Wheel bearing install - help!

[xjwmx]

I don't think anyone anywhere adds grease to any sealed bearings except here.

 

[fredintoon]

That's a kludge fix, might be fine for a lawnmower bearing but not a motorcycle wheel.. Bearings should FIT, not slop around. - - -

Hi Duck,
it's most unusual for Gary to be wrong but in this instance he's talking out of of his backside.
While raising welts on a bearing housing with a centerpunch is indeed a kludge that may be OK to fix a wheelarrow,
bearings installed with a loose fit and fixed with Loctite have more resistance to shock load failure than bearings that are press-fitted.
I was part of the team which demonstrated that fact when diagnosing bearing failures in aircraft landing gear back in the 1950s.
That a loose fit makes a less costly initial manufacturing process and an easier assembly is an added bonus.

 

[Duck749]

So, ordered up a set of bearings from Mike hoping that they would be larger as it's different brand and came back with same results of slipping into hub. Must be worn hubs for some reason which symmetrically wore out, or one to many bearings have been in and out.

 

[gggGary]

Hi Duck,
it's most unusual for Gary to be wrong but in this instance he's talking out of of his backside.
While raising welts on a bearing housing with a centerpunch is indeed a kludge that may be OK to fix a wheelarrow,
bearings installed with a loose fit and fixed with Loctite have more resistance to shock load failure than bearings that are press-fitted.
I was part of the team which demonstrated that fact when diagnosing bearing failures in aircraft landing gear back in the 1950s.
That a loose fit makes a less costly initial manufacturing process and an easier assembly is an added bonus.

As devil's advocate how much out of true at the rim could a cocked or not centered bearing cause?
So far the bearings I've installed in XS hubs have been a press fit. IIRC I have used a shim on a steering bearing. hint aluminum pop can cut with scissors makes good shim stock.

 

[canuck1969]

So, ordered up a set of bearings from Mike hoping that they would be larger as it's different brand and came back with same results of slipping into hub. Must be worn hubs for some reason which symmetrically wore out, or one to many bearings have been in and out.

That sucks. Sounds like that hub had a seized bearing in at at some point in its life and spun it around. Can't think of any other way it would have a symmetrical widening of the space short of someone honing it out to make an improper bearing fit. Wouldn't rule that one out.

You said the difference in diameter is about 0.002". That would mean a shim of 1 thou. That will be difficult to find although they do make bearing shims for this purpose. McMaster Carr carries them but the smallest I saw was 8 thou thick. With that small of a gap the loctite 660 may be the only choice. Not ideal but should work ok in this application given the lack of cost effective choices short of getting the hub knurled or built up at a machine shop. All the reviews I have read on the 660 seem to support it as a good alternative. I always prefer a mechanical solution over chemical but this may be ok given the tight gap.

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

As devil's advocate how much out of true at the rim could a cocked or not centered bearing cause?

Ooooh, oboy, math.

It would be the ratio of wheel radius to bearing spacing.
A 0.002" diametrical slop would mean a 0.001" deviation from center.
Using hypotheticals, a wheel radius of 12" and bearing spacing of 4", would yield a 12/4 = 3x deviation at the wheel. In this case, about 0.003" deviation, which would appear as a 0.006" wobble...