Change the wheel bearing

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Change the wheel bearing

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Change the wheel bearing

Change the wheel bearing on the motorcycle
With a mandrel, hot air and bearing grease

Changing wheel bearings on a motorcycle requires a little bit of screwdriving experience and one or the other special tool.

02/25/2003

What turns or moves is not built to last, it wears out more or less quickly. Wheel bearings inevitably rotate when the motorcycle moves, so they wear out, especially since the bearings are exposed to enormous forces during operation. You have to endure the weight of the motorcycle and also swallow bumps from bumps in the road. When braking, deceleration forces put a strain on the bearings, and the rear wheel also has to withstand the driving forces.

Another reason for defective bearings is water or dirt. For protection, the bearings are covered by integrated sealing rings, usually they are also protected by covers. Despite all precautionary measures, moisture can penetrate over time and destroy the lubricating film in the bearings. Excessive care can also be harmful: Careless steam jets can easily blow water through all the cracks into the bearings.

In many motorcycles, the bearings are only sealed on one side, so that moisture or dirt can penetrate the bearings from the rear along the axis. For this reason, the axle should always be well greased when assembling. Sometimes only cheaper ball bearings with Z-washers are used instead of the better and more expensive RS seals. In many cases, you can use inexpensive DIN bearings for subsequent purchases, but you should always choose ball bearings with 2 RS seals. Bearings that are sealed on both sides are greased from the factory; versions that are open on one or both sides must be used with plenty of bearing grease.

The wheel bearings should be checked for play and easy running during inspections or tire changes. When the wheel is removed, it is particularly easy to check whether the inner rings can be turned without resistance and noiselessly.

Wheel bearings can also be checked when they are installed. To do this, the wheels must be relieved. Jerking the wheel can be used to determine whether there is any play. Noise when the wheel is turning can indicate that bearings are defective. However, there are other causes for unhealthy noises or resistance when turning, for example in the brake system.


Change the wheel bearing

Bearings are usually completely exchanged as a set, even if only one bearing is defective. It is advisable to also replace any existing sealing rings. Instead of expensive original spare parts, cheap but no less good standard bearings can often be used. If possible, use bearings with rubber washers (2RS) on both sides.


Change the wheel bearing

Wheel bearings are pressed into the hub. In order to damage the bearing seats as little as possible, they should be carefully heated to a maximum of 100 degrees Celsius. The aluminum in the hub expands more than the hub, the seat expands and the bearings are easier to remove.


Change the wheel bearing

The wheel bearings are now driven out with a long mandrel and a hammer that is not too light. Place the mandrel all around the bearing with every blow so that the bearing does not tilt. Craftsmen and professionals use special extraction tools that are too expensive for the amateur.


Change the wheel bearing

Before installing new bearings, the seat must be thoroughly cleaned of dirt or grease. Also clean the interior between the two bearing seats. Then check the seats for damage. For example, the seat in the area of ​​the bearings may have widened or a ridge may have formed when it was driven out.


Change the wheel bearing

If the new wheel bearings are not sealed, they must be greased before installation. Use special bearing grease for this. When installing, make sure that the open sides are facing inwards or, in the case of double bearings, facing each other.


Change the wheel bearing

If the outer bearing shell is not tight enough, the bearing must be fitted with a special adhesive. Suitable adhesives are available from Loctite or Wurth, for example. If the bearing seat has already widened a little, a special repair adhesive must be used. In the heat of the moment, do not forget the spacer tube between the bearings when assembling.


Change the wheel bearing

The bearing is cooled in the freezer compartment before being inserted, and the bearing seat is heated again. Then drive in the bearing with an aluminum mandrel that attaches to the outer ring. Never hit the inner ring with a hammer, this will ruin the balls or bearing rings. It is essential to ensure that it is applied straight.


Change the wheel bearing

You can also put the old bearing between the new one and the driving mandrel, this prevents damage. The muffled sound tells you when the new bearing has reached the stop on the seat. Check whether the spacer is correctly seated or whether it has jammed.


Change the wheel bearing

If there is a separate sealing ring in front of the bearing, it can either be driven out together with the old bearing or levered out with a lever or screwdriver. In the latter method, however, it is destroyed and must be replaced by a new one in any case.


Change the wheel bearing

The new sealing ring must also be inserted very carefully so that it does not become deformed or the sealing lips are damaged. A mandrel or suitable round material is helpful here. Make sure that the open side of the sealing ring faces inwards.


Change the wheel bearing

After installation, coat the sealing rings with a little grease, this also applies to the speedometer drives on the front wheel. Use grease sparingly, especially with drum brakes, otherwise the braking effect will suffer from excessive grease. Remove grease from braking surfaces and discs with brake cleaner or degreaser spray.

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