| Author | Message | ||
     Mtnrdr |
Howdy, During a 5K mile tire change I found the original orange sealed bearings to be hard to turn. I ask my dealer Smoky Mountain HD for help with it. They gladly ordered the parts and told me: whenever they got the parts and I could bring the wheel they would press the new bearings and distance piece in. I noticed when I picked it up, the distance piece is a bit loose as compared to the original. I guess this opens a few questions. Has any anyone taken a bare wheel and, had this done and, found the distance piece to be loose? } | ||
| Growl |
The "spacer" I wonder if the looseness will close up after you mount the wheel and tighten the axle to the specified torque... | ||
| Gamdh |
I recently asked Al @ American Sport Bike a question about bearings .... this is what he said about the spacer. "The spacer should be tight but not too tight. You don’t want it flopping around in there, but you also don’t want it so tight that it gets possible deformed." When I replaced my bearings on the '06 wheel, this was the case.. the spacer was snug.. but you could gently tap to get move it around. I've since put the '10 rear on ... got it from Al with the bearings pressed in. They are snug as well just like the '06. (Message edited by gamdh on May 30, 2010) (Message edited by gamdh on May 30, 2010) | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Every single time I've checked my bearings they turn slow and tight. BUT, all I do is pop the seals and finger push in some new grease on top of the old and then put everything back together. My bearings keep on working. Maybe the only way to get away from hard to turn bearings is to buy that 2010 rear wheel with the larger set of 3 bearings and seal. I have a hard time parting with the change to do that since my method of maintaining the bearings works for me and others. Maybe someday when I have money burning a hole in my pocket I'll go the 2010 wheel route but I won't hold my breath. | ||
| Bdrag |
Mtnrdr I put a new rear tire on Yesterday and mine is as you discribe exactly. They turn and are hard but they are smooth. Other words when you turn both sides with your thumbs they turn with effort but are smooth and not notchy. I can move the spacer around by tapping it or prying on it getly with the axle so its not under much pressure. If I press in hard from the sides with my thumbs and turn it seem to get a tad bit easier. I also added that little pinch of additional grease and poped the seal back in. Mine are orange and my Ride is a 2009. BDRAG | ||
| Mtnrdr |
I think if my original bearings were any harder to turn, they would have been turning on the axle. I do think the proper axle torque should set the distance piece tight against the bearings inner race. Not seeing the wheel without the bearings, is the spacer held from wobbling axially by a step or bore of the wheel hub? | ||
| Someday |
No, there is nothing to locate the spacer. It's located by being sandwiched between the 2 bearings. | ||
| Mtnrdr |
soooo....me thinks it's good till the axle torque takes care of it...otherwise it'd fall into the interior of the wheel... | ||
| Bdrag |
Mtnrdr On my Strom the spacer is a tad loose in the hub but it will not fall away as to not allow the axle to slide through. This is one reason I worry some about the tightness of the tube in the Uly. I would guess the spacer compresses a tad under torque and then let the bearings be centered in their races? I hope this is the case. BDRAG (Message edited by BDRAG on May 31, 2010) | ||
| Tiltcylinder |
Swapped tires on sunday and found all the bearings tight and clean with no notchieness (word?). Rear axle had moisture on it, so I left the assy out in the sun until everything baked dry before reassembly. Where in heck does the water get in? Through the bearings? I hope not. I dont't know but will be making axle removal and inspection part of the oil change routine from now on. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Anti-seize the crap out of the axle and that may keep the water out. Makes removal a cinch also. Use Permatex. | ||
| Mtnrdr |
I seem to remember an updated torque for the axles. I am unable to find it using the search. My manual says the low figures are 28# and 45# for front and back. Is this the latest? | ||
| Tiltcylinder |
My '08 manual has the torque values at 48-52 ft/lbs rear and 38-42 front. I torque them to 50 and 40 respectively. The low number is a preliminary value used to seat the assembly, you then back off a turn or two and retorque to the correct value. Although none of my expensive torque wrenches actually work on left hand threads! Stuck using the old style beam with pointer over scale style on the front axle. (still pretty accurate for a 35 year old tool - did a lot of two strokes with it as a kid - checked it on the rear axle and was dead on) Left hand threads! The axle couldn't have gone in from the right side? Different in every sense  |
