So I pulled the spindle off (Takes a gentle touch.) and took it to the engineering shop at the local university.
First I checked the pre-load by removing the the two nuts and tightening them back down. This improved the rotation some but still not as smooth as I would have liked. So I sucked it up and broke down the entire spindle assembly.
The bearings were not what I expected, but they appear to be good quality. I personally would not consider adding an expensive super-precise bearing since there are probably other (and smaller) changes that would make a greater difference.
The spindle was somewhat dirty inside the spindle housing, there was a group of long hairs wrapped around the spindle in grease. After pressing off the bearings I put the spindle on a lathe and polished out the areas where the bearings fjt. Previously they had tool marks (They were smoother than other areas of the spindle.) from turning, now they are considerably smoother. I've attached photos that were taken after I returned from the shop. Unfortunately my fingerprints are all over them disrupting the surface finish.
The roller bearing is a 32907; It says QX 32907 QFF depending on where you start... Syil America, would the other bearing style you listed be compatible?
BTW: It had a what appeared to be lithium grease when disassembled, what do you suggest to use for reassembly? |