Wheel Bearing installation Questions
- Thread starter knewch
- Start date
David Trustrum
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- Jan 25, 2001
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Yeah always takes a little time. You have to shove the inside spacer (between the bearings) to one side a bit so you can get the punch to bite on a side. Once you get it started work around with the punch. This means pushing the spacer over a couple of mm to get an edge. Use a punch to encourage it over a bit on the near side. Then you go from the other side & need a sharp edge punch to catch the edge & punch it. Then move the spacer to the other side & repeat. Will seem like you are getting no where for a while & then a bit of movement will change everything.
I use an old thinner axle & sharpen the edge until it rounds off then sharpen it again.
This won’t be the first time you have to do this so learn the technique now & it will serve you for life.
Don’t forget to put the spacer back before replacing bearings.
Only tap the outside of the bearings, use a socket.
You can heat the hub & freeze the bearing during re-installation.
Make sure those seals are like new or bearings will die in short order. If the bearings are ‘sealed’ don’t think they will stop water, only dust. For that reason flick out at least one of these so if water gets in it drains away quickly. Grease.
I use an old thinner axle & sharpen the edge until it rounds off then sharpen it again.
This won’t be the first time you have to do this so learn the technique now & it will serve you for life.
Don’t forget to put the spacer back before replacing bearings.
Only tap the outside of the bearings, use a socket.
You can heat the hub & freeze the bearing during re-installation.
Make sure those seals are like new or bearings will die in short order. If the bearings are ‘sealed’ don’t think they will stop water, only dust. For that reason flick out at least one of these so if water gets in it drains away quickly. Grease.
I use a big crowbar-screwdriver to get mine out, and a milk crate .The front is a little easier than the rear as the rear has the spacers to deal with. Lay the wheel on the milk crate for ease of working. Check the rear spacers also, and if they are grooved replace them.. The rear also has seals to deal with. The easiest way to remove the seals is with that crowbar -screwdriver. Just slip it under one side annd pry.
As for instalation, I put the new bearings in the freezer, and use a hair dryer to heat the hub. Try to fiind a socket that just fits the outside of the the bearing to drive it in.. or if you know a machinist have him make a driver out of brass.. Take your time and you'll figure it out..
zilla
As for instalation, I put the new bearings in the freezer, and use a hair dryer to heat the hub. Try to fiind a socket that just fits the outside of the the bearing to drive it in.. or if you know a machinist have him make a driver out of brass.. Take your time and you'll figure it out..
zilla
TexKDX
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- Aug 8, 1999
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Yea, what Marlin said!!! If you start doing the above without taking out the clip, you'll surely blow a big chunk out of the sprocket side. Quite a few people have done this.
The freeze bearings/heat gun thing is helpful too. Just get that snap ring out of there and take you time smacking the old bearings out so you don't get one cocked.
Did you get the EE rear spacers too? These and the eRider ones are a good idea. The stockers SUCK. Also, new seals? These need to be done as well as the bearings. We get the bearings and seals locally BTW from a bearing shop.
The freeze bearings/heat gun thing is helpful too. Just get that snap ring out of there and take you time smacking the old bearings out so you don't get one cocked.
Did you get the EE rear spacers too? These and the eRider ones are a good idea. The stockers SUCK. Also, new seals? These need to be done as well as the bearings. We get the bearings and seals locally BTW from a bearing shop.
I put grease fittings in mine when I replaced my bearings. It's reassuring to see the clean grease coming out...means that there is clean grease inside. You may want to consider it. No need for seals in this case and this will save you a few bucks on the bearings too.
I read somewhere lately of someone who kept a 13inch car tire as a support for working on his wheels. Sounds like a good idea.
I put my bearings in the freezer before installation and they went in relatively easily even without heating the hub.
Use a small sledge hammer as opposed to a light hammer for removal and seating bearings. Less effort and more controlled results.
My $0.012 (CDN)
I read somewhere lately of someone who kept a 13inch car tire as a support for working on his wheels. Sounds like a good idea.
I put my bearings in the freezer before installation and they went in relatively easily even without heating the hub.
Use a small sledge hammer as opposed to a light hammer for removal and seating bearings. Less effort and more controlled results.
My $0.012 (CDN)
Ya. There's so much grease in there I don't think there's room for water. If I go anywhere near water I just grease it up when I get home. This flushes out any water that might have gotten in although I've never noticed any. Look at the route that water has to take to reach the bearings. That whole path is filled with grease. Plus, if I leave the seals on the inside, the grease would force the seals against the ball bearings and this can't be good. If I put them on the outside, the grease would force them out anyway. Don't get me wrong, I use the "cap, axle" that's in the parts diagram and I think they are sufficient.
Probably at the end of the summer I'll take the wheel apart and check 'em out just for the fun of it. In the meantime, I'm not worried about it-these bearings see a LOT of grease.
Before you go and do it, look at what is accomplished and understand it. I'm not a mechanic, just can't stop tinkering. The way I look at it, it will save me time and money and especially down time. I have two kids and time has become very short. Anything that can save me maintenance time is a good thing.
Probably at the end of the summer I'll take the wheel apart and check 'em out just for the fun of it. In the meantime, I'm not worried about it-these bearings see a LOT of grease.
Before you go and do it, look at what is accomplished and understand it. I'm not a mechanic, just can't stop tinkering. The way I look at it, it will save me time and money and especially down time. I have two kids and time has become very short. Anything that can save me maintenance time is a good thing.
Any automotive supplier should have zerks. They come in different shapes (straight, 45deg, 90deg) and sizes but are generally standard. You'll have to drill a hole and tap it to receive the zerk. I couldn't get access to my wheel hub to do it straight so a machine shop (he has longer drill bits) did it for me for $10 CDN. I felt guilty letting someone else do it but it's well done. The zerks I bought have the thread pattern marked on the package. My tap and die set tell me what size hole to drill for any specific tap size so I went with that. If you have no experience with these you're better off letting the machinist do it for you. If he's got a few to do it'll be much cheaper. Stick around and watch him do it though. I like this kind of stuff and find it interesting. Good luck. DVO
I dont know about what you off road guys do for wheel bearing set up but here is what I do for mx.
When the bike is brand new I pull one side of the wheel bearing seals out while still in the hub.
I take a chain saw bar grease gun and fill it with Maxima water proof grease.
I then pack the bearings real good and put the seals back in.
Since I been doing this I usually get a full season of practice and mx out of the bearings. I also take the brake pedal bearings out and the chain roller
bearings and grease them when new in the same manner.
If and when I have to change wheel bearings I drive them out as normal but I dont drive them back in.
It is much better on the hubs if they are pressed back in.
The cold heat method along with pressing works great.
Alot of hub life is used up by pounding bearings in .
Putting a threaded rod through the hub with a socket on the side of the bearing your putting in and a nut on each end of the hub is a cheap press.
Tightening the nut against the socket slowly presses in the bearing.
Just make sure the socket is on the outer side of the bearing(race) not on the center.I always remove the seals on the new bearings and grease real good with Maxima. I put the seals back in and the bearings last much longer.
I usually get about three months out of the stock break pedal bearings on my KTM but twice that if I grease them up . It makes a differance.
When the bike is brand new I pull one side of the wheel bearing seals out while still in the hub.
I take a chain saw bar grease gun and fill it with Maxima water proof grease.
I then pack the bearings real good and put the seals back in.
Since I been doing this I usually get a full season of practice and mx out of the bearings. I also take the brake pedal bearings out and the chain roller
bearings and grease them when new in the same manner.
If and when I have to change wheel bearings I drive them out as normal but I dont drive them back in.
It is much better on the hubs if they are pressed back in.
The cold heat method along with pressing works great.
Alot of hub life is used up by pounding bearings in .
Putting a threaded rod through the hub with a socket on the side of the bearing your putting in and a nut on each end of the hub is a cheap press.
Tightening the nut against the socket slowly presses in the bearing.
Just make sure the socket is on the outer side of the bearing(race) not on the center.I always remove the seals on the new bearings and grease real good with Maxima. I put the seals back in and the bearings last much longer.
I usually get about three months out of the stock break pedal bearings on my KTM but twice that if I grease them up . It makes a differance.
Zerks also come in press-fit. No tap needed.
I've got a question.
Can you remove the seals and bearings and then reinstall them, or does the removal damage them? I haven't had much luck with removing seals in the past, any secrets? I've got a new set of hubs that came with the seals and bearings installed, and I would like to have the hubs anodized. They are 2002Honda CR250 hubs, if that matters. Thanks.
Can you remove the seals and bearings and then reinstall them, or does the removal damage them? I haven't had much luck with removing seals in the past, any secrets? I've got a new set of hubs that came with the seals and bearings installed, and I would like to have the hubs anodized. They are 2002Honda CR250 hubs, if that matters. Thanks.
Sigar: As far as I recall, the bearings are driven in untill they are seated. The only way to get them out is to apply pressure against the outer race from the inside. (It's my understanding that pressure on the inside race will destroy the ball bearings) Even if you fabricated a special puller to do this, I 'm not sure there is enough meat to grip from the inside.
As far as removing and replaceing seals, ya it's a do-able. Some people I believe do it to their bearings before installation, just to load them up with their prefferred grease.
As far as the hubs go, I believe everything needs to be removed(but don't quote me on it). Good luck, DVO
As far as removing and replaceing seals, ya it's a do-able. Some people I believe do it to their bearings before installation, just to load them up with their prefferred grease.
As far as the hubs go, I believe everything needs to be removed(but don't quote me on it). Good luck, DVO
With this installation, it takes a fair bit of pressure to get grease through. I've never seen a press-fit zerk, but the threaded kind are a bullet-proof, worry-free installation. But maybe I wouldn't feel that way if I couldn't do them myself though.
A small machine shop would do them very cheaply. Having the bearings out and the zerk placement marked with a punch or scribe will be easier on your wallet.
