Wheel Bearing Removal

[alfredo]

How do I get the wheel bearings out and in of spoke rims? I bought some used rims that have some messed up bearings. The grease seal is even missing on some sides. Anyhow, I read the clymer and it says to tap them out by using a a hammer and a punch on the spacer. No luck for me. Anyone have any tricks?

 

[inxs]

- this is a little finnicky...you need to move the inner spacer to one side with a long screwdriver so that you can connect with the inner ring of the opposite bearing...carefully tap the bearing out moving around the bearing all the time so that it comes out evenly...once out, remove the spacer and the other side is a lot easier

- dont reuse bearings once youve removed them

- when installing bearings its a goood idea to prewarm the hub, press in from the outer ring only

 

[alfredo]

thanks

 

[Bandito]

Ah yes, I remember the fun of trying to remove the bearings...

I've got the mags, and I discovered after the fact that I tossed the one bearing
with the axle shim for the rear...

Good thing I had a spare set of wheels or I would have been fubar'd.

 

[5twins]

The front must be done as inxs stated but the rear is much simpler. There is a top hat shaped spacer pressed into the sprocket side bearing from the rear (#20 in the picture below). Find a socket that just fits on this and drive it down into the hub. It will force the center spacer, right side bearing and grease seal out the other side. Then it's a simple matter to drive the sprocket side bearing out with a long drift from the brake side. Install the top hat spacer into the new bearing before putting it in the wheel.

 

[gggGary]

From a post by Camilo;
I've added some photos for anyone else, thankfully it's straightforward.

First, heat it up, makes the job 10x easier.

Then, find a socket (I think 17mm worked for me) that fits on the innermost metal ring visible from the sprocket side of the hub. Make sure it's clear of the bearing, and just tap it through

The RHS seal and bearing should fall out the other side, followed by the spacer and the top hat (which is actually what you were driving with the socket)

Then flip the hub over and drive the LHS bearing and seal out. I used an engine bolt, and gently hit it alternating left and right sides of the inner race of the bearing until it popped out. Again with a generous application of heat, and the thing popped out after a few dozen taps.

 

[alfredo]

Now that they are all out and cleaned up. . . . Any tips on putting them back together? Best greases to use, ways to put the grease in, how much grease, ways to tap the bearings in . . . etc

 

[alfredo]

 

[gggGary]

I hope you aren't saying you plan to reuse them? That is a no no the removal process has ruined them. The good news is VBX bearings will sell you a bunch of them for a couple of bucks and throw in a digital caliper which works just fine even though it is a cheapie. By the way that bump photo is COMPLETELY disgusting!

 

[alfredo]

Nope. I have all new bearings, washers, spacers and grease seals. Just wondering what te best grease is to use and best method for reinstallation. Never done wheel bearings before.

 

[alfredo]

 

[inxs]

- bump(s)?...more like pillowed

 

[alfredo]

- bump(s)?...more like pillowed

hahahaha. yes.

 

[Ironsled77]

More pics with out bra......

 

[alfredo]

More pics with out bra......

is that a cole foster tank in your avatar pic?

 

[alfredo]

just an update. . . . as far as the reinstall goes, buy this and a 4lb hammer. I did and it made installation a breeze. I would not recommend reinstalling without it. The sizes are perfect for the rear and the front.

 

[Travis]

^^ how exactly do those things work? Do they cover the whole bearing? or just slip inside the bearing?

 

[alfredo]

they cover the whole bearing to the outer rim. because the inside of the bearing (the casing over the balls) is usually deeper than the rim, the contact surface is just the outer and inner rim. Using the 4lb hammer, you can gently tap the bearing in. Worked perfectly for me and like I said, the set I mentioned had exactly the right sizes.

 

[pyrocentric]

Yeah, those bearing drivers are great. I struggled with sockets and flathead screwdrivers in the past. Keeping the bearings square in the hole is the key.

 

[lovebill1951]

Thanks for the info here. I think the XS has 28,000 miles on it. The rear bearings seem to be ok. I wanted to remove them for media blasting the rear wheel. Do you think I should replace them or cover them up? How do I or can I re-grease them? Are they a sealed bearing? Thanks again.