Checking the condition of the wheel bearings is an action that must be carried out at each maintenance check and also when the tire is replaced.
If this check is not carried out periodically, it will deteriorate and the wheel will "dance" slightly, reducing precision in driving, and in extreme cases destroying itself completely, and may even block the wheel.
But aren't the bearings round?
There are currently many types of bearings, depending on the application where they are used.
Traditionally, motorcycle manufacturers have used straight ball bearings for the wheels, but in Harley-Davidson models up to 1999 tapered roller bearings were used, which are very effective in supporting axial (lateral) loads and require precise adjustment during its installation.
These bearings consist of 2 main parts, a race that is embedded in the hub and a cage with rollers that rotate between the hub race and the inner cone, which remains fixed with the wheel axle.
Checking the slack
We can perform a first check by lifting the wheel and moving it laterally from 2 opposite points, checking if there is play.
If we suspect a possible excess play in the wheel bearings, we must remove it from the vehicle (as always, following the instructions in the workshop manual) and remove the seals, using a universal puller.
With the seals out, we can remove the bearings, the internal spacer and the adjusting washers, if any.
With all the elements out of their housing, it is now possible to visually clean and inspect both the bearing rollers and the outer races to detect signs of damage or wear.
Renewing the hub
If the components that we have just checked need replacement we must use a complete kit consisting of bearings, races and seals.
We have to extract the old tracks using the specific extraction tool, which has 2 parts that lock on the edge of the track and are pushed from the opposite side of the wheel.
After cleaning everything thoroughly, we can install the new tracks, using the correct installer
and watching that they enter their housing completely straight.
Before installing the new bearings we will grease them from the inside with grease for this purpose, which contains additives for heavy loads and repels water.
The next step, which is still carried out with the wheel out of the vehicle, consists of inserting the internal spacer in the hub and the bearings in the ends,
followed by the wheel axle to which we will give the recommended torque in the manual.
At this point we must check that the shaft rotates free and that the axial clearance (side to side of the hub) is between 0.05mm and 0.15mm using a precision meter.
For the exact adjustment within these measurements there are calibrated washers. If the shaft is stiff or very fair we will increase the thickness of the washers and if the clearance is excessive we will install thinner washers, until we leave the clearance within the specifications.
Final steps
We can now remove the shaft and install the retainers, which will be responsible for keeping the grease inside the assembly and at the same time prevent water or dirt from penetrating.
We will use an installer that places them completely flat in your accommodation.
We already have the hub of our wheel rebuilt, ready to face many kilometers again in perfect condition, so we only have to reassemble the wheel by leaning back on the steps and tightening of the manual for the specific year and model of our vehicle, especially if we are careful not to clean the retaining area with pressure water to avoid possible oxidation of the internal components.
Frank Burguera
3 comments
Excelente información, muy útil para quienes solos usuarios.
Me parece un artículo buenísimo
Muchas gracias por aportar
Perfect thanks a lot.