New Tires, New Bearings

A little construction debris ended up in my rear tire this weekend.


:sorrow:

So I purchased some Shinko Ravens to replace the front and rear. Decided to go ahead and remove the rear and that's when I noticed these.




:black_eyed:

Could hardly spin them by hand. The tire getting punctured may have been a blessing in disguise. I have a set of All Balls coming for the rear, and I'll probably replace the front when I do that tire as well.

Any tips for getting these out and the new ones on? I've never pulled bearings before. Don't want to ruin my wheels. Also, the rear axle had a pinch bolt that I could not find the right size hex key for. Seems like it was in between a 9mm and 10mm. I was still able to get the axle off, but I want to make sure I have that key in the future. Is 3/8 the correct size?

Your answers:
1-The rear axle pinch bolt measurements are 7/16-14 X 1.5 inches in length. It requires a standard SAE allen wrench.....not metric.

2-You CANNOT easily spin the inner shell of either the front or rear wheel bearings when installed because the axle spacer tube inside the wheel exerts quite a bit of pressure on the inner bearing shells as installed creating "drag" as you're experiencing. That does not mean the bearings are defective.

3-You are seeing light surface rust on the outside lip of each bearing outer shell. Quite normal. Again....does not mean the bearings are defective.

4-NO puller required to remove wheel bearings on XB wheels. Simply punch out the PULLEY side bearing first...let the axle spacer tube fall out....then punch out the ROTOR side bearing. Can walk you thru the process if necessary.

5-When installing new REAR wheel bearings...install the ROTOR side bearing first as that bearing dictates exact rear wheel-to-swingarm alignment....then spacer tube....then PULLEY side bearing. That will give you correct wheel alignment.

Several good tube vids on Buell XB wheel bearing installation
Rear axle standard right hand threads....counterclockwise to loosen
Front axle is left hand threads................clockwise to loosen

Each axle tube spacer must be straight and true and NO material missing from either end. If not, it must be replaced with new

IIRC that pinch bolt needs a 5/16" allen wrench for removal, and the torque is less than you want it to be. Remember it's threading into aluminum and every person before you has already over torqued it:down:

Sometimes with age, corrosion, and use I am unable to knock out the bearing (EVENLY) like in Barretts esteemed instructions (#4). If thats the case, the tool for the job is called a Blind Bearing Removal Tool.

Either the puller-type one recommended in the service manual for this job (H-D part#44060, appendix A in the SM)


, or a slide-hammer type on thats common on Amazon for about $40.
https://www.amazon.com/YUAN-Bearing...24-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&psc=1

Even a cheap one like that should do that job at least twice:eagerness:

The whole job is layed out with pictures in Section 2.6 (page 2-17) of the SM here: http://buellmods.com/content/downloads/manuals/xbslightning/2007_lightning_manual.pdf including the VERY IMPORTANT wheel torquing procedure.

good luck!

I just did wheels off/tire replacement last season. I can say with certainty that the rear pinch bolt does require a 3/8" Allen driver (it was one of the tools that I had to run out and buy mid-procedure). I think that the front axle pinch bolts require a 5/16" Allen as Cooter specified.

Thanks for all of the help, guys. I'm betting my pinch bolt is 3/8. I tried a 10mm hex key, and it would not fit, and an 8mm was too small. I'' have to run out and grab one.

I got the tire off today. It's never as easy as they make it look in the how-to videos.

This is the thing that was stuck in my tire.



Barrett, I really appreciate your info on the bearings. The rust was shocking to me, but if it isn't a big deal, how can I test them to see if they are good for another go-around? I spun the wheel on the axle, and it definitely did not spin nearly as freely as I expected. In fact, I could not see the bearings moving at all.

If an 8mm (equivalent to 5/16" is too small than ya, I 3/8" is the key. The KEY! Get it!?!?! Puuuuunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn....

I wouldn't worry about the little bit of rust either but they should definitely spin by hand, the bearing spacer in the middle can rotate with them.

Considering that you have a set of bearings coming for the rear and that you already have the wheel off, I'd go ahead and swap them out.

If I remember correctly, it's SOP in the Buell world to change wheel bearings at the same time as tires.

From where I'm sitting, those bearings are ready to be replaced. The rust may only be on the surface, but I'm starting to see spiderweb cracks in the seals. They're old, tired, brittle, and won't be able to seal grease in (and - more importantly - water out) for much longer.

The preload on the bearings shouldn't be so much as to make them difficult to turn by hand. I'd venture a guess that your bearings are toast. When was the last time you changed them out?

Yep, I agree, DozerBoy. The bearing set arrived already, so I'll see if I can install them before the tires come in. It's only got 8000 miles on it, so I think these are probably the original bearings.

I'll inspect the axel tube spacer before reinstalling.

Yes Sir my pleasure. And do what Eric mentioned and proceed with installing new bearings.
Suggestion: If you're having a local shop install the new tires for you then inquire about them installing the wheel bearings while they're at it....and following my installation instructions for same. If you're committed to installing them yourself then follow the Service Manual section for same and again, my instructions from above and additional below.

1-Remove ROTOR and BELT PULLEY from wheel before attempting bearing installation. NOT necessary to mark wheel L&R as they don't interchange from side to side. This prevents rotor and pulley from being bent and damaged during this work.

2-You can align the tire factory balancing "dot" with either the valve stem or reference it to the factory wheel paint "dobs". Either will suffice....."dobs" just a tad more accurate. REAR wheel does NOT need to be balanced.

3-The factory used proprietary pink thread-locker on rotor and pulley bolts. Pink never available to public. Use BLUE loctite as suitable substitute. Do NOT use red.

4-You can use the "freeze and heat" method for easier bearing installation. Apply a very light coating of heavy grease onto following surfaces during installation:
OUTER BEARING SHELL
OUTER SURFACE OF BOTH AXLE SPACER TUBES
OUTER SURFACE OF THE BOTH AXLES BUT NOT ONTO THREADS

Though not mentioned in service manual it is very important to grease REAR axle tube and axle assembly as mentioned above. This light coating allows the tube and axle to properly self-align the rear wheel with the swing-arm.

You may struggle reinstalling the drive belt during reassembly of bike. If so, there's a simple trick to installing it.
Ask me if needed.

As always, I appreciate the wealth of knowledge, Barrett.

I'll install them myself. Hopefully, I'll get it done tonight so I can put the new tire on tomorrow. Will update if there are issues. I have some Moly grease I used to use on shaft drive splines that should work for the axle, tube, and bearings.

Thanks for the info. I have a recently purchased 2010 real wheel I need to assemble (spacers, bearings).

Well, good news and bad news. The tires are in, but I have not been able to get these bearings out. They are really stuck in there. I need to visit an autozone to see if they have a blind bearing slide-hammer thingamajig to loan me because this Harbor Freight bearing puller is just not getting a good grip on the inside of the bearing.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Can I make a suggestion? Try the below. Been doing it this way for decades.

1-Get yourself a long straight piece of round stock or even a piece of rebar will work. Use it like a giant center-punch.
2-Something on the order of 15-20 inches in length works best....1/2"-3/4" OD is perfect.
3-Grind and file one end to a perfectly flat sharp-edged surface.
4-Insert it into the wheel hub from the brake rotor side first until it's about 2 inches from coming out the opposite side bearing.
5-Now moderately strike the end of it that's sticking out of the bearing from side to side with heavy hammer. This will slightly move the bearing spacer tube away from the rotor side bearing face ever so slightly exposing the inner bearing race. You can tell when the bearing spacer tube has moved.
6-Now place the sharp flat end of your home-made punch onto the bearing inner race and simply punch out the bearing.
7-Flip wheel over....let spacer tube fall out...and punch out the pulley side bearing.

AND PRIOR TO DOING THE ABOVE....soak each wheel bearing with PB Blaster or similar penetrant. Spray the penetrant between the bearing and wheel hub. Let it soak for 15 minutes or so.

Worst case I have run into a couple that even using the method Barrett suggested I couldn’t get it to budge.
So cover the wheel with some fire blanket or similar and weld a washer or flat bar to the outer race, use the same flat face punch you tried with before and put it all the way through to the flat bar closing the hole and smack the s#*+ out of it. It will come out.
BUT if the weld breaks all is not losr yet. Weld a second piece to the inner race More! weld on this one as your not taking as big a chance of burning the paint on the wheel.
Repeat with BFH if only the inner race and bearings come out then weld a continuous bead or two as fast as you can inside the bearing flip the wheel to plywood and dump water in to the cavity to rapidly cool the bearing lift the wheel and the race likely will fall out.

I got it done. I tried to do it Barretts way, but my tool making skills are quite limited, and I wasn't able to file my punch sharp enough to get a good grip on the bearing edge.

Finally I went to AutoZone and found a rental tool that did the job. It was very similar to the one Cooter recommended quite early in the thread. Instead of using the slide hammer, I had to flip over the wheel and smack the thing with a sledge hammer to get the bearing out.

Got the new bearings and old spacer tube all greased up and installed. Now I just need to put the new tire on.

The old bearings aren't notchy and spin fairly easily out of the wheel, but the new bearings are noticeably easier to spin while installed in the wheel.

I have a nasty habit of getting the bearings back in perfectly!

...And then seeing the spacer I left on the table:mad-new:

Cooter said:

I have a nasty habit of getting the bearings back in perfectly!

...And then seeing the spacer I left on the table:mad-new:

Click to expand...

A perfect moment for the classic DOH.

Speaking of dumb stuff, I don't actually own an electric air pump, aside from the small one I keep for my wife's car that isn't fast enough at pumping air to set a bead. I've been using a bike pump to keep my tires filled, and my other ride, now a Suzuki TU250x, uses tubes. So there I am, pumping away like an absolute mad man trying to get enough air in to set the bead. One section of the tire had a small split in the very edge of the rubber which was letting air out just barely enough to put up a fight. Finally, with enough Windex and stamina, I was able to get the bead popped on that side. What a workout.

I took the bike on a quick ride, and it felt like a meaningful difference was made. It felt smoother and more powerful, and whether it's the new tire, new bearings, or just the satisfaction of having done a job myself, I don't know. But it feels good.

I also took this opportunity to install a remote tire pressure monitoring system. I've had it for about a year, since it was gifted to me, and finally am able to put it to use. Keeping the tires perfectly inflated has not been something I've done well, but I'm thinking that is also a good reason why it felt so much better to ride after the tire and bearing installation. Hope it helps me with keeping the tires in good condition for as long as possible. Anyone ever get 10k miles out of a Buell XB rear tire?

Congrats on a job well done! Don't get me started on flaring brake lines without the fittings on:black_eyed:

c3powil said:

Anyone ever get 10k miles out of a Buell XB rear tire?

Click to expand...

Ya, you can but it will take something real hard or real expensive.
My go to for a high mile performance tire is the Michelin Pilot Road series (currently 6). They are a little more money but soft and sticky on the sides enough to trust to the edge on a bumpy slick street, and the center is hard enough to get you to 10K. I haven't done the ROI but I bet they end up cheaper without the shipping/tax/mount/balance of a new one very 3-7k.

Thanks! I have considered going that route to avoid tire changes as much as possible, and I don't really ride very sporty at all. The Pilots have made my short list for the next time.

c3powil said:

I took the bike on a quick ride, and it felt like a meaningful difference was made. It felt smoother and more powerful, and whether it's the new tire, new bearings, or just the satisfaction of having done a job myself, I don't know. But it feels good.

Click to expand...

All of the above. Congrats!