2015 R1200RT LC Front Wheel Spacer

[Bighopper]

Yesterday I was involved in replacing tires on a friends 2015 R1200RTLC & found the front wheel spacer (on Left side has a shoulder #7 in attached pic) installed with the shoulder placed inside the seal! The seal has no  contact with the spacer at all (so is useless).

This wheel was replaced 2 years ago after he hit a rock in Lolo Pass. So it was installed this way from our local BMW dealer & Also has had another set of tyres installed previously by BMW trained local MC shop.

When I look at the BMW manual it only talks about an Arrow facing the bearing.

On my 2016 this same spacer is installed with the shoulder to the leg of the fork so the seal rides on the smaller diameter on the spacer.

My feeling is that the seal is the wrong size & that the spacer is installed incorrectly.

 

Opinions.

[Boxflyer]

Strange, for sure!

I've built up rims for the RT from other bikes, like the F800GT and the R1200RS, and exchanging all the internals of the bearing area of the rim has never allowed for the correct spacer  bushing on the speed ring side to be installed with the flange toward the bearing.

 

If you say that the seal didn't contact any part of the spacer, it's probably because as soon as the axle nut was torqued to 30Nm with the flange against the seal, it most likely sheared off the 2 Chevron lips of the seal.

 

The OD of the flanged spacer (36318552158) is 30mm and the max inner diameter of the seal with the lips of the seal fully compressed is about 27mm, so if it was pressed thru the smaller seal opening, the rubber lips must have been torn away.

 

The correct seals for the front wheel on both sides is 25x47x7.   25mm for the smaller diameter of the sleeve part of the spacer, 47mm to be pressed/driven into the cast front rim, and 7mm deep on the outer stamped steel part of the seal to stay tight in the alloy rim.

 

Since you don't mention any issues with a loose front wheel or the speed ring contacting the speed sensor pick-up, the spacer was properly taking up the space between the Fork Slider leg and the inner race of the bearing…so the only real damage sounds like it could be from any water intrusion or other contamination of the bearing on the LH side of the rim due to the missing seal lips.

 

Here are some pics of the correct spacer I have as spare inventory and what I believe is the BMW Manual reference to installing the spacer.

I think the image from the repair manual is misleading or incorrect as it doesn't show the collar side on the spacer bushing.

The reference to installing with the collar (arrow) toward the rim is only pointing out where the collar is on the spacer…but it should NOT be against the bearing, but against the fork slider leg.

If it was me…I'd either do a VERY good inspection of the LH bearing that has not had a good seal on it for the mileage of 2 front tires and replace the 25x47x7mm seal, or do a pre-emptive replacement of that one.  All Balls 25-1678 Wheel Bearing Kit

Hope this helps!

Boxflyer

BMW R1200/1250RTW/K52 (2014-2020) Alternate Front and Rear Rims

 

    

 

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[Bighopper]

16 hours ago, Boxflyer said:

Hey Boxflyer,

Thanks for your response that reinforced my thoughts on this. I have told my friend to go back to the dealer & ask for a correct seal/or get it fixed correctly.

 

Strange, for sure!

I've built up rims for the RT from other bikes, like the F800GT and the R1200RS, and exchanging all the internals of the bearing area of the rim has never allowed for the correct spacer  bushing on the speed ring side to be installed with the flange toward the bearing.

 

If you say that the seal didn't contact any part of the spacer, it's probably because as soon as the axle nut was torqued to 30Nm with the flange against the seal, it most likely sheared off the 2 Chevron lips of the seal.

The seal was OK, just the wrong size, as I had thought & you pointed out.

 

The OD of the flanged spacer (36318552158) is 30mm and the max inner diameter of the seal with the lips of the seal fully compressed is about 27mm, so if it was pressed thru the smaller seal opening, the rubber lips must have been torn away.

 

The correct seals for the front wheel on both sides is 25x47x7.   25mm for the smaller diameter of the sleeve part of the spacer, 47mm to be pressed/driven into the cast front rim, and 7mm deep on the outer stamped steel part of the seal to stay tight in the alloy rim.

I didn't have my glasses at the time so I couldn't read the current seal size.

 

Since you don't mention any issues with a loose front wheel or the speed ring contacting the speed sensor pick-up, the spacer was properly taking up the space between the Fork Slider leg and the inner race of the bearing…so the only real damage sounds like it could be from any water intrusion or other contamination of the bearing on the LH side of the rim due to the missing seal lips.

 

Here are some pics of the correct spacer I have as spare inventory and what I believe is the BMW Manual reference to installing the spacer.

I think the image from the repair manual is misleading or incorrect as it doesn't show the collar side on the spacer bushing.

The reference to installing with the collar (arrow) toward the rim is only pointing out where the collar is on the spacer…but it should NOT be against the bearing, but against the fork slider leg.

If it was me…I'd either do a VERY good inspection of the LH bearing that has not had a good seal on it for the mileage of 2 front tires and replace the 25x47x7mm seal, or do a pre-emptive replacement of that one.  All Balls 25-1678 Wheel Bearing Kit

Hope this helps!

Boxflyer

BMW R1200/1250RTW/K52 (2014-2020) Alternate Front and Rear Rims

 

   

 

 

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