Fitting front wheel bearings?

[HoL]

I got some front wheel bearings from Wemoto & tried fitting them today, they looked the same size as the ones I took out but now they're in they seem too big. The spacer in the wheel seems to be pushing up against the inner race stopping them from turning. I'm not convinced they're all the way in either as the speedo drive won't go flush in the wheel either now.

They were all balls 25-1210 which say they're for the curvy so unless they've been put in the wrong box they should fit?

Any ideas? :(

[DJ123]

it has been a while since i have done mine. If i remember right the bearing on the Offside (not speedo side) sits against a face on the inner. The bearing on the speedo side has to be flush with the outer face.
The spacer in between the bearings prevents them going any further in than intended, or so i am lead to believe.

Edit: i will add i've only done the pointy, don't know if there is a difference to the curvy

[embee]

Curvey manual says fit left (speedo) side first fully home, then spacer and right side until they meet. Note the clearance shown behind the right side bearing when installed with the spacer nipped.

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh268/Hi-vis/Bikes/svfrontwheeldetail.jpg

[HoL]

Hmmm, I'm sure it didn't say that in Haynes?

I presumed there was a ridge or something that they sat at, that'll teach me to watch generic vids on hugetube. I guess if you put the RHS in part way then the spacer will get it the right distance in when you torque it up?

Time to order some more :rolleyes:

For future reference bearing size is: 40mm outer, 17mm inner, 12mm depth

[Bibio]

Hol try these folk.. just pump the numbers in :-)

http://simplybearings.co.uk/shop/Bearings-Deep+Groove+Ball+Bearings/c3_11/index.html

[HoL]

Cheers Bibio ordered. God I'm getting old - ordering bearings at midnight on a Saturday, Rock n Roll!!

[HoL]

I guess if you put the RHS in part way then the spacer will get it the right distance in when you torque it up?


Could one of you marvellous mechanical types confirm that I wouldn't bugger it up by trying the above? Ta!

[embee]

You really need to press/pull the bearing into the housings by applying force to the outer race not the inner. Note the tool shown uses old bearings against the new ones but also full diameter sturdy "washers" so the force goes through the outer race and keeps all the surfaces flat together so when it reaches the spacer it will stop.

If you use the spindle and pull against the inner, it puts all the load through the balls and can indent the races at worst. Because of clearances and flexibility, you will always end up with the outer race not pulled in quite far enough so there will always be a lot of side load on the ball bearing when you then tighten the spindle. This will seriously reduce the life of the bearings so you'll be back to square one very quickly.

Note similarly if you press the outer race only, without the flat washer across the inner also, you can end up in a similar situation but with the outer race too far in and thus loading the bearings up in the other direction.

[HoL]

Cheers embee, I think you slightly misunderstand what I mean though. I've been using a large socket to knock the bearings in against the outer race. What I was wondering is I do this on the speedo side so it's flush then partly put the other side in then when I put the wheel back on, the spacer (marked 2 in the pic) should shift the bearing along leaving the necessary clearance & not jamming it against the spindle spacer (5) as it is now. it seems the best way to get the clearance, what do you think?

http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i408/mrhol101/9b23f8b6.jpg

[muzikill]

Id like to see you do this in pics btw.

[embee]

It's the business of pulling the right side bearing in up to the inner spacer (5) I was trying to refer to. Using the spindle and the spacer 2 will be pressing against the inner race so trying to pull the outer race into the wheel by forcing it via the ball bearings inside.

You need to press against the outer race to move it in the wheel, but have a flat washer so that when the spacer and the inner races all meet up it will stop. You also need to have a similar arrangement at the left side bearing so you don't put all the load on the inner race, which would also put the load through the balls inside it.

The tool shown in the manual pic shows the arrangement you need. You can put the left side bearing in separately, using the outer race and a socket is fine, but avoid putting axial loads through the balls inside either bearing when putting the right side in.

[HoL]

It's the business of pulling the right side bearing in up to the inner spacer (5) I was trying to refer to. Using the spindle and the spacer 2 will be pressing against the inner race so trying to pull the outer race into the wheel by forcing it via the ball bearings inside.


But that spacer 2 is like a top hat kinda shape with the end against the bearing being the same diameter as the bearing so it would push the whole thing in as the spindle is tightened not just the inner race.

[embee]

It's like a top hat but the "brim" is a thin steel shield, spaced away from the bearing side face. It's to keep dirt away from the bearing. It doesn't sit against the bearing outer race and wouldn't be stiff/strong enough to press it into the wheel even if it did.

[HoL]

Ah, OK that makes sense

[SVMAT]

Changed mine recently and found using heat gun on wheel and freezing bearings really helps. Using the right size socket for the outer race with an extension and a mallet went in very easily. HTH

[SVGrandad]

Hol
From your original query I assume that you put the RHS brg in part way and then the LHS bearing and pulled them together with a bolt. If so, that will not work because the LHS bearing will not be pulled down onto its shoulder - it will be stopped by the spacer tube at some indeterminate point. And then you might not get the speedo drive to fit properly................
The whole bearing assembly relies for correct location on the LHS bearing being up against its shoulder.