08 Adv Stubborn front wheel bearings - removal methods welcomed

andeebee

andeebee

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Having read the other threads regarding front wheel bearing removal I know the bit about a bigger hammer, however mine arent shifting.

After expecting some kind of circlip or retainer I couldnt see one so that was one less job to do. Is this earlier models than mine only?
Due to no access inside due to the sleeve (for traditional drift insertion methods) I bought a expanding slide hammer tool with various size inserts and have been knocking the seven bells out of the bearings and my hand for a week with no budging on either side. Hasnt even cracked the corrosion.
I have tried a heat gun on the surrounding flange and then hitting the inserted tool with a hammer and also getting a drift with a slight lip onto the tiny ledge between the bearing and the sleeve but this is just causing damage to the sleeve.
Given that every other fastener on the bike looks like it was from the Titanic, what are the suggested methods for 'stubborn' front bearing removal?
How do the dealers do them?
 
andeebee said:
Having read the other threads regarding front wheel bearing removal I know the bit about a bigger hammer, however mine arent shifting.

After expecting some kind of circlip or retainer I couldnt see one so that was one less job to do. Is this earlier models than mine only?
Due to no access inside due to the sleeve (for traditional drift insertion methods) I bought a expanding slide hammer tool with various size inserts and have been knocking the seven bells out of the bearings and my hand for a week with no budging on either side. Hasnt even cracked the corrosion.
I have tried a heat gun on the surrounding flange and then hitting the inserted tool with a hammer and also getting a drift with a slight lip onto the tiny ledge between the bearing and the sleeve but this is just causing damage to the sleeve.
Given that every other fastener on the bike looks like it was from the Titanic, what are the suggested methods for 'stubborn' front bearing removal?
How do the dealers do them?
Click to expand...
Hydraulic bearing puller.

Try freezing bearing with liquid nitrogen, B&Q sell it in plumbing section for freezing pipes and then heat surrounding area.

Good luck.

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk
 
Take the wheel to your local motorcycle garage, I remember faffing about with a badly corroded Kawasaki wheel bearing for days, the garage removed it two minutes for a fiver. by the time you buy tools and stuff for freezing it and heating it and you still might not get them out. They sound like they're well stuck, you'll end up with a scrap wheel.
 
Mac One said:
Take the wheel to your local motorcycle garage, I remember faffing about with a badly corroded Kawasaki wheel bearing for days, the garage removed it two minutes for a fiver. by the time you buy tools and stuff for freezing it and heating it and you still might not get them out. They sound like they're well stuck, you'll end up with a scrap wheel.
Click to expand...

That's far too sensible a answer for this site...No mention of explosives, butter nor kicking the dog...go stand in the corner and contemplate your foolishness..:D
 
Use a rawlbolt of appropriate size. From memory M16 but could be wrong. Get it good and tight on the inner bearing race only and give it a solid whack from the opposite side onto the end of the bolt. Use heat as well. You want a heavy hammer and one good hit is better than a series of lighter ones. Once the bearing is out the spacer will come out and the other side will be easy to drift out.
 
seahorse said:
Use a rawlbolt of appropriate size. From memory M16 but could be wrong. Get it good and tight on the inner bearing race only and give it a solid whack from the opposite side onto the end of the bolt. Use heat as well. You want a heavy hammer and one good hit is better than a series of lighter ones. Once the bearing is out the spacer will come out and the other side will be easy to drift out.
Click to expand...

That's a good idea as long as the centre of the bearing doesn't come out and leave the outer race stuck in the rim. Sorry to be so negative it's just when it comes to working on bikes anything that can go wrong probably will. That rawlbolt idea is brilliant, I'll file that away for future use. :thumby:
 
Once the bearing moved the spacer can shift sideways and you can get it with a big drift bar directly from the other side.
Make sure the hub is well supported on solid wood blocks. Then use a big bar grind end to an angle and hit it hard with a BIG hammer. Tappety taps from anything less than 2Kg would do anything.
Make sure bearing stays straight as it comes out.
Post 3 is far easier.
 
mikeyboy said:
Just heat the hub with a hot air gun to @120 degrees,the bearing will probably just knock out with a light tap.
Don’t really understand why youwould attempt it cold:confused:
Click to expand...

Exactly what Mike said - they should almost drop out once the hub is up to temperature....

26730792607_42bedcf990_b.jpg
 
I’ve not yet done the wire wheel but the alloy would not get hot enough. I had a lekky heater, hot air gun and hair dryer. It warmed up but nothing like enough. A big hammer with suitable drift sorted it. The new bearings have now done at least 20,000 as winter wheels.
 
Try this......

My bearings were rock solid, puller failed, heat failed :blast

My solution, and it really does work well;

Pick out the bearing seal.

Needle nose pliers to attack the cage, thats the pressed steel shell that separates the ball bearings, pull out the cage.

Push all the bearings to the one side, the inner race will now come out easily.

Remove the spacer tube that sits between the two bearings.

You now have a good edge to drift the bearings out from opposite sides.

Get your own back with the hammer and long drift..

Roger.
 
Not yet. Thanks for the suggestions. The 'knock the shit out of the inner race' method seems the cheapest and may be the chosen method.
 
I tried heat gun (Black and Decker paint stripper) but even 2 minutes circling outside the bearing area made little impression and no where near the 120' recommended in the earlier post. Its is a big chunk of metal there and dont think throwing my tea on it will get this one out.
 
andeebee said:
I tried heat gun (Black and Decker paint stripper) but even 2 minutes circling outside the bearing area made little impression and no where near the 120' recommended in the earlier post. Its is a big chunk of metal there and dont think throwing my tea on it will get this one out.
Click to expand...

I’ve never struggled,
2 minutes?
Put the gun on low,point it at the bearing and have a cup of tea or something.
It will take 10 to 15 mins to warm it,as you say it’s a big chunk of metal.
Powder coat is cured at 200 degrees as long as you don’t create a hot spot you won’t damage the finish.
 
andeebee said:
I tried heat gun (Black and Decker paint stripper) but even 2 minutes circling outside the bearing area made little impression and no where near the 120' recommended in the earlier post. Its is a big chunk of metal there and dont think throwing my tea on it will get this one out.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I said for cast alloy wheels though the heat gun is fine for smaller parts like wire wheel hub or final drive case.
Picking the bearing centre out of one side is the brightest idea. I’ll try that next time.
How about a big paella pan filled with water and a big F off camp stove to boil it up.
 
One side is out!:thumby:
What a job! 10 minutes with hot air gun but didnt budge with the crappy slide hammer puller. Powder coating was blistering and peeling around the hub edge so I reckon it was plenty hot enough.
Switched to option 2 and this quickly revealed the other side of the bearing and a drift quickly knocked it out.
The problem I now have is the remaining bearing, without an inner race, is hard to get any drift purchase on due to the small gap between the bearing seat and the bearing.
Maybe I took the wrong side out first, dont know.
Have stopped now due to not wanting to annoy the neighbours, so will resume later in the week.
 
andeebee said:
One side is out!:thumby:
What a job! 10 minutes with hot air gun but didnt budge with the crappy slide hammer puller. Powder coating was blistering and peeling around the hub edge so I reckon it was plenty hot enough.
Switched to option 2 and this quickly revealed the other side of the bearing and a drift quickly knocked it out.
The problem I now have is the remaining bearing, without an inner race, is hard to get any drift purchase on due to the small gap between the bearing seat and the bearing.
Maybe I took the wrong side out first, dont know.
Have stopped now due to not wanting to annoy the neighbours, so will resume later in the week.
Click to expand...
Think twice, bash shit out of it once.

Congratulations, not long now

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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