Rear wheel bearing question

[JDE]

Has anybody changed out the bearings on this bike themselves yet? If so which bearing removal/install tool did you use/recommend? How difficult is it? I have a service manual, just don't have the tools. Yet...

So basically I'm curious because my rear wheel bearings need replacing, parts have been ordered and may be in by Saturday, but my local dealership is about a week and a half out for service appointments. I have a few days off next week, then I work a 6 day stretch of 12hrs shifts so if I can't get an appointment before then I want to get the tools and do it myself before next friday.

Any help/advice is appreciated.

 

[Vnc]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[tew47]

Put the new bearing in the freezer over night and it will go in better.

 

[2brnut2b]

+ 1 for the bearing in the freezer !

 

[JDE]

Thanks for the advice. Think I'll probably just be doing the work myself now. After watching some youtube videos, having the service manual and tips from you guys I'm pretty confident I can do it.

 

[Antarius]

You can do it.

New bearings in freezer over night. A socket that matches the size. It'll slip in no problem.

 

[JDE]

Well, finally got the bearings from Honda today. Hopefully I will be putting them in tomorrow. Apparently the drive flange bearing is an odd ball size.

 

[kharli]

I used a piece of copper pipe to gently hammer out the bearing from the opposite side to avoid damage plus3 on freezer and socket ..I didn't replace the `sprocket` big bearing just the two `wheel ` bearings only the sprocket side one was knackered though

 

[Beemerphile]

I try very hard not to hammer old bearings out or new bearings in, but it takes a bit of equipment that many people will not have. The bearings are interference fit on the bearing OD. To reduce the possibility of damage it helps to temporarily reduce the interference. Less interference equals less opportunity for damage regardless of the installation and removal method you use. My bearings go in the freezer overnight. I make sure that they are still in the manufacturer's complete packaging and put the package into a ziplock bag and seal it. The wheel is heated twice in the process - once to remove the old bearing and again prior to the installation of the new bearing. Some would say that hammering out the old bearing is no problem, because you are going to throw it away anyhow. What you are not going to throw away (unless you ruin it) is the wheel. If you hammer out an old bearing and it gets cocked in the bore, you can damage the (normally aluminum) bore. After several of those operations, the new bearing can end up loose in the bore. Bearing removal is where the greatest potential for damage is. With the internal spacer, it is difficult to get good contact for a punch (please, not a screwdriver!). Evenly heat the hub with a hot air gun prior to removal. Try to heat the hub and not the bearing. Work quickly while the hub is hot. Try to avoid cocking the bearing on the way out by taking small taps at a number of different places around the bearing. Once one bearing and the spacer are removed, the opposite side bearing is easier because you can tap at the OD. If you want to invest in a tool, look for a good blind bearing puller. Mine has both a slide hammer and a mechanical puller because I am averse to hammers. Either will work. Unlike the jaws on a pilot bearing puller, a blind puller will have a range of collets to fit various bearing ID's. The collet has a very narrow lip on the ID and can easily get in between the bearing and the spacer.





The slide hammer only versions of the tool are pretty inexpensive and this greatly improves your chances of performing the operation successfully. This is a BMW wheel, but it shows the process that I use for bearing removal...





Once the bearings are removed, clean the bores with contact cleaner and lightly grease them. Retrieve your frozen bearing and open the package and place it in a clean place so it is available but not going to get dirty. Heat the bore evenly and again working quickly, place the new bearing squarely in the bore and drive or press it home. Never use force against the inner race, only the outer. You can use a correctly sized bearing arbor or the old bearing to press with. It must go in squarely to prevent damage. Again, being hammerphobic, I use a shop press...







I mount the wheel on press blocks so that there is a path straight through the axle hole. The bottom plated press blocks in this stack are V-blocks. To make sure that I have the spacer square and centered, I place the axle in through the lower bearing and spacer and just into the upper bearing. It is held by a piece of cardboard across the lower blocks and is easily pushed out of the way as the second bearing is pressed home. I generally use the old bearing as an arbor.





ETA: I have done a couple of BMW's this year but I haven't changed the NC bearings yet and do not know the specific arrangement, but these procedures ought to apply. My SOP is to routinely change sealed wheel bearings at 40,000 miles or five years whether they need it or not. I had a front wheel bearing fail on my ST1100 at 40,000 miles and it felt perfect when I installed the latest tire. It grabbed a couple of times and squealed like a cat was caught in it. That is more excitement than this old man needs.

 

[showkey]

^^^^^^^^^thanks

Copied the above post to "how to" section for others to reference in the future.

 

[JDE]

Just got home from work bearings are in the freezer. Now sleepy time, then will do the change out later.

 

[showkey]

After bearing replacement ....requesting someone to pull the seals and photo the bearing internals. Very curious if this is a water dirt dust intrusion causing rust problem failure........or some other issue ??????

JDE are you up for the "engineering analysis " ????

 

[JDE]

After bearing replacement ....requesting someone to pull the seals and photo the bearing internals. Very curious if this is a water dirt dust intrusion causing rust problem failure........or some other issue ??????

JDE are you up for the "engineering analysis " ????

I'll give it a shot tomorrow if I get a chance. Wish I would have taken a picture but the worst bearing out of the three, when I was hammering it out with the tool there was metal dust left on the garage floor. So that bearing was definitely shot!

My 3yr old son wanted to help me with everything so my patience was pretty thin after waking up from my graveyard shift, so didn't take any pictures. If I take apart the bearing itself tomorrow I'll get some pictures of it.

Putting the bearings in the freezer was great advice, everything went pretty smooth. I used a "greener" technology for heating up the drive flange and the wheel. It was 90degs today, so I just set them in the sun for a few minutes then ran in and out of the house to get the bearings from the freezer one by one to install them.

I used a Motion Pro installer I ordered from Amazon.com and a Pit Boss bearing removal tool to get them out, also from Amazon.com. The kit Beemerphile posted a link for looks like a better kit for removing the bearings I order so much stuff from amazon I didn't think to check ebay. The one I bought was about 1/2 the price though.

Oh, also as far as failure analysis. I'm not discounting the fact that my little rear ender a couple months ago might have played a significant role in my bearing failing.

 

[kharli]

yes but for most people having all that equipment however ideal is a nono for such an occasional job , I had no problem with a piece of old copper pipe ,a socket ,a freezer and two bits of wood

 

[kharli]

and mine was water intrusion on inspection...oh and don't forget to put the spacer back in !!!!

 

[Beemerphile]

yes but for most people having all that equipment however ideal is a nono for such an occasional job , I had no problem with a piece of old copper pipe ,a socket ,a freezer and two bits of wood

That is why I covered both the impact and press/pull methodologies. I have a number of motorcycles to maintain, plus all of the tools that I used get used for other things (trucks, tractors, cars, farm and lawn equipment). The key learnings are the same regardless of the tools employed:

1) Temporarily reducing the interference is key to not damaging the parts. The freezer is a "hot" tip. But don't neglect to heat the hub. NERD ALERT!> The equation for thermal expansion of a ring is d1 = d0((t1-t0)a + 1) where d is diameter, t is temperature, a is the expansion coefficient, and 0 and 1 are the starting and ending conditions. The coefficient of thermal expansion is measured in inches per inch per degree (or the metric equivalent). But here is the kicker... Since the thermal expansion coefficient of aluminum (the hub) is roughly twice that of steel (the bearing) - one degree of heating the hub reduces twice as much interference as one degree of cooling the bearing. Obviously doing both makes it easier, but the point is to not neglect heating the hub as an advantage to installation and removal. Cooling is not even applicable as an aid to removal. Heat evenly with hot air and do not use a torch.

2. Make sure that you keep the bearing square in the bore when you are moving it in or out.

3. Clean and lightly grease the bore and the OD of the bearing before refitting.

4. Use an arbor (socket, pipe, old bearing) that closely matches the bearing OD. Only apply force to the outer race on installation.

5. Make sure that the spacer (if applicable) is positioned properly and not cocked.

6. Work quickly once you begin because heat transfer between the parts will quickly reduce or eliminate the advantage that you start with.

7. Put waterproof grease under the lip of the dust seal and grease the axle to minimize future water intrusion.

 

[potter0o]

... Since the thermal expansion coefficient of aluminum (the hub) is roughly twice that of steel (the bearing) - one degree of heating the hub reduces twice as much interference as one degree of cooling the bearing.

I always appreciate your posts Beemerphile. Nuggets of gold in them there hills.

 

[JDE]

Alright, so took the seals off the old BAD bearing first.

So, that's what it looked like inside. Thought it was going to be pretty dry as that's kinda how it felt.

Now here's the other wheel bearing that felt fine.

Looks pretty good. So comparing the color of the two I would say water intrusion must have been the cause of failure sine there is an obvious rust color to the grease that was previously semi-clear.

Here's the drive flange bearing.

Looks like a different grease was used. Looks the color of the Timken wheel bearing grease I used for reinstalling the new bearings.

And finally the bad bearing after a decent cleaning.

There is some obvious rust damage in there. So although I wanted to be able to blame the guy who rear ended me for this, I can't be sure that caused the failure. Since it's pretty clear some water got in the bearing.

Would love to cut it open and have a look at the race surfaces, but I don't really have the right tools for that.

 

[showkey]

Thanks for the update and the pictures. Very good info has been gained for the group.......

It does look like rust and water intrusion............

Next question..........the news says there been little or no rain in California ????? Do you wash your bike often ?
Any off road use ? Water crossing and the like ?


No real safe, so be careful............but if you throw ( hard) the bearing at a cement wall the inner race will break and the balls and gage and races can be inspected.

 

[JDE]

No, I don't wash the bike often. Haven't been offroading in about a year. Though I think the last time I changed the rear tire I did give the wheel a good washing since it was off the bike. That might have been when the water got in. Yes, hasn't rained in a while, at least not any to speak of. Plus rain causes fog on my commute route, so I tend to not ride when I know it's going to rain.