Long tooth rider Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 I've a 2007 1200RT that I bought about a year ago. I'm getting a growl from the front end and I think I'm probably going to have to put wheel bearings in it. I've picked up a bearing puller for Harbor freight and from what I've read I need to heat the area around the bearing pocket to ease in removal. I also need to place the new bearings in the freezer for a period of time prior to installation. I would appreciate hearing on experiences from others who have done this. Link to comment
dirtrider Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Morning Long tooth rider Seldom is the front end growl the wheel bearings-- usual cause is tire feathering or tire cupping (sometimes you can't easily see of feel the tire wear) Or a front whirring noise coming from all those holes in the brake rotors as they pass certain brake pad meterial. If it really is front wheel bearings then those can be a pain to replace. Not only should you heat the wheel hub (to 100°c or 212°f) to remove bearings but the wheel bearing spacer (spacer tube between the bearings) usually won't move over far enough in the wheel hub to allow driving the far side bearing out. If you can't access the far side wheel bearing to drive it out then you can weld a nut or washer to the bearing center then use a long rod from the other side to drive the bearing out. Or, make an expandable bearing driver to go in the bearing center then drive the bearing out. (see picture below for homemade tool) Or buy/rent a bearing bushing remover tool that fits your bearing. Link to comment
Long tooth rider Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 Thanks for the quick reply, the tires show no sign of cupping and I can really hear a growl with a stethoscope placed on the shaft. I am going to tackle the bearings today. Link to comment
dirtrider Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Morning Long tooth rider Be careful on how you heat the wheel hub as there isn't a lot of range between getting it hot enough for bearings to come out & tarnishing the wheel paint. Link to comment
Bob_Minor Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 I think I know the sound you're talking about. My '07 has had a growl on and off since I bought it with 2000 miles, it now has 31,000. I think it's most pronounced around 30-40 mph. DR is likely right, it's probably not your wheel bearings, more likely tire noise. If you have no other symptoms that indicate bad bearings I'd think twice about replacing them. Link to comment
JayJay Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Long tooth - one way you can help determine whether it's tire noise or not is to get rolling on a road where you hear it, then swing side to side in an S-pattern (i.e., slalom down the road) to get off the crown of your front tire. If the noise goes away when you do that it's likely a function of the tire. Another way is to go where the road does some transition - like from new asphalt to concrete (often roads will be asphalt but generally bridges are concrete) and see if the sound changes. Again, if it does it's likely a function of the tire, not the bearings. BTDT JayJay Link to comment
Long tooth rider Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 I am going to have to paint the wheel but I got the bearings out in about 5 min. I've got matching paint. I tried my heat gun for about 20 min with no luck, ended up with the ox/acetylene. I haven't taken the bearings apart yet but I think I see flakes of rust on one of them. I ordered a new front tire as well, mine was about due. Bought new bearings and seals at local bearing supply store. $49.07 for 2 of each including tax. I really am getting stubborn in my old age. lol Link to comment
dirtrider Posted July 17, 2015 Share Posted July 17, 2015 Evening Long tooth rider It sounds like you went a little past the tarnish stage & directly into get-er-done stage. Link to comment
Long tooth rider Posted July 18, 2015 Author Share Posted July 18, 2015 Patience is definitely not my long suit Link to comment
Long tooth rider Posted July 18, 2015 Author Share Posted July 18, 2015 Hi Bob, I just did a test ride for breakfast and the noise is about 75% gone. I'll be putting a new set of tires on soon and that should quiet it down even more. I did damage the paint a little on the hub, I wonder if boiling water over a rag would produce enough heat to get the bearing out. MY heat gun didn't seem to be enough. I took all the wheel weights off and installed dynabeads while I had the wheel off as well. Cheers Link to comment
dirtrider Posted July 18, 2015 Share Posted July 18, 2015 Afternoon Long tooth rider Anything that produces an actual flame has a HIGH chance of tarnishing or even burning the paint. I have a couple of heavy duty (Re industrial) high wattage heat guns that I use (one on each side of the hub). That way I get a decent amount of heat into the hub in a short amount of time. I also use a (quality) temperature measuring gun to know when to stop applying heat. I also stick the axle back through the bearings & place on 2 stands so I can keep the wheel spinning as I apply heat. I have yet to burn the wheel paint myself but I personally know of a few riders that have damaged paint heating the hub. Link to comment
Dave_zoom_zoom Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Very useful information! Thanks!! Dave Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.