How on earth do you remove the rear wheel bearings

Stinger02 · 05-19-2012, 08:32 PM

I managed to mount my own tire and now I'm noticing my rear bearings are in rough shape. How do I remove them from the rim?

arsenic · 05-19-2012, 08:40 PM

A hammer and a drift, just catch the lip and knock them out.

Stinger02 · 05-19-2012, 08:43 PM

A drift? Is that a screwdriver? How do you get it to catch the edge. The spacer inside keeps me from getting to the edge inside

Wild-Bill · 05-19-2012, 08:43 PM

With great difficulty. Lay the wheel on its right side, supported by wood blocks so that the bearing can drop free. Using a piece of 1/2" steel rod as a drift, catch the inside edge of the right-side bearing and whack the rod with a hammer. Keep doing this, working your way around the bearing so you're not getting it cockeyed (and stuck) until it drops free. There's a spacer between the left and right bearings that will make your life difficult until the bearing starts to move. As soon as the bearing starts to move, you'll be able to push the spacer to the side a little. Enough to let the rod seat well on the inner bearing race, at least.

Once you get the first bearing out the spacer will drop out with it and the second bearing is a breeze.

To install the new bearings, Freeze them overnight, heat up the wheel with a torch or hot air gun and then drive them into place. Use a block of wood to keep the hammer from damaging the new bearings and remember to only apply force to the outer race. Remember to put the spacer in there before installing the second bearing. Cut up one of the old bearings by cutting through the outside race. Then you can use the old bearing to drive the new ones into place without getting the old bearing stuck in the wheel.

Kreylyn · 05-19-2012, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wild-Bill

To install the new bearings, Freeze them overnight, heat up the wheel with a torch or hot air gun and then drive them into place.

Wouldn't you want to chill the wheel as well, since aluminum reacts the opposite of steel... it shrinks when it heats up....

Krey

Wild-Bill · 05-19-2012, 09:05 PM

Everything I've ever seen says to heat the wheel. I did and the new bearings went in pretty easy. Biggest issue i had was that the bearings go in farther than the lip on the wheel so I had to use the old bearing to push them in the last little bit. The first one I did, the old bearing got stuck in there and was a pain to get back out. That's when I came up with the idea of cutting it so it could be removed like a snap ring.

thetable · 05-19-2012, 09:13 PM

Best tool I've found for the job: http://pitposse.com/whbereset.html

Much easier and faster than a drift and hammer.

For putting new bearings in, put the bearings in the freezer before you start the job. Heat the hub good and hot, and the new bearings should almost drop right in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wild-Bill

Everything I've ever seen says to heat the wheel. I did and the new bearings went in pretty easy. Biggest issue i had was that the bearings go in farther than the lip on the wheel so I had to use the old bearing to push them in the last little bit.

Flat end of a big socket is what I use.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kreylyn

Wouldn't you want to chill the wheel as well, since aluminum reacts the opposite of steel... it shrinks when it heats up....

Krey

Aluminum and steel both expand with temperature. Aluminum has a higher thermal expansion than steel (almost twice as much thermal expansion from aluminum), so sometimes heating the whole assembly will make bearings easier to remove.

Devinjordan · 05-19-2012, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stinger02

I managed to mount my own tire and now I'm noticing my rear bearings are in rough shape. How do I remove them from the rim?

stinger when we going to ride?

Stinger02 · 05-20-2012, 12:13 AM

Thanks for the advice guys and that's a good question. My poor bike has been off the road a couple months. My tires were bad so I changed them myself but while doing that I noticed the bad bearings. My work schedule keeps me so busy that I hardly have time to work on it but hopefully we can go riding soon!

05-19-2012, 08:32 PM	#1
Stinger02 Tank Slapper Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Hammond, Louisiana Posts: 361 iTrader: (3) My Garage	How on earth do you remove the rear wheel bearings I managed to mount my own tire and now I'm noticing my rear bearings are in rough shape. How do I remove them from the rim? __________________

05-19-2012, 08:40 PM	#2
arsenic Captain Metric Supporting Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: 60505 Posts: 18,453 iTrader: (201) My Garage eBay ID: arsenic1016	A hammer and a drift, just catch the lip and knock them out. __________________ "hypothetical power wheelies with a non existent B12" - cintidude04 A dealer of rebuilt Katana carbs. Partly Chris's Motorcycles DREAM Katana

05-19-2012, 08:43 PM	#4
Wild-Bill Have Coffee, will travel Supporting Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Jacksonville, AR Posts: 9,044 iTrader: (8) My Garage eBay ID: justbillv	With great difficulty. Lay the wheel on its right side, supported by wood blocks so that the bearing can drop free. Using a piece of 1/2" steel rod as a drift, catch the inside edge of the right-side bearing and whack the rod with a hammer. Keep doing this, working your way around the bearing so you're not getting it cockeyed (and stuck) until it drops free. There's a spacer between the left and right bearings that will make your life difficult until the bearing starts to move. As soon as the bearing starts to move, you'll be able to push the spacer to the side a little. Enough to let the rod seat well on the inner bearing race, at least. Once you get the first bearing out the spacer will drop out with it and the second bearing is a breeze. To install the new bearings, Freeze them overnight, heat up the wheel with a torch or hot air gun and then drive them into place. Use a block of wood to keep the hammer from damaging the new bearings and remember to only apply force to the outer race. Remember to put the spacer in there before installing the second bearing. Cut up one of the old bearings by cutting through the outside race. Then you can use the old bearing to drive the new ones into place without getting the old bearing stuck in the wheel. __________________ Wherever you go... There you are! 17 Inch Wheel Conversion HID Projector Retrofit

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05-19-2012, 09:05 PM	#6
Wild-Bill Have Coffee, will travel Supporting Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Jacksonville, AR Posts: 9,044 iTrader: (8) My Garage eBay ID: justbillv	Everything I've ever seen says to heat the wheel. I did and the new bearings went in pretty easy. Biggest issue i had was that the bearings go in farther than the lip on the wheel so I had to use the old bearing to push them in the last little bit. The first one I did, the old bearing got stuck in there and was a pain to get back out. That's when I came up with the idea of cutting it so it could be removed like a snap ring.

05-20-2012, 12:13 AM	#9
Stinger02 Tank Slapper Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Hammond, Louisiana Posts: 361 iTrader: (3) My Garage	Thanks for the advice guys and that's a good question. My poor bike has been off the road a couple months. My tires were bad so I changed them myself but while doing that I noticed the bad bearings. My work schedule keeps me so busy that I hardly have time to work on it but hopefully we can go riding soon!