Bearing Failure/Damaged Wheel Hub?

[TamSV]

This is a GSXR 600 K4 front wheel.


The left hand bearing had failed quite badly - ball bearings ground flat and quite a bit of movement in the wheel.


Having removed the bearings, there seems to be some damage to the inside of the hub.


The picture below is the right hand side of the wheel. The bearing seat looks OK but beyond that there seems to be some damage - a bit of nibbling possibly from a previous bearing removal but the recess is also off centre and it looks like a lip has been worn away on one side by the spacer.












This next pic is from the left hand side of the wheel and better shows the off-centre bore.





Not sure if this is poor manufacturing or something else. There's no obvious damage to the spacer.


I'm also thinking it possibly doesn't matter too much as the bearing seats are OK?


Any thoughts welcome.

[Bibio]

hey Tam, as long as the faces for the outside of the races are fine and the Left inside face for the bearing to sit flush against is ok then all is fine and dandy.

you must make sure that the left inside face is clean of dirt/grit before you install the bearing as the bearing sits flush up against the left hand inside hub.

the hub is conical inside and the left hand side is the wider end.

bearing installation:
put the left hand bearing in first and drive home till it wont go any further.
install spacer.
Right hand bearing goes in till inner race is just touching the spacer. do not use a socket to drive the right hand bearing in or you will set the bearings against the races and reduce the life of the bearings. if you are going to use a socket to put the right hand bearing in then be very very gentle when making final installation e.g. tap-check for clearance against spacer on inner race and repeat till it JUST touches the spacer then stop.

[TamSV]

Cheers Bib.


I think it was that wee lip that was worrying me. Makes me think the spacer has been in contact with the inner hub at some stage.


I suppose once I get the left side bearing in I can drop in the spacer and see if its got clearance.

[yorkie_chris]

I think that hole is just cast in place so is rough as fook. No surprise as it's only clearance.

Is there metal transfer onto the spacer? Might have been if the bearing has proper collapsed?

Check the lip you're on about is well clear of the new bearing (looks further down the bore to me but check)


Then when you put it back together check the spacer isn't rubbing, you'd probably hear it with axle in your hands. And when you drop the spacer down the axle with one bearing fitted you will see how close it is or not.

[TamSV]

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Check the lip you're on about is well clear of the new bearing (looks further down the bore to me but check).

Aye, there's a step under the bearing seat so it won't cause the bearing any trouble.

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Then when you put it back together check the spacer isn't rubbing, you'd probably hear it with axle in your hands. And when you drop the spacer down the axle with one bearing fitted you will see how close it is or not.

New bearings aren't here yet so I put the best of the old ones back in one side, put the axle through and dropped the spacer in.


It's not actually rubbing but it's bloody close.





The spacer didn't want to go in - it hung on that lip. I had to scooch the axle over a touch to let the spacer drop through.


With good bearings in it should be right but I'm tempted to dremel a wee bit of material out of the wheel just to be sure.

The axle will center the spacer on the bearings inner races. If the bearings fit snugly in the bores, and everything is clean, it will be fine. If you grind on things, you will create metal particles that must be entirely removed, before you install the bearings.

[Bibio]

yup just dremel a bit out, it wont hurt.

[TamSV]

Originally Posted by wideguy

If you grind on things, you will create metal particles that must be entirely removed, before you install the bearings.

It's a fair point but much of the failed bearing was turned to dust so it's gonna need properly cleaned out anyway.

Originally Posted by TamSV

It's a fair point but much of the failed bearing was turned to dust so it's gonna need properly cleaned out anyway.

Very true. It already looked pretty clean in the pictures, and never hurts to emphasize cleanliness where bearings are concerned.