WCD Bearing Blocks

[craigboez]

I have a question regarding West Coast Drive bearing blocks.

Based on many of the pictures and CAD models I've seen, the "standard" way to create them is to cut a pocket all the way thru your 2 x 1 x 1/8 siderail, and then slide a bearing block into the pocket from the side. Once in place, the bearing block gets a plate bolted to it from both sides to hold the block captive in the slot while allowing it to slide front to back.

It seems a simpler approach would be to cut the same pocket in the siderail, but then slide a 1.75 x .75 bearing block in the siderail from the end. This would just fit inside the inside dimensions of the tube, and would eliminate the need for the sideplates and fasteners.

I can see a downside to the simpler approach, and that is that you need access to the end of the tube you're installing the block in. That doesn't seem like that big of a deal. I would think the two would be comparable from a weight standpoint. Is there another downside to this approach that I'm missing?