| Author | Message | ||
     Mueller |
Does anybody have any tricks to remove the rear wheel bearings? I don't have the expanding collet puller. I tried Al's method of welding a washer to the inner race and pressing it out from behind, but i keep getting brittle fractures from the inner race. Any help would be appreciated, I need to get to riding this thing! | ||
| Firebolt020283 |
I am trying to remember how I did my front wheel...but I cant remember. I know it involved a hammer and did not take long but I don't remember what I hit with the hammer. (Message edited by firebolt020283 on June 10, 2011) | ||
| Nik |
I weld a washer to the inner race and the balls. It helps to get the zinc off the washer and on mine I put so much heat into it the whole thing was glowing bright orange. Then I use a socket on an extension that fits inside the inner race somewhat snugly and beat it out. | ||
| Mueller |
Yep, that's close to what I did. I finally got it. Just have to be persistent I guess. I sprayed some Thrust on it and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then welded another washer on it again, and used more heat. Then she finally popped with the socket and extension in my 20 ton press. I didn't think about trying to weld to the balls as well. That would probably help. Anyway, here is a pic of the washer weld if anyone is curious. I had another washer welded perpendicular to hook the ground to. Tough to work around the ground like that, but no chance of messing up the wheel.  Thanks guys. | ||
| Brother_in_buells |
Found this in the knowledge vault/chassis area http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/384 2/635058.html?1306711225 | ||
| Illbuell |
I heated my wheel in th kitchen oven at 350 for ten mins and they fell out.. No damage to paint.. | ||
| Mueller |
Cool video on how to remove them, but in my searching here, I found lots of posts saying not to work them around like that. They say you only get 4-5 bearing replacements if you press them in straight. Walking them around like that ruins the bore in the wheel. I don't know, just what I read. I am going to try the same welding technique on my front when the bearings come. They of course are back ordered... | ||
| Greg_e |
Boca Bearing will have them if you search for the correct size, several posts regarding the size of the bearings. I would heat the wheel to expand the alloy and if I couldn't get a good grip on the bearing I would remove the dust cover and loop some wire through the balls and cage to pull them out. Alternate would be to cut the inner race free and remove everything, then use a puller set for internal grasping and pull them out. I would still heat the wheel to expand the alloy to make it easier. Going back in I would heat the wheel and freeze the bearings, should drop right in. | ||
| Illbuell |
"Going back in I would heat the wheel and freeze the bearings, should drop right in." A+ that Greg_e Thats what I did and it works great. | ||
| Illbuell |
a can of computer duster held upside down works good for the cooling the bearing. Use it for both for removing and assembling. Heating the rim is the most important step. Buell has a tool also but Im sure its pricey. | ||
| Greg_e |
Be careful with any of the freeze sprays, they are also solvents and can attack the rubber seals as well as wash away the grease. Putting the bearings in a plastic bag in the freezer before you start taking the wheels off is a better way to cool. By the time you get the old bearing ready to pull the new bearing should be contracted and ready to go. Heat the wheel, remove old, drop in new, flip and repeat. A $50 heat gun should provide enough heat to expand the hub. | ||
| Illbuell |
"freeze sprays, they are also solvents and can attack the rubber seals as well as wash away the grease" I was attacked by some freeze spray once.. Good thing i know kung fu!!!! | ||
| Ourdee |
The guy that does my tires said he used a heat gun on a buell wheel and just tapped on the bearings and they came out easy. | ||
| Firebolt020283 |
I did for the most part like the youtube video...right or wrong it only took a few minutes then I have this tool made for hammering the new bearings back in from harbor freight for about 15 bucks or so. So the job took all of about 10 or 15 minutes. now my back one was a night mare because one actually blew out so I had to cut out the outer race. | ||
| Djohnk |
When my rear bearing failed on my Ulysses I lost the inner race... had to go to a welder and he welded a piece of steel to the outer race. It was kind of funny because the heat from welding expanded the rim so much the bearing dropped out easily. I guess it's because the aluminum rim has a larger coefficient of expansion than the steel bearings, so if you heat both enough it loosens the bearing. When I installed the bearings I applied a thin coating of oil on the rim where the outer race contacts it, then heated the rim hub with a hair dryer for 5+ minutes. I easily tapped the bearing in immediately after removing it from my freezer. I also used a long piece of wood between the bearing and the hammer. The piece of wood allowed me to tap on the whole bearing at once, not just around the edges. I also made sure I worked quickly and had all my tools with in quick reach. I was a little worried about doing it without a press, but it worked great. |
