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Wheel bearing removal

Featured Replies

Sorry.. just a quick one.

 

To remove the rear wheel bearings, it looks like I need to put a socket inside the bearing and knock the opposite bearing out using the spacer. Would that be right? Doesn't look like enough clearance to knock the space aside to access the bearing directly. 

Also, on reassembly, does the spacer line up perfectly or does it need to be tapped into place? On mine it looks like a perfect alignment which makes me think it should go back to that position quite easily.

Any hub I've ever changed bearings requires taping the bearing out from the opposite side, having first delicately leavered the central spacer to one side to give access.

I've ground down the O/D of a socket to a sliding fit in the bearing.I warm up the hub with a heat gun and tap the end of the spacer,,the bearing comes out easily?The spacer locates in the bearing about 1 mm so you can't lever it aside.Alternatively get a suitably sized Rawlbolt and tighten it into the bearing and knock it out from the other side

21 minutes ago, huski said:

I've ground down the O/D of a socket to a sliding fit in the bearing.I warm up the hub with a heat gun and tap the end of the spacer,,the bearing comes out easily?The spacer locates in the bearing about 1 mm so you can't lever it aside.Alternatively get a suitably sized Rawlbolt and tighten it into the bearing and knock it out from the other side

New one to me, so the diameter of the axle must be smaller than the bearing if the spacer locates 1mm into it ?

  • Author
1 hour ago, b40rt said:

Any hub I've ever changed bearings requires taping the bearing out from the opposite side, having first delicately leavered the central spacer to one side to give access.

Yep, me too. Which is why I asked. This setup looks a little different.

1 hour ago, huski said:

I've ground down the O/D of a socket to a sliding fit in the bearing.I warm up the hub with a heat gun and tap the end of the spacer,,the bearing comes out easily?The spacer locates in the bearing about 1 mm so you can't lever it aside.Alternatively get a suitably sized Rawlbolt and tighten it into the bearing and knock it out from the other side

Ah, cool. Thanks. This is what I had assumed by looking at it but thought it best to check before I started smacking away.

Jitsie sell one dedicated for removing and installing trials wheel bearings

11 hours ago, al_orange said:

Yep, me too. Which is why I asked. This setup looks a little different.

Ah, cool. Thanks. This is what I had assumed by looking at it but thought it best to check before I started smacking away.

Don't think I explained this properly.Theres a radiused edge on the inner race of the bearing and the spacer locates on this,my guesstimate of 1mm is too much.You can move this spacer over just enough for the socket to access it.As others have suggested a proper bearing remover is best

17 hours ago, al_orange said:

Sorry.. just a quick one.

 

To remove the rear wheel bearings, it looks like I need to put a socket inside the bearing and knock the opposite bearing out using the spacer. Would that be right? Doesn't look like enough clearance to knock the space aside to access the bearing directly. 

Also, on reassembly, does the spacer line up perfectly or does it need to be tapped into place? On mine it looks like a perfect alignment which makes me think it should go back to that position quite easily.

I had the with my honda  xl I had hell of a job the spacer would not move to one side so I used my cheap blind bush puller it done the job if you not got them you could wield a lump then you get a long punch knock it from the other side that would been my next move if the bush puller did not work 

15 hours ago, b40rt said:

New one to me, so the diameter of the axle must be smaller than the bearing if the spacer locates 1mm into it ?

Yes it is but remember on modern bikes the wheel spacers fit inside the bearing then the spindle fits in the spacer. So with the outside spacer removed you can use the lip on the internal spacer between the bearings to knock the opposite bearing out. It's either a 14 or 15mm socket I use.

This is a great system if you have to remove a wheel at a trial as the spacers stay in the wheel rather than rolling down the hill.

  • Author

So yeah, that was mega easy. Well done TRS!

Heat up hub, 14mm socket on the spacer tube to knock out one side, then whatever you want to knock out the other. Clean everything up nice and tidy. 

Add extra grease to bearings, freeze for a bit, use suitable size socket (mine exactly matched the 42mm outer race), tap one side in. Drop the spacer in (it locates in the inner race), tap the other bearing in and double check spacer is located in both bearings before seating fully. 

Job done. Probably the hardest bit is getting the wheel back in the swing arm. 

Shame that the wheels don't have proper seals and spacers as they would seriously prolong the life of the bearings but then there probably isn't room to fit them in. 

It's not really well done TRS, most modern bikes are the same set up. Certainly Gas Gas have been for years. 

If you plan to ride for more a couple of years at least, it is a good investment buy right tools

 

 

Special tool and a big oversize lump hammer ??

made similar but have a collar that slides on for install .

makes job dead easy

  • Author
14 hours ago, cascao said:

If you plan to ride for more a couple of years at least, it is a good investment buy right tools

 

 

Not sure there is anything there that is more effective than the correct size sockets, like I used. If it was a tenner then I might be tempted I guess. Don't intend on changing bearings too often. Will keep on top of the greasing now I know how exposed they are. 

 

Over 200 hours of muddy and nasty enduro riding and I've changed one wheel bearing. So was expecting to get more than 30 hours out of a set! 

When I popped the bearing seal to check the grease, the bearing was literally packed with dried mud!  

Edited by al_orange

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