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Just put in new wheel bearings and the rear doesnt want to spin freely.
I made sure absolutely everything was perfect, the wheel races were clean and then lubed, the wheel bearing races were lubed, letter sides out, sleeves had plenty of room, I used an actual bearing press at work and everything went right in, perfectly straight and even and butter smooth. Pressed the rotor side in first until bottomed out with no added caveman pressure, very precisely touched it to where it stops. Flipped it over, dropped the sleeve in, and very carefully pressed in the second bearing, stopping and checking to put my finger through and see if I could move the sleeves until the inn race of bearing was JUST touching the sleeve.
The front is okay but feels like theres a rough spot. The rear literally wont move at all unless I put my thumbs in each side of the wheel and push it around on the carpet in the house.
I dont want to sound like a d*** but Ive seen people smacking bearings in with hammers and having zero issues. I was mega super extra careful and Im pretty frustrated that it somehow didnt turn out as well as somebody hitting it with a GD hammer .when I go to get tires mounted Ill likely have to pay them to replace them. Is it just me or every time you work on your own stuff, thats when things go wrong for no apparent reason?
Chance are that if you pressed on the on the outer race, qne is pressed in too far..
2015 street bob. I used the center bearing adapter as well so it should have been applying even pressure everywhere. I suppose its possible its too far in but I find it really hard to believe given how methodically I did it.
2015 street bob. I used the center bearing adapter as well so it should have been applying even pressure everywhere. I suppose its possible its too far in but I find it really hard to believe given how methodically I did it.
its obviously wrong, I just dont know how.
What is a center bearing adapter?
Methodically can still be wrong.. No matter how hard I try, I can still screw things up.
On a street bob, you press the left side in all the way.
Flip the wheel over drop in the spacer.
The trick if using the press, you need to fully support both bearings with flats that support both the inner and outer races while pressing the second one in.. The center spacer sets the bearing spacing. Pressing out race and feeling spacer clearance can go in too far.. If you press flat on the top side only, you can press the bearing in too far..
BTW. Some bearing installers are machined wrong and will load the bearing.
Yeah you actually can be better of by tapping in with a mallet.. Used to do Honda wheels that way all the time..
Your installation sounds correct. The first bearing to get seated is on the "primary" side of the wheel. You can identify it by the cut marks on the hub, it also sometimes the wheel information side. See below. On a single disk front wheel, it's the left, or disk side. The rear is the right, again the disk side. Press that bearing until it stops, flip the wheel, drop in the spacer, and press the next bearing until it contacts the spacer. Bearing lettering facing out. For the 2nd bearing, you should also avoid using the stepped face of the bearing press if it only presses on the outer race. You can start the press with that face but once started, flip it to the completely flat side to press it to the spacer.
What exactly are you expecting to spin? Front Primary Side Front Primary Side Rear Primary Side
Last edited by snake_eyes; Apr 17, 2023 at 02:56 PM.
Your installation sounds correct. The first bearing to get seated is on the "primary" side of the wheel. You can identify it by the cut marks on the hub, it also sometimes the wheel information side. See below. On a single disk front wheel, it's the left, or disk side. The rear is the right, again the disk side. Press that bearing until it stops, flip the wheel, drop in the spacer, and press the next bearing until it contacts the spacer. Bearing lettering facing out. For the 2nd bearing, you should also avoid using the stepped face of the bearing press if it only presses on the outer race. You can start the press with that face but once started, flip it to the completely flat side to press it to the spacer.
What exactly are you expecting to spin? Front Primary Side Front Primary Side Rear Primary Side
In your text description you say the front is the primary side and the rear is the disc side which would be the cam chest side but in your pictures you say both of them are primary side... So which one is it, I don't want to get confused...
Your installation sounds correct. The first bearing to get seated is on the "primary" side of the wheel. You can identify it by the cut marks on the hub, it also sometimes the wheel information side. See below. On a single disk front wheel, it's the left, or disk side. The rear is the right, again the disk side. Press that bearing until it stops, flip the wheel, drop in the spacer, and press the next bearing until it contacts the spacer. Bearing lettering facing out. For the 2nd bearing, you should also avoid using the stepped face of the bearing press if it only presses on the outer race. You can start the press with that face but once started, flip it to the completely flat side to press it to the spacer.
What exactly are you expecting to spin? Front Primary Side Front Primary Side Rear Primary Side
I am expecting the inner sleeve to spin with the inner races of the bearings smoothly. The front inner sleeve and both bearings spin in unison by hand (not easily, but not hard)
The rear is essentially locked up and requires an extreme amount of force to move. The inner sleeve is essentially stuck and thus the bearings themselves do not spin easily, leading me to believe that if I mount the rear, once I torque the axle, the bearings will get torched or the wheel wont even spin. Im no master Harley tech, but bearings should spin, and being that the inner races are touching the sleeve, the sleeve should spin with them.
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Wheel bearings
