I just got some new Metzelers for my 06 Night Train. I want to take off the wheels on my bike and bring them to a shop and get the tires put on. This is the first time I will be taking off my own wheels. (sick of paying crazy labor prices) Anything I need to know? I have a Harbor Freight bike lift (yellow one), a service manual and a tool box full of tools............(and a fridge full of beer) Any and all info would be GREAT!
Thanks alot!

 

Your front and rear wheels have spacers and shims in them. Don't loose them or mix them up with the front or rear wheels or the sides they came off. There is one shim that has a raised lip on it. this lip faces the bearing (front or rear tire) the other shims (if it has any) go behind this shim that has the lip on it. You can assume the end play is right (reason for shim spacers in the first place) or you can check it If you want to make sure the end play is right. To do this is a little more labor intensive but you just have to do it once. Clean the bearings of all grease, shims anything that's greasy. Start the axle thru the frame, put what every (pipe like spacers that came off ) back on the axle and keep feeding it thru. You should have the DRY bearing already in the wheel (no seal yet).
As the axle appears on the otherside side the shims on (the last on is the lipped one lip facing bearing) and then the other dry bearing (no seal). Torque to spec's (around 65lbs) Now attach a dial inducator to the frame some where (I use a magnet type dial indic holder) and pull the wheel toward you or away doesn't matter. Then zero your dial indicator. The push or pull the wheel and see how many thousands it moves (around 10 or less is OK). Subtract that actually reading you want from where you need to be lets say 9 thousands from where you are let 13 The difference is the thickness of the shim or shims you need to put in if it's too loose. I would say this is all a mute point if the bike hasn't been taken apart very much. After you get the right setting take it all apart and grease the bearings and hub, put in the seals. As long as you don't loose this shim set up it well be good almost forever. If you have add shims you can by them as a packet (waste of money or just buy the one you need). Hope I haven't muddied the waters. yours is probably right now if it rides right, but if DO get the shims messed up that's how I do it. There are other ways this is just how I do it.

 

You can also get some tire irons (or go to harbor freight and by a manual tire changer with a motorcycle attachment) and change the tires yourself if you really want to save some money. You just have to make sure that you put the "light" dot where your previous light dot on the tire was and then check the balance by suspending the wheel on the axle and seeing if it will stay in any rotation angle that you place it.

Did you only get 9500 miles from your tires?

C#