Simple question - bandsaw guides

[themoon]

I'm not entirely sure what they are called but it's where normally cool blocks would be on a band saw. Instead of blocks, mine has wheels. So maybe wheel bearing guides?
Anyway, I read your are supposed to keep these barely touching the blade. About a dollar bills width AWAY from the back of the blade. Is that true? Normally I've been moving them slightly forward, maybe an eighth inch INTO the back of the blade. I do this with all my blades unless I'm using a tiny blade, then I back it off because the teeth are too close.

Secondly, the wheels on the bottom portion (under the table) do not rotate at all. As in, I can't even move them manually. Is that normal? Or do I need to take them off and figure out why they aren't rotating? (The ones above rotate freely).

This is a used grizzly I bought from someone.

[FS7]

They should be barely touching the blade. This way, they don't affect the speed of the blade, but they do prevent the blade from drifting. That is their purpose - they are blade guides. They prevent excessive lateral movement and the rear guide prevents the blade from pushing back during operation (if you're feeding too fast or the blade is binding). All of the wheels should spin, so it is not normal that those underneath do not. It's possible they're just gummed up.

[themoon]

Thank you for replying. I guess I'll take the bottom ones off and see what's going on. Hopefully and easy fix. And I'll be sure to back the guides up for now on.
Thanks again!

[barryvabeach]

As  FS7 says,  all the bearings should spin ,  OTOH,  it is pretty common that the lower bearings get clogged with dust quicker than the upper bearings.  Which Grizzly did you get  -  Many of them use bearings like this   https://www.grizzly.com/products/Grizzly...ides/H9565   earlier models, and some cheaper versions used ones like this   called European style  https://www.grizzly.com/products/Grizzly...ies/T21972  My comments are for the first style, i have never used European style guides.

[kurt18947]

I'm not entirely sure what they are called but it's where normally cool blocks would be on a band saw. Instead of blocks, mine has wheels. So maybe wheel bearing guides?

I don't know about your saw but lots of bearing blade guides use the same bearings as skate boards. Guys buy tubes of those bearings for short $ on Ebay.

[cputnam]

have a Grizzly and it has bearing guides. The instructions say that, with a tensioned blade, the guides should be as close as possible without touching the blade

[themoon]

I have the g0555x with the extension.

Those wheels on the bottom are an absolute bi$#! to get off.

[jteneyck]

Guide bearings, whether on the side of the blade or the rear thrust bearing, are NOT supposed to touch the blade when you set them.  You can download manuals from Grizzly's website and it will tell you how to set them up. 

John