another cheap insurance ritual

[98valk]

 so some people on a FB valkyrie page are changing out their wheel bearings with every tire change.
so m/c tire every 12k to 20k miles?

cause its cheap insurance.

I wonder if they do their vehicle wheel bearings the same way?, whereas those tires are being changed 50-70k miles.

[Bagger John - #3785]

I inspect mine every time the wheels are off the bikes but don't normally change them unless they don't feel completely smooth.

That said:

There are a number of questionable pieces of advice for (insert_vehicle_here) in practically every corner of the Internet. Sometimes this advice grows legs of its own.

[Grandpot]

Doing preventive maintenance by replacing a good part with a new part, based on time, always starts a great debate.  My bike has 110,000 miles and I just changed a rear tire.  Found a totally destroyed left side wheel bearing.  This bearing was fine at the last wheel change.  For now on I will change the bearings every 50,000 miles, regardless.

[Mooskee]

I inspect mine every time the wheels are off the bikes but don't normally change them unless they don't feel completely smooth.

That said:

There are a number of questionable pieces of advice for (insert_vehicle_here) in practically every corner of the Internet. Sometimes this advice grows legs of its own.

I worked on attack aircraft in the Navy. We wore the planes out doing preventative maintenance.

[pancho]

And,  if you install the bearings improperly they are guaranteed to fail early.

[Bagger John - #3785]

And,  if you install the bearings improperly they are guaranteed to fail early.

Other than not driving them in squarely via the outside race (using the required Honda tool or correct equivalent), orienting them as required and forgetting to install the bearing spacer, how can one install wheel bearings improperly?

[pancho]

And,  if you install the bearings improperly they are guaranteed to fail early.

Other than not driving them in squarely via the outside race (using the required Honda tool or correct equivalent), orienting them as required and forgetting to install the bearing spacer, how can one install wheel bearings improperly?

I think that about covers it.


                                                     


                                                    Was that a trick question?

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

If you drive the second bearing in for all it's worth, you can side-load the wheel bearings. See page 2 of this link from All-Balls Racing: https://www.allballsracing.com/media/installation/Wheel_Bearing_Install.pdf

[SCain]

I think you would wear out that bearing pocket from changing it two often. Soon you will need a new wheel.

[Avanti]

Bearings should be pressed in not hammered in. Hammering can deform the roller and the race causing premature failure.

[Bagger John - #3785]

Bearings should be pressed in not hammered in. Hammering can deform the roller and the race causing premature failure.

Interesting, then, that the Honda service manual specifies a bearing driver pilot, driver and arbor for the procedure. It also shows and comments on a hammer being used to drive the bearings in.

(Hint: Prior to installation, freeze the bearings, clean the bearing pockets very well and heat the pocket area with a heat gun or hair drier. I've never had to "beat" a bearing into place when doing this. More like a firm tap.)

[hubcapsc]

It is probably bad to pound in a bearing with the wrong end
of a claw hammer... 

Here's the Honda Special tool listed in the Service Manual, I
think it works great...



They have this other mallet-related tool for removing the bearing...



I remember changing my bearings when I first got my bike. I
remember rushing back from the freezer to get the cold bearing
installed. I remember forgetting to install the distance spacer
while rushing 

I vote for not changing them until they're bad...

-Mike

[Jess from VA]

I discovered that my brand new (and not needed) pinion cup fit perfectly on the extreme outer edge of my wheel bearing races.  Took my bearings out of the freezer, and they seated perfectly in the wheel with a few light taps with a rubber mallet.  Done (for years and years).



I'm also in the don't fix what's not broken camp. That wheel and bearings been living together in good harmony for many years.

However, after losing the left rear out in the middle of Nowhere WVA, I did the double row left rear mod on both bikes at the next tire changes.  

[h13man]

Driving out to replace, press/tap on outer race only going in regardless method of prep before installing. Warm wheel with heat gun and drop in chilled bearings is a common process used in general maintenance.

[Hook#3287]

My original Tourer has had front bearings replaced once in 120K.  And that wasn't the issue, but that's another story.

Any one that has bearings they've replaced "just because" is wasting time and money and like mentioned, has a good chance of damaging the wheel.