kayakamper wrote:
On the Northern tool wheels that Alex and I have,
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/ ... 3794_13794 there are actually two cheap bearings per wheel and press fitted into the plastic. Mostly they work well, but as Alex has noted, they rust up quickly. I noted when mine popped out that there is a 3/4" ( approx. I didn't measure it yet ) hole in the wheel hub beyond the bearing seats. I have thought of finding a brass bushing that will fit and have a 1/2" hole for my shaft.
Don't worry about rust if you are paddling inland bayos and rivers. I had some rust after I dipped the entire wheel in sea water (to rinse the sand out). And this rust was easily removed by green dish scrub (externally), and after dipping the bearings in a shallow plastic cap (after honey) filled with mineral spirit, a lot of rust came out from inside, like a brown cloud. And I neither cleaned nor lubricated them before, for more than a year. Now they are protected with Boeshiled. There will be very little rust if you don't dip the bearing in sea water. Rinsing the bearings in mineral spirit at the end of the season and applying Boshield should be enough. These bearings are cheap, all right - but only because made in China. This bearings/hub/tube/tire assembly would've cost $25-30 per one wheel, if it were made in the USA (wth same non-stainless bearings).
I couldn't find any bronze or plastic bushings that would fit these wheels, and couldn't find any stainless bearings of that size. You might consider Paddleboy wheels (have no idea where to buy the actual wheel separately) - they have removable bronze bushings with 3/8" bore, - but then the axle would have to be 3/8". But then... why not just keeping that Paddleboy cart... Another option - there are golf-cart wheels with tire diameter 9" or 11" and plastic bushings 1/2" bore. Your golf-cart shown on the photo looks different - but you may find the right one for $10 or 15 on garage sale. I did.
PS: if you sand/file/machine that axle just a little bit more - it will slide freely in and out, and bearings of those Northern Tool wheels won't fall out of the hub.