[TowerTalk] Bearings (wasRoof top towers)

[Bill Aycock]

Wear, in the conventional sense, is not the problem- the problem is that
the balls "peen" dents in the soft aluminum race, particularly if the
bearing is left in one place for a while during gusty weather.  The initial
ball dents are further deepened during rotation, as the balls bounce from
one hole to another.  

As to never having heard of a failure- you must lead a very isolated life-
I bought a used tower, with one in exactly this shape (ie, FAILED) and, on
asking around, found it was a common thing. 

As to the "there must have been a reason"-  Dont bet on it.  It was
probably designed by an accountant. No Engineer with solid material design
experience could have done this.

I should not be so hasty- When the local interstate spur had massive
failures in the expansion joints, the design company said " the specs didnt
say it would get hot"

Bill- W4BSG

At 05:27 PM 01/13/2000 -0600, you ("Greg Gobleman") wrote:
>
>>
>> Anyone who would design a bearing to have hardened steel balls in a soft
>> aluminum race needs to give his Engineering degree back as being
>> misrepresentation.
>>
>> Bill- W4BSG
>>
>But there must be a reason.  Most of the rotors in use today are built that
>way and so are all the so-called outdoor thrust bearings I have seen.
>Unless, some of those steel balls aren't so hard and some of those soft
>aluminum races aren't so soft.  The TB3 is supposed to run dry and I never
>heard anyone ever say they wore one out.  I suspect that there is initial
>wear and that acts as a sort of dry lubricant and slows further wear.  But
>then, I am no engineer.
>
>73
>Greg K9ZM
>
>Arkansas Humor: "Before takin this here mail-order course, I could't even
>writ injunear, an now I are one."
>
>
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-
Bill Aycock   ---   Persimmon Hill 
 Woodville, Alabama, US 35776
 (in the N.E. corner of the State)
      W4BSG   --   Grid EM64vr
        baycock@HiWAAY.net
             w4bsg@arrl.net

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