Rear wheel bearing replacement
Rear wheel bearing replacement
I'm due for a rear tire (10,000 miles on a Night Dragon) and started thinking it might be a good idea to replace the rear wheel bearings while I'm going to have the wheel off. Bike is an '09 FXDC with 20,000 miles.
I have no reason to think it needs new wheel bearings other than just preventative maintenance.
Any suggestions for a source of good quality wheel bearings that fit an '09?
I have no reason to think it needs new wheel bearings other than just preventative maintenance.
Any suggestions for a source of good quality wheel bearings that fit an '09?
Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 578
Likes: 0
From: Apache Junction
I just replaced mine with All ***** Racing. Supposed to be a decent bearing. Can't say for sure though. I know I got them for a 1/4 of the price of the OEM bearings from Harley so that was nice.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 3,113
Likes: 1,145
From: Directly above the center of the Earth
I've used the All Ball's bearings, Drag Specialties, and H-D.
The second set of H-D (the first time replacing wheel bearings on the bike) lasted ~12,000 miles.
The All ***** lasted ~11,000 miles.
The Drag Specialties lasted ~9000 miles (though I also have a slight belief that the indie I used didn't remove and/or install the old and new quite correctly, as I watched him he seemed to struggle once in a while and when I finally got the tools to do it myself I don't remember him using certain parts of the same tool).
These last ones I've got are Nachi. I installed them at 71,684 on the odometer and I'm at ~74,800 now. So I can't honestly say if they're holding up or not.
From my experience though, if you can afford it, have them changed at *EVERY* 10,000 miles whether they need it or not.
I thought at first that maybe mine are wearing so quickly (seemingly) because I'm a big man, but all the bikes (except maybe for the Sporty's and the new Street bikes) are made to ride double and hold close to 500 pounds, and seeing I'm slightly more than half that, that can't be the reason. It's a multitude of reasons, like the kinds of roads one rides on (are they bumpy, gravel, lots of potholes you just can't miss no matter how hard you try, etc), even though they're nowadays supposed to be 'sealed' they still are exposed to weather and dusts and stuff.
This is all just my personal experience and opinion, but if you don't want to get stranded on the side of the road because a bearing blew up and didn't stop quickly enough to keep it from warping the rim seat, change them at every 10,000 miles with H-D or something more expensive and stay happy.
The second set of H-D (the first time replacing wheel bearings on the bike) lasted ~12,000 miles.
The All ***** lasted ~11,000 miles.
The Drag Specialties lasted ~9000 miles (though I also have a slight belief that the indie I used didn't remove and/or install the old and new quite correctly, as I watched him he seemed to struggle once in a while and when I finally got the tools to do it myself I don't remember him using certain parts of the same tool).
These last ones I've got are Nachi. I installed them at 71,684 on the odometer and I'm at ~74,800 now. So I can't honestly say if they're holding up or not.
From my experience though, if you can afford it, have them changed at *EVERY* 10,000 miles whether they need it or not.
I thought at first that maybe mine are wearing so quickly (seemingly) because I'm a big man, but all the bikes (except maybe for the Sporty's and the new Street bikes) are made to ride double and hold close to 500 pounds, and seeing I'm slightly more than half that, that can't be the reason. It's a multitude of reasons, like the kinds of roads one rides on (are they bumpy, gravel, lots of potholes you just can't miss no matter how hard you try, etc), even though they're nowadays supposed to be 'sealed' they still are exposed to weather and dusts and stuff.
This is all just my personal experience and opinion, but if you don't want to get stranded on the side of the road because a bearing blew up and didn't stop quickly enough to keep it from warping the rim seat, change them at every 10,000 miles with H-D or something more expensive and stay happy.
Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 578
Likes: 0
From: Apache Junction
I've used the All Ball's bearings, Drag Specialties, and H-D.
The second set of H-D (the first time replacing wheel bearings on the bike) lasted ~12,000 miles.
The All ***** lasted ~11,000 miles.
The Drag Specialties lasted ~9000 miles (though I also have a slight belief that the indie I used didn't remove and/or install the old and new quite correctly, as I watched him he seemed to struggle once in a while and when I finally got the tools to do it myself I don't remember him using certain parts of the same tool).
These last ones I've got are Nachi. I installed them at 71,684 on the odometer and I'm at ~74,800 now. So I can't honestly say if they're holding up or not.
From my experience though, if you can afford it, have them changed at *EVERY* 10,000 miles whether they need it or not.
I thought at first that maybe mine are wearing so quickly (seemingly) because I'm a big man, but all the bikes (except maybe for the Sporty's and the new Street bikes) are made to ride double and hold close to 500 pounds, and seeing I'm slightly more than half that, that can't be the reason. It's a multitude of reasons, like the kinds of roads one rides on (are they bumpy, gravel, lots of potholes you just can't miss no matter how hard you try, etc), even though they're nowadays supposed to be 'sealed' they still are exposed to weather and dusts and stuff.
This is all just my personal experience and opinion, but if you don't want to get stranded on the side of the road because a bearing blew up and didn't stop quickly enough to keep it from warping the rim seat, change them at every 10,000 miles with H-D or something more expensive and stay happy.
The second set of H-D (the first time replacing wheel bearings on the bike) lasted ~12,000 miles.
The All ***** lasted ~11,000 miles.
The Drag Specialties lasted ~9000 miles (though I also have a slight belief that the indie I used didn't remove and/or install the old and new quite correctly, as I watched him he seemed to struggle once in a while and when I finally got the tools to do it myself I don't remember him using certain parts of the same tool).
These last ones I've got are Nachi. I installed them at 71,684 on the odometer and I'm at ~74,800 now. So I can't honestly say if they're holding up or not.
From my experience though, if you can afford it, have them changed at *EVERY* 10,000 miles whether they need it or not.
I thought at first that maybe mine are wearing so quickly (seemingly) because I'm a big man, but all the bikes (except maybe for the Sporty's and the new Street bikes) are made to ride double and hold close to 500 pounds, and seeing I'm slightly more than half that, that can't be the reason. It's a multitude of reasons, like the kinds of roads one rides on (are they bumpy, gravel, lots of potholes you just can't miss no matter how hard you try, etc), even though they're nowadays supposed to be 'sealed' they still are exposed to weather and dusts and stuff.
This is all just my personal experience and opinion, but if you don't want to get stranded on the side of the road because a bearing blew up and didn't stop quickly enough to keep it from warping the rim seat, change them at every 10,000 miles with H-D or something more expensive and stay happy.
Ordered a set of All ***** bearings, for no other reason then I like the name.
$100?? Is that including labor?? The ones I ordered from J&P were $11.99.
$100?? Is that including labor?? The ones I ordered from J&P were $11.99.
Road Captain
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 578
Likes: 0
From: Apache Junction
Yeah $11.99 a PAIR right? HD charges $25 EACH... NO LABOR. Just the price over the parts counter. RIP OFF. I'm sure they're just as Chinese as Drag Specialties stuff. I'd be surprised if they're anything special. You can also get them from Timken but you need to know your I.D and O.D.. If there is going to be any amount of difference I'd put my money on them.
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,629
Likes: 46
From: East Hartford, CT
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Road Warrior
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,301
Likes: 24
From: Minden LA
I'm due for a rear tire (10,000 miles on a Night Dragon) and started thinking it might be a good idea to replace the rear wheel bearings while I'm going to have the wheel off. Bike is an '09 FXDC with 20,000 miles.
I have no reason to think it needs new wheel bearings other than just preventative maintenance.
Any suggestions for a source of good quality wheel bearings that fit an '09?
I have no reason to think it needs new wheel bearings other than just preventative maintenance.
Any suggestions for a source of good quality wheel bearings that fit an '09?
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 3,113
Likes: 1,145
From: Directly above the center of the Earth
Do you mind me asking what these bearings did that you knew they were worn out at such low mileage? Reason I've ask is I've put a lot more mileage than that on my bearings and never a had problem or heard of it happening this low of mileage either. $100 set of bearings every tire change just seems crazy to me.
If I'm lucky, I'll see a little bit of 'grease leak' from one of the bearings and I'll know that real soon I'd better get my *** to puttin' new bearings in.
If I'm unlucky (it's happened twice to me this way), I'll start to feel something just not right in the way the bike is handling and when I stop to look over the bike, I'll see that a bearing is starting to fall apart and that's it...gotta call a buddy and get him to bring his trailer.
It usually happens too fast to limp anywhere and trying to will screw the rim up, so best to just stop right there and get it towed/trailered to get fixed.
So, to sum up, the original bearings lasted 38,800 miles. Then the replacements lasted to 51,327. Then those lasted to 62,670. Those lasted to 71,684.
If you're paying a hundred bucks for a set of bearings and labor to put them in, you're getting charged at least twice too much! I've not paid more than $55 dollars to have front and rear bearings put in by an indie, that's cost and labor.
@stilup - Thanks for those numbers! After these Nachi's croak on me, I'll be getting those Timken's to see how they do.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,749
Likes: 16
From: sand mountain Alabama
I have never heard of anyone having that much trouble with wheel bearings before.
Perhaps you might want to consider to check things very closely to see if there is a different problem causing the bearing failure.
Do you do a lot of wheel stands?
Perhaps you might want to consider to check things very closely to see if there is a different problem causing the bearing failure.
Do you do a lot of wheel stands?