Ball bearings cannot withstand large axial loads..which is exactly what you put on it when you go into a turn...for that you need a tapered roller bearing...wait a minute...that is what they used to have...

 

Funny thing my buddy has a gold wing with 100,000 miles same kind of bearings, never been touched, no issue, ha

 

but hey, Harley saved $2.37 by using that bearing.

 

I was always told that the GW used tapered roller bearings? Is that not true? That is one reason they are great candidates to pull trailers also.

 

Going to a Best Bearing and the PM Encoder is the KISS , changing bearings HD ABS and Non ABS each tire change sure isn't KISS IMO.

You do realise that the PM Encoder and spacer is reusable don't you?

 

Has anyone tried these?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/All-*****-Wh...19.m1438.l2649

From what I have read and heard, they are the best thing available. I have 32,000 on my Ultra right now with original bearings and no problems so far. I had already planned on replacing all the bearings with these at the next tire change. Every other Harley I have owned I have changed bearings at the 50,000 mile service, just because.

 

I wonder how many, say, Cadillacs would sell if it was common knowledge that the wheel bearings should probably be replaced every 20,000 miles "just to be safe"?

I'd guess, not many!

It's crazy that the MoCo has gotten away with BS like this pretty much ever since they went into business. I don't think any other manufacturer, regardless of the product produced, could have pulled it off for well over over 100 years!!

I haven't had the problem - yet - but I plan to have ALL of the wheel bearings replaced with All ***** brand bearings at the first tire change on my '15 Limited (if the OEM bearings actually last that long, that is) "just to be safe".

But, I knew when I bought the bike that the it had cheap-Chinese-junk wheel bearings and I bought it anyway, just like everybody else, so I guess I shouldn't really bitch too much about owning a bike with this well-known and documented potential issue.

 

I think it was mid 80s that they went from the tapered bearing to the ball type. You could just repack your tapered ones with grease at tire change and you were good to go again for many more miles. Timken roller bearings were probably costing them to much $$$

 

Harley went away from the old very reliable Timken bearings with the advent of the twin series bikes and the 1" axles, 1999 or 2000 can't remember which. It was a time & labor reduction move for the assembly line.

 

This is what I do.