Hey all, just wanted to know if anyone else has had wheel bearing issues like this.

During the last 300 mile ride a rear bearing went bad, had to limp it home. After removing the wheel the bearing race would not come out, after great effort, and I do MEAN GREAT EFFORT, the race was removed to find aluminum from the wheel rim welded / melted to the back of the race!

the bearings fell out but were not all chewed up, I didn't expect difficulties, boy was I in for an afternoon of HEAVY METAL POUNDING to get the race out of the rim.

Inspection after cleanup found no real issue with installing the new bearing, fit was snug and all works great once again but to find the aluminum stuck to the race really amazed me.

All the best,

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Was any colorful language involved?

 

WAY TOO MUCH ! ! !

Thanks for asking.

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ISTR reading that Harley bearings are notorious for being hard to get out? Poor assembly from the factory I guess?

 

Wheel bearings need to be held firmly in the wheel to prevent them rotating in the hub, and are probably installed on the production line by either freezing them prior to fitting, or heating the hub, even a combination of both of those. It sounds as if David's bearing has suffered some indignity earlier in it's life. In over 40 years of Harley ownership I have only had bearing problems with one bike, my second Buell, which dates from the era of the infamous cheap bearings. They were knackered by the time I replaced the original tyres, at less than 5k miles!