Rear wheel bearing failure

[L.B.S.]

I am going through this right now. My bike has 19000 kms. The shop told me the chain has kinks in it causing premature failure of the rear wheel bearing. I still have the stock chain. Looking into if my chain should have been replaced as part of the recall. My bearing hasn't failed but i need to replace the chain to prevent damage.


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! Well that's a new one. I think your Dealer is a bit odd to come up with that theory.

Unless the rubber cush blocks in your hub are completely knackered, I can't see a possible way a kinked chain could ever cause wheel bearing issues.

If a chain isn't kinked enough to prevent riding without terror, there's no way it could impart enough snatchiness to overcome the cush drive, and bugger the bearings IMHO.

If your cush blocks are knackered, then combined with kinked chain links, I can see maaaaaybe effecting the bearings, but I would have thought the resulting clunking lurching enough to prevent someone from wanting to leave their driveway, let alone ride with it.

I've had very, very shagged cush blocks, and chains on death's door for ages, ( like soooo stretched and worn, that I had to remove links to be able to adjust the chain again ) (don't do this at home, kids ) and never, ever, had a rear wheel bearing issue. Even on my hooligan race bike, that I did constant wheelies on.


Not saying it's impossible, but it doesn't seem like a logical diagnosis, to me.


*edit*

I would think that the bearing failure was simply due to either lowest bidder, cheaper quality bearings, and/or insufficient grease at assembly, and/or slight moisture ingress.

 

[HONDABIKEPRO]

Quick side note, always use a torque wrench to tighten the rear axle, over torque can collapse the inner spacer for the bearings and preload them side ways, they will wear out quickly. And always fill the seal are full of grease when wheels are removed, if not water can get into this area, and can not get back out, it then goes into the bearings and find a way in. And if the axle is greased, it helps stop the water from coming in around the diameter of the axle and getting into the bearing. If you use simple green, or hondabrite, or s100, or any hard cleaners they all dissolve all greases and oils. Dale

 

[Deleted member 1183]

I am going through this right now. My bike has 19000 kms. The shop told me the chain has kinks in it causing premature failure of the rear wheel bearing. I still have the stock chain. Looking into if my chain should have been replaced as part of the recall. My bearing hasn't failed but i need to replace the chain to prevent damage.

I agree with LBS. The idea of a kinked chain causing wheel bearing failure is nonsense. For the record my wheel bearing failure was on the opposite end of the axle to the rear sprocket which has its own bearing on the carrier. Eitherway my chain is not kinked. I always use a Snap-on torque wrench to tighten the larger bolts, which includes the rear axle bolt. Good quality Grease is also used in the cavities inside the dust seals and on the axle, every time the wheel is off. I believe my bearing failure was just due to faulty materials.

 

[cdnuser]

! Well that's a new one. I think your Dealer is a bit odd to come up with that theory.

Unless the rubber cush blocks in your hub are completely knackered, I can't see a possible way a kinked chain could ever cause wheel bearing issues.

If a chain isn't kinked enough to prevent riding without terror, there's no way it could impart enough snatchiness to overcome the cush drive, and bugger the bearings IMHO.

If your cush blocks are knackered, then combined with kinked chain links, I can see maaaaaybe effecting the bearings, but I would have thought the resulting clunking lurching enough to prevent someone from wanting to leave their driveway, let alone ride with it.

I've had very, very shagged cush blocks, and chains on death's door for ages, ( like soooo stretched and worn, that I had to remove links to be able to adjust the chain again ) (don't do this at home, kids ) and never, ever, had a rear wheel bearing issue. Even on my hooligan race bike, that I did constant wheelies on.


Not saying it's impossible, but it doesn't seem like a logical diagnosis, to me.


*edit*

I would think that the bearing failure was simply due to either lowest bidder, cheaper quality bearings, and/or insufficient grease at assembly, and/or slight moisture ingress.

Mind you I could have completely misunderstood the mechanic... it was explained that as the kinks traveled over the front or rear sproket it would put slight tension on the sprocket and over time wear the sprocket and cause the hub to leak by having that slight pull to the side causing the seal to leak (worst cause). Now I am not a mechanic, but I can feel the kinks grab when riding ever so slighly, especially when letting off the throttle coming to a stop. It would make sense to me that a kink pulling or grabing would shift things around.
As it turns out my chain is DID Japan and not covered on the recall. It has many kinks (at least 4 tight spots) and needs to be replaced. I was quoted rougly $114to replace.
Anyone know a great place to buy a chain online?

 

[bamamate]

I used sprocketcenter.com. Bought the DID VX2/JT sprocket kit for $139. If you don't have one, you will also need a breaker/rivet tool.

 

[L.B.S.]

it was explained that as the kinks traveled over the front or rear sproket it would put slight tension on the sprocket and over time wear the sprocket and cause the hub to leak by having that slight pull to the side causing the seal to leak (worst cause). Now I am not a mechanic, but I can feel the kinks grab when riding ever so slighly, especially when letting off the throttle coming to a stop. It would make sense to me that a kink pulling or grabing would shift things around.

Ya, that's completely daft sounding and made up to me, lol

It just doesn't work that way. Tight spots in links don't cause any appreciable lateral force on rear sprockets, especially mounted to a cush drive hub, that I've ever been aware of. To deflect enough to cause a leak in a wheel bearing seal is, well... it's pretty preposterous IMHO.

 

[macosxuser]

Ya, that's completely daft sounding and made up to me, lol

It just doesn't work that way. Tight spots in links don't cause any appreciable lateral force on rear sprockets, especially mounted to a cush drive hub, that I've ever been aware of. To deflect enough to cause a leak in a wheel bearing seal is, well... it's pretty preposterous IMHO.

I had a bad chain early (11k miles), replaced it without doing the sprockets because they looked fine. My rear wheel bearings still feel great at 23k miles. Fronts are starting to feel a little loose though. Always torqued to spec with tire replacement.

 

[serge]

One thing to keep in mind that torque specs are given for dry surface or for particular lubricant (e.g. for oil plug and filter it is with engine oil on the threads), for rear axle bolt it is for dry surface. If one ends up with the grease on the thread and torque it to the specs, it will be substantially over-torqued ..

 

[stevodimare]

Double check to make sure the play isnt coming from the swingarm pivot. I had to replace the bearings in my swingarm after only 10,000 miles.

 

[Thangmorian]

One thing to keep in mind that torque specs are given for dry surface or for particular lubricant (e.g. for oil plug and filter it is with engine oil on the threads), for rear axle bolt it is for dry surface. If one ends up with the grease on the thread and torque it to the specs, it will be substantially over-torqued ..

Err.. I may be miss remembering things. I once worked in a PMEL (Percision Measuring Equipment Lab) for the AF. I calibrated Torque wrenches mostly. Lubed threads torqued to the dry spec will be under torqued and loosen prematurely. This is due to the lube allowing the threads to glide past each other easier. Remember that when you torque a fastener it stretches within its elastic range and its this tension and grip between the threads that hold a fastener in. A lubed fastener torqued to a dry spec is still only torqued to the set value of the torque wrench and won't be over torqued, but since it is lubed it will loosen earlier and is therefore under torqued.

 

[Old Can Ride]

My rear wheel bearing on the brake side went out at around 60,000 miles. When one goes out you almost have to replace all three. Why, because you have to hammer them out! An yes, the torque on the axel bolt is very important.

 

[MZ5]

Err.. I may be miss remembering things. I once worked in a PMEL (Percision Measuring Equipment Lab) for the AF. I calibrated Torque wrenches mostly. Lubed threads torqued to the dry spec will be under torqued and loosen prematurely. This is due to the lube allowing the threads to glide past each other easier. Remember that when you torque a fastener it stretches within its elastic range and its this tension and grip between the threads that hold a fastener in. A lubed fastener torqued to a dry spec is still only torqued to the set value of the torque wrench and won't be over torqued, but since it is lubed it will loosen earlier and is therefore under torqued.

It is, however, overstretched. That is the reason torque specs are different for dry vs lubed threads; to end up at the same stretch (clamping force is actually what is wanted) whether the threads slide past one another more easily, or less. Applied torque must be reduced for lubed threads, vs a given dry-thread spec, so as to end up with the same clamping force and same fastener stretch (and consequent fatigue).

 

[Thangmorian]

It is, however, overstretched. That is the reason torque specs are different for dry vs lubed threads; to end up at the same stretch (clamping force is actually what is wanted) whether the threads slide past one another more easily, or less. Applied torque must be reduced for lubed threads, vs a given dry-thread spec, so as to end up with the same clamping force and same fastener stretch (and consequent fatigue).

Yup you are correct. I found some data and a chart on this issue comparing wet vs dry torque specs for a given fastener. One that actually gives specific numbers and percentage reductions based on various lubes. As an interesting aside, ARP head studs are given torque specs based on their proprietary thread lube, and if you dry torque them to this spec you will likely have some issues. But enough, here is the chart I found in a diesel maintenance manual in use by the US Army, Air Force, & marines. Enjoy

 

[kharli]

its amazing how many people have done a few hundred miles with only a finger tightened rear axle nut before they have ,or someone else , has noticed !!!

 

[showkey]

^^^^^^^^^

Loose but "snug" is not good but not a critical problem..........the bearing are balls and your not setting preload with the axle torque. If you (way) over torque the axle and crush the bearing center spacer, you would over preload the bearing and you could expect early failure.

 

[RNS1948]

My rear bearing just packed it in as well. 40000km. I am in Labrador City NL so getting new parts is not easy. Was going to replace all bearings & seals but was told the O ring on the drive side is on back order. I'm from Vancouver BC 5000km away. Stuck here for a week.

 

[mtiberio]

a rear wheel bearing going bad (due to an overtightened chain) is better than the countershaft bearing going bad. if that was the cause, count your blessings...

 

[Agent]

When my buddy and I were riding last weekend, his Versys was making an awful squeak...squeak...squeak...squeak sound from the rear wheel. He has less than 2000 miles on new (shop installed)rear wheel bearings. We tightened and loosened the axel nut with no change in the noise. We checked for play in the rear wheel and there was none. He had a can of white lithium grease that he sprayed liberally onto the little plastic spacer between the wheel and the swingarm, but it didn't lessen the noise. Finally, being several hundred miles from home, he bought a can of WD-40, sprayed it in the same spot as the lithium and what do you know, the sound disappeared. From then on, he sprayed WD-40 at every stop and the noise never came back. Could it be a bad bearing causing that?

 

[itlives]

My rear bearing just packed it in as well. 40000km. I am in Labrador City NL so getting new parts is not easy. Was going to replace all bearings & seals but was told the O ring on the drive side is on back order. I'm from Vancouver BC 5000km away. Stuck here for a week.

Stuck for a week?! Dang! Couldn't you find it somewhere else and have it overnighted?

Looks like you'll get to know the area. I was stuck for a week in north Georgia when I totaled my bike and had the whole front end rebuilt. I think I'd have been p!$$ed if it was for one little part.

 

[Old Can Ride]

I replaced my rear wheel bearings on my NC7 at 60,000 miles.