ORIGINAL: The_Shark
thing is, slop in certain parts, like diffs, can prematurely wear because of a 99cent bearing. tires on the other hand, i run them till they split.
but im both a mechanic and a antique fan restorer, so i really watch out for wear, if i see a teeny bit of play, it might as well be a mile.
This is the point at which I can justify replacing bearings.
I'm in a "Do I want to eat tomorrow or do I want to buy parts for an RC I run maybe once every other week?" situation. I can't justify replacing bearings when they've got just enough slop to be noticeable. It even shows in my 1:1s, the steering system in my daily has about a quarter turn worth of play between input and wheel reaction. I have to choose between replacing worn linkages or eating for the next week, and since the worn linkages aren't threatening to break(They've lasted six years and just over 100,000 miles with that slop in them without any changes whatsoever, if they were going to break they would have by now), I opt to eat instead.
I'd love to be able to afford to replace bearings on a moment's notice. But I can't. so I have to get every last rotation I possibly can out of them.