98 NOS wheel advice
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Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,305
Likes: 2
From: southeastern, ma
98 NOS wheel advice
i threw this up in the dyna forum but only one response. i hope its ok to repost here - if not i will delete, but i figure its a generic question anyway and i bet most of you old timers had an older bike in your past. i know it was only last night, but we are in an age of instant information. besides, i want to make the decision and move on to the next one. thanks in advance.
"just received a NOS wheel i bought on ebay for my 98 fxdl. great price and beats the heck out of cleaning my old pitted terrible looking one. this one is absoultely brand new. looks like it did in 1998.
it came with bearings, seals and axel shaft already in it from the factory. i had bought timken bearings and new seals thinking i was going to replace them on my original wheel. question: would you install as is, or replace the bearings. i would have to pay to have that done when i mount the wheel and it would cost me about $40. i dont know the quality of the bearings harley used in 1998....i can still return the bearings and seals i bought -
guidance and opinion please."
thx - tin
"just received a NOS wheel i bought on ebay for my 98 fxdl. great price and beats the heck out of cleaning my old pitted terrible looking one. this one is absoultely brand new. looks like it did in 1998.
it came with bearings, seals and axel shaft already in it from the factory. i had bought timken bearings and new seals thinking i was going to replace them on my original wheel. question: would you install as is, or replace the bearings. i would have to pay to have that done when i mount the wheel and it would cost me about $40. i dont know the quality of the bearings harley used in 1998....i can still return the bearings and seals i bought -
guidance and opinion please."
thx - tin
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,377
Likes: 222
The Original Timkins in my old 89 are greased and still taking down mile after mile. 
Pull the seals on the wheel, inspect them check the end play, grease them, put in new seals (cheap and good insurance) mount the tire and run it.
I'd be more worried about the chinese bearings with plastic cages in the bottom end of a new twinkie and the cam plate parent material design and old style bushing design for the twinkies than I ever would be for a well maintained and set up timkin bearing regardles of it's age....
Pull the seals on the wheel, inspect them check the end play, grease them, put in new seals (cheap and good insurance) mount the tire and run it.
I'd be more worried about the chinese bearings with plastic cages in the bottom end of a new twinkie and the cam plate parent material design and old style bushing design for the twinkies than I ever would be for a well maintained and set up timkin bearing regardles of it's age....
Thread Starter
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Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,305
Likes: 2
From: southeastern, ma
tin
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,615
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From: Baton Rouge, LA
If these are the old non-permanently lubricated type that required periodic grease jobs I would leave them in the wheel. I had these on my old '96 RK and never had a problem in >100k miles, but I did perform grease jobs regularly (every 10k). The bearings on that bike cross-referenced to a car application, and you could buy them at any auto-parts store. If they are robust enough for a car they are likely severe overkill for the bike. If you maintain these yourself just make sure you get the parts, including shims, back in the correct order.
Last edited by iclick; Dec 7, 2010 at 04:21 PM.
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Thread Starter
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Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,305
Likes: 2
From: southeastern, ma
If these are the old non-permanently lubricated type that required periodic grease jobs I would leave them in the wheel. I had these on my old '96 RK and never had a problem in >100k miles, but I did perform grease jobs regularly (every 10k). The bearings on that bike cross-referenced to a car application, and you could buy them at any auto-parts store. If they are robust enough for a car they are likely severe overkill for the bike. If you maintain these yourself just make sure you get the parts, including shims, back in the correct order.
tin
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