Double Row Left Side Rear Wheel Bearing Mod

[Peteg]

Skinhead, so I measured up for the double mod, looks very easy as you indicate. So it only leaves about a 1/16" recess for the dust seal. Are you running a double seal double row bearing on the left without a dust seal? If so I guess there's plenty of experience that this works well even running down the road in the rain?

[Chrisj CMA]

Some folks are running a thin metal cover that is almost a dust seal. Better than nothing

[Peteg]

Maybe I could put some high temp RTV where the dust seal rides on the axle and some where the dust seal fits into the 1/16" lip and up against the outer race??? Worst comes to worst I'll just be pulling the wheel for the third time this year. That's probably not a record, lol.

[Valker]

I simply put some grease on my fingertip then painted a thin film on the outside of the exposed seal. Been running that way for well over 20,000 miles.

[Peteg]

Cool valker thanks. So you are running the double bearing. I hope nobody reads my last post where I was suggesting gluing the seal to the rotating wheel and stationary axle. My VTX has a dead battery just today, I was verifying that. I must be in electrical mode.

[Valker]

Cool valker thanks. So you are running the double bearing. I hope nobody reads my last post where I was suggesting gluing the seal to the rotating wheel and stationary axle. My VTX has a dead battery just today, I was verifying that. I must be in electrical mode.

I went to double row wheel bearings since wheel bearings have been my only failures on trips. Now, I just put in new bearings prior to extended (over about 15,000 miles) trips. It's fairly cheap and takes minimal time, but I change my own tires also. I know some folks who seem to never have wheel bearings wear out (HI, Danny) but it's an issue with mine. I've had front bearings go on a trip and several times have had rear bearings go out. No failures since the double row conversion. My main Valk has 230,000 miles.

[Peteg]

Cool, I actually change my tires too. Had an issue with the local dealer and I'm to stubborn to go back. So this is just a wild ass guess but I think the difference between you Danny could be wind load.

I was thinking about your post on how many bearing failures you've had and thinking about my breakdown vacation this morning and decided to go to the double bearing now.

My logic is as follows: I checked that bearing 2000 miles ago and it was fine. I've been riding my bike around North Texas running errands and mostly back country roads typically under 50 mph for 10,000 miles no issue. I left Denton last Friday morning just before sunrise and got all the way to Childress running about 75 MPH sometimes more getting low 30's for mileage. The bike was loaded for a week long camping trip with a good amount of weight behind the rear axle and lots of windage. As I got into the pan handle it started gusting out of the south like a blast furnace. I almost ran out of gas about 30 miles west of Amarillo as I was only getting low 20's battling that crazy wind. Obliviously it's high contact temperatures that destroy the marginal bearings but I'm thinking it's the combination of speed, static load and wind load. Obviously the panhandle gets it's share of wind. Just a theory, but I figure the way I ride the only time I'll experience bearing failures is on vacation. One ruined vacation is enough for me.

Also I used ice wraps on my neck like you and Jessie suggested, thanks for all your help.

[Jims99]

I have done the mod on three of mine, no seal. The bearings are sealed already so I never added anything to mine. At least 3 years on them and maybe only 25k miles on the most ridden bike. No issues and still feel like new.

[Skinhead]

What I did on my double row mod is I built a little mold out of an old plastic coffee can (cut strips of plastic) and taped it around the hub of the wheel about the height of the seal placed on top of the new bearing, I then installed the axle through the wheel and slid the rubber seal over the axle and let it rest on the bearing, I then filled between the seal and my mold with JB weld.  (wheel laying horizontal).  Once the JB weld sets up, remove the plastic mold.  There is still enough contact surface on the cut down spacer for the lip of the seal to ride on.  Been this way for several 10's of thousands of miles.  It is probably not really necessary, but it is just a little added protection against dust intrusion.

[John Schmidt]

I simply put some grease on my fingertip then painted a thin film on the outside of the exposed seal. Been running that way for well over 20,000 miles.

That's all I did, still good after more than 10k miles. As was stated, the bearing itself is sealed.