what is the best way to remove the wheel bearing race in the wheel....or take it to a shop...

 

Easiest way is to take it to a shop. Next comes buying the right tool. After that, you can weld a bead along the inside of the race, turn it upside down and it will fall out. I'm all for buying the right tool.

 

Yep, the right tool is my vote. I used a punch for years and it'd take hours... just nothing there to hit on...

 

ya i was thinking of getting the tool... i saw one on ebay for about 60.... what would a shop charge to do it?

 

You can probably take it to any decent bike mechanic. Over the years I have had several Harley wheels repainted and used my local Yamaha dealer (they are a short walk away) and they have removed and refitted both taper and sealed bearings.

 

I have never tried it, but it looks like you could heat the wheel hub with a heat gun to about 350 deg., and it should pop out pretty easy. Same with putting the new ones back in. I will have to try this next time I do this. I have removed bearing races from other aluminum castings with heat, and they will fall out from the weight of the brg. race. Has anyone else tried this?

 

That's kinda how I've seen it done, Jim, with the welder. Weld a bead around the inside of the race. It pumps a bunch of heat into the system, then turn the wheel upside down and the race falls out. I haven't tried it myself, as I'm not that good of a welder. I'd get the tool if I was looking at some bearings. I just had a couple of them replaced at my last tire change. I had the indy shop do it, packing them with my Genuine H.D. wheel bearing grease (accept no substitutes).

Putting the new race in is the easy part. Just put the thing in there, grab an exhaust valve to drive it with and tap it with a hammer until it goes home.

 

The extreme heat from the weld shrinks or "draws" the steel race making it smaller. That's how we used to get cylinder liners out of "dry sleeve" diesels, in addition to a puller. Heating aluminum has to be done rather quickly and the part removal timed closely as is absorbs and radiates heat so fast.

 

I'm squeamish about stuff like that! My Yamaha dealer does it out of sight, much less stressful!

 

I've seen my friend, who went to HD school in Pheonix and later owned a dealership, remove valve seats that way too. Weld the valve to the seat with a MIG, turn upside down, whole thing falls out.