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Bad wheel bearing.

3K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  Propnut 
#1 ·
The right bearing on my rear wheel has shattered and the ball bearings are exposed. Too save taking my bike in to the shop I was going to replace it myself. Just wondering if I need the Harley davidson bearing puller tool or will a universal set be ok? Reason being is that Id have to order the harley tool from America (I'm in Australia) but there are heaps of universal ones on ebay. Any advice would be much appreciated ?
 
#2 ·
I just removed my front wheel bearings using common hand tools, but it required destroying one bearing to get the spacer out, driving the other bearing out with a drift, then reassembling the first bearing so I had something to drive against. Hard to say if a generic puller would do it since the spacer makes it impossible to get puller jaws to grip the bearing. Not sure how the factory puller does it.
 
#3 ·
Yep, x 1 for ordinary hand tools. Lay the wheel on a couple of lengths of wood to protect it. You start with the bearing furthest away from you. Insert a long drift through the wheel and then start tapping the inner bearing race where it butts up against the long inner spacer, this is the most awkward part getting the bearing to initially move away from the spacer. You don't need to whack it hard just work your way round evenly, like tap it at 9 o'clock, then tap it at 3 o'clock, then 12 o'clock, then 6. Just keep working round with this pattern to move the bearing while keeping it 'square' in it's housing. Getting the remaining bearing out is much easier, turn your wheel over, tip out the inner spacer then using the same clock pattern tap the remaining bearing out.

To insert the new bearing, select a likely sized socket and insert it where the bearing would normally sit in the wheel. Check that the outer surface of the socket is a snug fit in the wheel bearing housing but doesn't require any force to put it there and turns freely in the bearing housing.

Next and most importantly check that your socket ONLY contacts the outer race of your new wheel bearing. Then, making sure the bearing is sitting square to it's housing, tap the end of the socket to drive the new bearing home, checking frequently that the bearing is still going in square to it's housing. Turn your wheel over insert the inner spacer and then repeat inserting the other bearing.
 
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