Flange bearing. Double wide vs double row

[sirbike]

On advice of CBR Bearings I bought the double wide bearing.
Initially this made sense.
Double wide bearing has more than double the capacity.
I installed this in the 06 25,000 miles ago.
Earlier this year the 04 felt like it was rolling over bricks at low speed. I attributed that to a very worn tire.
While servicing during the tire change the flange bearing fell apart.
I don’t know what brand that bearing was.
However, it got me to thinking that if seal failure is more likely to be the problem than simple metal fatigue, two 2 seal bearings would hold up better overall with one going first while the other provides service for a while.
Next flange bearing change I plan to do double row.

I have seen CBR Bearing wheel bearings feeling good with 100,000 miles. My unknown is about whet the CBR seals being so durable to go that distance in the flange position.
Seeing that flange bearings go sooner in general, I will change them at 50,000 miles.

 

[Igofar]

I've seen more of the CBR double wide bearings fail than the OEM dual set up.
But to be fair, that could be the way they were installed by folks who didn't know what they were doing, and using a hammer and a socket to pound them into place.
The factory bearings are usually toast about every third tire change.
And for all the folks who are about to jump in and say that their flange bearings are fine, and they have never changed them, I just love the look on their faces when I open their rear wheels up, and bearings roll out of the wheel and all over the floor.
Just because your still riding the bike, does not mean everything is working correctly.

 

[dduelin]

I replaced the sistered OEM bearings once with OEM and the second time with sistered Peer bearings. The Peers with 84,000 miles use were still in the bike when I sold it.

These driven flange bearings were pretty much checked every time the wheel was off and certainly with every tire change. I had rear two wheels in rotation but I always ran the same driven flange so the hub was pulled out of the wheel each time. No excuse not to check each bearing.

 

[Al Gully]

I personally would stick to the Qty (2) single row ball bearings and replace say when they feel notchy.
I do pop the end seal off of one side and muck the old grease out and apply synthetic EP2 grease every tire change.
Not sure if it helps, but it gives me a piece of mind that there is lube inside there.
It not a pretty picture when you see all the bits and pieces inside the bearing race all turned into powdered carbon.