My stealth wheel is somewhere over a year old and has gotten a lot of use between my three cages. The plastic bearing has been going out and it has just gotten worse and worse. So I decided to fix it any way that I could muster.

The best thing I was able to find to replace the bearing was a 3" garage door pulley from the home store.




I removed the wheel from the stand and then used a small nail to tap out the one way quick screws that secure the plastic bearing onto the wheel.




I was not able to find a way to remove the axle bolt from the bearing as it was either rusted into its sleeve or was somehow magically affixed, so I simply pried the bolt head through the back wall to release it.






The pulley is a very close fit as a replacement.




I drilled a larger center hole to allow the new bearing to protrude through the wheel.





I decided to drill out three of the six rivets that held the pulley together and then use the holes to affix the pulley to the back of the wheel using new rivets. Small bolts would work as well.






A quick reassembly of the whole thing and I have a much better working wheel again ready for more slow motion videos.

 

kazko
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Member since: Jan 24, 1997
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NUTHOUSE (3) Pican 4/30/2002, died 6/02/2010 Buddy 5/01/2006 Hazel 2/01/2007, rehomed 11/28/2011 Maya 4/25/2007 Pili 4/25/2007 MISFITS (3) Big Guy 9/23/2003, died 1/29/2014 Lil Guy 9/23/2003, died 5/13/2015 Hunter 4/19/2006, died 3/23/2014 JP 8/12/2006 Shikoni 2004 Kioko 2003 Washi 2003, died 5/27/2014 SUGARSHACK (3) Chico 1/15/2006, died 9/14/2011 Cookie 10/15/2005 Kimmie 10/15/2005 Lucky 5/25/2007 Spritz 8/24/2007, died 7/06/2011 Ginger 8/24/2007, died 12/16/2012 Rock 9/09/2007, died 3/23/2013 Crystal 9/09/2007, died 11/01/2012

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