Trying to remove front wheel bearings.

[John Schmidt]

I wonder who the genius was at Honda that designed the bearing removing tool. That thing is about as useless as tits on a boar hog if you have anything that is the least bit stuck. I've been trying to get at least one side out all afternoon, a job that has taken maybe an hour to replace both sides in the past. I don't have a torch and right now probably a good thing. I do have a compressor with various air tools, and a Dremel tool so I might have to try cutting one side out. I've never tried before so don't know if it can be done, wondering how hard the bearing metal is.

The aggravating part is this is the restored bike I have up for sale and have two local people interested in it. Now I had to tell both guys what's happened, although they say they're still interested, just let them know when it's ready. I gassed it up Saturday and went for a spin, bike runs great. But when I got near home I noticed some noise coming from the front, and when I feathered the front brakes it slowed the bike but the noise continued so it's not the pads dragging. As I went around a corner to the right, no change, but as I went around a left turn...noise increased. After pulling the calipers I spun the wheel and could hear a ticking sound, very slight at first but as I kept the wheel spinning it became more pronounced. So today I pulled the wheel and picked up some good quality bearings. Then the battle began. Darn near forgot everything I learned in Sunday School. I'm open to suggestions for my next step.    

UPDATE: Finally got one side out. I stopped for a short break and eat supper, during that time I recalled having an old punch that is hard metal, about 3/8" in diameter. I checked the end and it's still square and sharp so was able to catch a tiny edge of the inside of a bearing. After a few blows it moved the bearing enough to get a good bite with the punch and three more licks and out it came. Getting the other side out was no problem once one side is out of the way. Sure enough, the left bearing is bad but I'm replacing both. Now if I can only get the left dust seal to seat I can put the dang wheel back on. I still think the engineering on both wheels and their bearings leave a lot to be desired.

[YoungPUP]

Broke 2 bearing pullers doing mine.  Switched to a small piece of pipe, and a BFH  came right out.

[sandy]

John: Don't worry too much about the dust seal. It just keeps debri out of the axle, not the bearing. Remember the bearings are double sealed. Just put a light coat of waterproof grease on the axle before assembly.

[John Schmidt]

Broke 2 bearing pullers doing mine.  Switched to a small piece of pipe, and a BFH  came right out.

Yup, basically the same thing I did only with a punch. And yes....a BFH as you called it. Once saw a guy trying to remove a bearing with something no bigger than a tack hammer, asked him if he was removing bearings or makings shoes. He got a little PO'd so I laid a big 2lb. ball peen down nearby and walked away. He kept tapping away for the next hour, got mad and threw his tack hammer a good 30 yds. and walked away. While he was gone, I stepped in with the ball peen, a couple good licks on both sides and they were out. I then left, always wondered what his reaction was when he came back.  

Yes Sandy, I know. It's just that it happens to be the bike I'm selling and I want to make certain everything is correct...just in case. Now if one of them wants to buy my bike when they see it, and offer me something well north of $10k, then....who knows. 

[olddog1946]

I use a good quality heat gun to heat up the wheel around the bearing.  Then a punch and  a medium BFH..bearing pop right out.  works even better when replacing a bearing, heat up the wheel real good and the bearing almost falls in place.

[X Ring]

I was stumped by this also.  Trying to do it in the O'Reilly's parking lot.  One of the parts guys came up, he's also a mechanic.  He told me to take a socket the same size as the inner race, place it against the inner race and tap it with a hammer.  I did and it moved the bearing on the other side out enough for me to either use the bearing puller or punch to remove it.  Then I flipped the wheel bearing side down and drove it out also.  I had been struggling with it over an hour.  After he told me how to do it, I was done 5 minutes later.

Marty

[BonS]

I was stumped by this also.  Trying to do it in the O'Reilly's parking lot.  One of the parts guys came up, he's also a mechanic.  He told me to take a socket the same size as the inner race, place it against the inner race and tap it with a hammer.  I did and it moved the bearing on the other side out enough for me to either use the bearing puller or punch to remove it.  Then I flipped the wheel bearing side down and drove it out also.  I had been struggling with it over an hour.  After he told me how to do it, I was done 5 minutes later.

Marty

Nice. I get to try that this weekend. I'll use my heat gun to get the new ones in. Thanks!

[Cattman]

Don't forget to stick the new bearings in the freezer for a few hours before you start the process. As previously stated, a heated wheel and a freezer bearing can almost be pushed in with your fingers. 

[PharmBoy]

I've had good luck with several bearings with the HF bearing removal kit, although it did take a little extra time and muscle on a couple of them...Jim

[hubcapsc]

I was stumped by this also.  Trying to do it in the O'Reilly's parking lot.  One of the parts guys came up, he's also a mechanic.  He told me to take a socket the same size as the inner race, place it against the inner race and tap it with a hammer.  I did and it moved the bearing on the other side out enough for me to either use the bearing puller or punch to remove it.  Then I flipped the wheel bearing side down and drove it out also.  I had been struggling with it over an hour.  After he told me how to do it, I was done 5 minutes later.

Marty

Was that the front or the back? Sounds like you were exploiting the distance spacer... ?

-Mike

[X Ring]

I was stumped by this also.  Trying to do it in the O'Reilly's parking lot.  One of the parts guys came up, he's also a mechanic.  He told me to take a socket the same size as the inner race, place it against the inner race and tap it with a hammer.  I did and it moved the bearing on the other side out enough for me to either use the bearing puller or punch to remove it.  Then I flipped the wheel bearing side down and drove it out also.  I had been struggling with it over an hour.  After he told me how to do it, I was done 5 minutes later.

Marty

Was that the front or the back? Sounds like you were exploiting the distance spacer... ?

-Mike

Exactly Mike.  You're transferring the force from the bearing you're tapping on to the distance spacer to more the other bearing out.  The only one I've had to do it to is the front.  Doesn't mean I won't have to do it to a rear.  Just hasn't happened yet.

Marty

[redflash]

Harbor Freight has a set of blind-hole bearing pullers I bought for just these jobs. There is a  lip that goes under the bearing and expands with a bolt that a slide hammer is screwed to, works great!!

[Willow]

Darn near forgot everything I learned in Sunday School. I'm open to suggestions for my next step.    

John, you can always go back to Sunday School.  We're never too old to relearn some of those lessons.  

I'm glad to hear you got the bearings out.  

[John Schmidt]

Darn near forgot everything I learned in Sunday School. I'm open to suggestions for my next step.    

John, you can always go back to Sunday School.

You're right, I get a refresher course at least once a week. 

Strangely enough, after installing new bearings on both sides and taking it for ride this morning....all the noise is gone. I thought I also had a brake pad problem judging by the type of noise, apparently it all the bearing because it's silent now. Geez...that thing is fast, still puffs a bit when I start it but is slowly going away. The engine sat for quite a while before I got it. So far have two guys locally that are interested, one very much so.

[X Ring]

Harbor Freight has a set of blind-hole bearing pullers I bought for just these jobs. There is a  lip that goes under the bearing and expands with a bolt that a slide hammer is screwed to, works great!!

I've got that set also but it doesn't work if you don't have a lip for it grab.  Then you have to get a bearing to move so you have a gap to get the bearing puller in.

Marty

[Karen]

I was able to use some kind of a concrete bolt with washers to get mine out, took a while but it worked. I'll go look in the garage & let you know what they are. Home depot, cheap.