The comments regarding Phil hub bearing usage vs loose ball designs is interesting. Does anyone know what quirk of design enables old Maxicar hubs to behave so well? Their 1948 design seems to be nearly identical in concept to the current phil design, yet they generally do not display play at the rim. At the same time, their longevity is astonishing - the one off my 1952 Herse runs like a champ - super smooth and no play that I noticed.
It is possible that these are simply being run too tight, but based on observed longevity this doesn't seem to be the case. Is it perhaps a slightly different bearing specification or locking arangement against the bearing shoulders causes this?
In any event, it is remarkable that it took Phil Wood decades to get to where Maxicar was in the 1940's. One reason that Maxicar is so rare in this country is perhaps related to Spence Wolfs relationship to Phil Wood. Spence Wolf was perhaps the most visible importer of top tier french goodies (i.e Alex Singer bikes) yet he had strong ties to Phil Wood. Had Wolf actively imported Maxicar products and not encouraged Phil Wood, perhaps Maxicar would have become much more popular.
Any thoughts from folks who know more about this than myself? Thanks, Mike Kone