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As per the title really.
I've used genuine Hope bearings for hubs in the past. However, Wych seem to get good reviews and come in quite a bit cheaper but are Chromium.
Do the Stainless Steel ones out last the Chromium bearings to the tune of the saving??
Cheers
Carlos
What is your mode of failure? Worn out and sloppy? Go chromium. Dirty rusty mess, stick with stainless.
Hope's are good quality (the manufacturer varies but none of them are bad) and sometimes awesome value too.But as Onza says it's not so much that any one thing is better. For mtb I'd say stainless but, well, how well you resist water once it's in the bearing is basically just deciding how long it takes to die, after it's been killed.
Hmmm, might try the Wych in the front hub for a change but stick to Hope for the Freehub and BB
Cheers
Carlos
having had a rcent conversation with hope they have moved to a chromo bearing on the inner race of the freehub.
I would pick stainless for bub bearings. chromo with more grease for suspension pivots.
I tend to pay more attention to seal type. Where possible, snap ring seals are my choice. More drag, but seem to be better sealed. I've also noticed a front hub running smoother for longer with abec5 rather than abec3 bearings.
Personally, for every bearing I've replaced for being "worn" (i.e. has play), I've replaced 10 that have seized up, normally due to rust. I now prioritise corrosion resistance (i.e. stainless bearings) even if it means they wear out a bit quicker, particularly in frame bearings.
The comment from Hope is an interesting one though.