What is the symptom of a failing rear wheel bearing? And, how do you check to confirm or deny it's a bearing? How does one replace the rear wheel bearings? Bike week is coming up soon and I need to get this nailed down forthwith.

BTW, I once replaced the rear wheel bearings on a 1977 Honda Goldwing. I basically hammered out the old ones and used a socket to hammer the new ones in. The replacements were sealed bearings and worked perfectly with no lubing required. The Harley rear wheels come of easy so, that's not an issue. I have never really looked at the bearings on these things other than I notice that they are well greased with green grease when I have pulled a wheel.

 

Failure is usually excessive play or whining. The best test is to clean and inspect. Buggers to fit and re-shim if you haven't done it before.

Put a bead of weld round the outer race and it will come out real easy when cold. Re assemble with not grease and check end play with axle torqued to spec. I prefer to do this in the bike rather than on the bench but you can do it either way. Check end play, shim to spec. Grease, fit new seals, slap the wheel back in adn forget about it.

 

Your bearings are tapered rollers, hidden from view by a separate rubber seal. Carefully remove the seal and the centre of the bearing will drop out, so you can inspect the track, which remains in the hub. That will probably look grey in colour, which is fine, however it there are any signs of break-up, or the rollers in the bit that fell out lok sick, then replace. A bearing comes as a complete assembly, inner and outer and they are widely available from auto stores or bearing factors. Take one with you if you buy new.

If the bearings look OK, clean carefully, grease and refit. It's a good idea to replace the seals, again they should be available as above - they ain't unique Harley parts!

 

1) A feeling like you are riding on ice.

2) Raise your bike off the ground and try to wiggle the tire side to side.
If it wiggles you need new bearings.

3) if you don't have the bearing removal tool or a welder the quickest way is to take it to a shop.

 

I have a welder. Are you saying heat up the outer race by welding a bead in there? I suppose the heat makes it shrink just enough to come out easy? I know the welder get's it bloody hot in a skinny second.

I have a whine that used to come and go but, now it's there everytime under power. Let off the throttle and it quits. My indie guy looked at it and said the bike was fine. I have put it on the lift and tried to get any wiggle out of it but it feels solid (no side to side wiggle). Another indie guy and the local dealer said "get louder pipes!"

 

Then it is not your wheel bearings.

I used to have a whine that only occurred in 4th gear. It turned out to be the transmission main bearing (it was just starting to go bad).

I'm not saying that is your problem only that there are other sources for a whine.

 

Yea, My indie guy said everything was fine but, I still hear a whine so..

Just for argument's sake.. Once a bearing has been removed, how does the new one get installed?

 

Depends on the bearing.
Press is one way. Hammer is another.

 

Yea, Have have hammered a few in. When I worked for an FBO (airport) I had access to an awesome press with all the goodies and dry ice. That was a long time ago. Now I have to redneck somethings. Like I said before, I had an old Gold Wing that I didn't care much about. It needed bearings in the rear wheel. I whacked out the old ones, went to a place that sold generic bearings, bought some sealed bearings and whacked them into the wheel with a socket. It wasn't pretty but it worked. I can't rememeber what the symptoms were for that though.. That was like, 1992. The wing was shaft drive and shaft is the easiest of the systems to work on in my opinion. Way easier than belt.

Thanks for the information.