Folding Bike - How to Convert Folding Pedal Bearing From Cup and Cone to Sealed Bearings in Easy and Cheap Steps

by aragaop in Workshop > Repair

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Folding Bike - How to Convert Folding Pedal Bearing From Cup and Cone to Sealed Bearings in Easy and Cheap Steps

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This is my second instructable.
This is a simple step-by-step for a pedals conversion in general, from cup and cone to sealed bearings.
Thos have beem made mostly for the chalenge to make, but it turns in a very good solution with results on a long term harsh conditions.
Materials needed:
-Cup and cone pedal
-12mm cannon style tool
-15mm cannon style tool
-08 skateboard sealed bearings.
-110v wall driller with a sanding/sharping head stones.
-GLOVES
-SAFETY GLASS.

Optional:
-Morse to hold spindle

The Problem

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I have three folding bikes from diferent brands but they all have the very same pedal, the. SA SUNTOUR k337 all plastic folding pedal.
(edit: i manage to make this procedure with few variations on about 12 pairs of pedals from all brands.
it will also work in many other foldable or not pedals.
Dispite it rolls whell, it inevitably will break soon, giving an umpleasant grinding feeling while pedaling.
This happens because the bearing balls moves awayfrom cup and cone bed where it should be.
With me it happens twice, leading an unrideable condition, to an call to wife and a car pickup.

The Solution

Facing broken pedals twice, iwas going to buy the MKS japan folding pedals.
But on ebay they are soo mutch expensive. So i think, why not fix it?
I dismantle the role thing, take out the stell bals and cup and cone pieces apart.
My solution was to put rolerblade sealed bearings on pedals, keeping only the original structure and the stell spindle.
they fit tight but perfectly, i just swap one system and put new bearings.

Dificulties

The upgrade to sealed bearings in pedal would be too easy if everything fits too easy.
Dispite the skateboard sealed bearings fits perfect, the spindle wont.
There is where problem begings, the spindle wasnt same diameter all time, it goes thicker near the end.
the solution was easy, just need to sanding for rectifing and the spindle was in correct diameter.
For that i a regular eletric wall driller with mini rectifier stone on the tip. 10min will do the job.

The Assemble and Final Touches

After the sanding of the spindle, it will become in a homogenius thisckness, so you can start assemble all pieces thogheder.
Fist put the two rolerblade bearings, one one each side of pedal.
in the spindle, put an whasher in the begining, this side will be inwards near the crankset and may get a lot of dirt, this whasher will prevent it.
Now put the pedal on spindle.
After, put the anti rotacional whaser, it will avoid the pedal unscrew itself.
Before close everthing, i ise locklite blue in the ending, to prevent unscrew also.

The Epilogue

im using these pedals for about 8 months and the are still strong.