them from bouncing all over

[Malaconotus]

Disassembly in the kitchen is handy for putting parts through the dishwasher. But not to be reported to management, of course.

Anyone else found Finish tablets leave an ugly patina on black anodised parts? Any tips on avoiding this or predicting which will tarnish?

[mig]

how often are people re-packing/greasing their hubs in order to re-use the bearings? given their low cost i usually pop new ones in.