I pop every seal off, found too many bearings with about a 1/16" bead of grease on just one side of the bearing, on the cage not even touching the *****; they'd have to spin up to even get any grease at all on the *****, so your initial turning with a load would be dry *****. I've even opened a couple and found NO grease at all, but they weren't for Harleys. I usually wipe them off, put new, good, grease in them, not quite packed full. I've never had a problem getting plastic seals off and back on without damage.

Just a comment - I've opened a front wheel bearing (no markings on it) for a Harley that had a plastic ball cage (thin plastic, too!), came installed in a new wheel. I pulled the brand new unused bearings and put good ones with metal cages in, no way am I going to ride on bearings with plastic ball cages.

An old bearing I had laying in the garage -



Insert a small screwdriver (this one was a bit large, but still worked) - at an angle, not straight in - lift up, and just drag it around the inner bearing race, seal should just fall out.



Off, no damage or bending on the seal



Back on, just push with your finger, snaps right in.



Looks just like it did before it came off.

 

The pictures worth at least 1000 words, thank you very much.

 

this is exactly what i did the first time i gave it a try, tried it on an old bearing first. piece of cake ,joe

 

Can't poke through the seal. As you can see in the pictures there is a metal plate that the seal is molded to..... Nice idea but won't work.

Just loaded up the new bearings with a good synthetic grease. Very little clear grease in the new standard bearings. ABS bearing had more grease in it. No problems with the original bearings but cheap insurance.

 

Thanks to Imold and Hardheaded, I decided to open-up a couple of brand new wheel bearings plus open-up 4 bearings I removed after about 15,000 miles from my 2010 Knuckle wheels. I removed them and installed new bearings for the next owner of the Knuckles. There was no indication that the bearings were bad at all, it's just that he is a good friend and I didn't want to pass along to him used bearings knowing he was going to ride the Four Corners ride with those wheels. BTW, he completed that ride with no problems at all, pulling a dang trailer the whole way!

Now for the bearings....the good news is that all bearings I peeked into had some level of grease. That includes the HD ABS (made by F.A.G. Canada), Non-ABS, and the SKF Non-ABS HD replacement bearing (made in USA). Not a single bearing, new or used, was dry and they all appear to have metal carriers between the *****. Each bearing has 9 *****, each one separated equidistant from it's neighbor as it rides in the carrier. The seals are fairly rigid and metallic, covered by plastic. It's the plastic that snaps back into place and holds the seal tightly. Prying with too thick a tool can tend to deform the seal metal..so be sure to use a very small jewelers screwdriver to help it pop up.

Now for a few pictures to show you what I found inside:

Here is a brand new SKF 6205 2RS 25mm bearing which is a direct replacement for the HD 25mm non-ABS bearing. The grease is clearly visible:


Here's an HD non-ABS 25mm bearing (HD 9276), new, with factory grease (all photos are factory grease, I have added none). I would like to see a little more grease than this. Notice you can see the carrier and most of one of the *****:


Here's a used HD 9252 25mm ABS bearing. Plenty of grease after 15,000 miles. Both my used ABS bearings were full of grease. Note: The orange seal is removable on the ABS bearing, however, I could not remove the olive green side. It just does not want to come out and you can permanently deform it if you start prying around.


Here is an HD non=ABS 25mm bearing, used with 15,000 miles. This is the HD 9276 bearing. Certainly some grease remains in the bearing, but I would like to see more:


Another 9276 with a little more grease:


Here is a 9276A, 25mm, non-ABS. Same as the 9276, but the "A" model has nomenclature stamped on the rim of the outer race. Good grease for the most part:


Well that's enough pics. It's good to see the grease in these bearings. We have heard so many stories about wheel bearing failure. The non-abs wheel bearings could be packed while seated in the wheel hub since the seal on either side pops right off. Unfortunately, the ABS bearing is mounted with the orange seal (the removable one) facing inward. Maybe the green side is removable, but I didn't want to force it. But the good news is that the ABS bearings were both loaded with grease and the seals on these bearings are very tight. I would recommend always taking a look at the wheel bearing guts and add grease when you have the opportunity. (whether new or after some use)

 

the first set i had hardly had any grease in them, the second set did have alittle more. good pic's , Thanks Joe !

 

I was at a Conference a couple of years ago for my Job. I took a seminar about bearings (pump related). In the class the manufacturer was very adamant about following the lubricating guidelines of the manufacturer! They said DO NOT LUBRICATE A SEALED BEARING! I don't know why anyone would taper with a wheel bearing when you have so much riding on them (Your Life).

 

i don't know much, but i do know some grease is better than no grease. i'm betting if you maintain and grease your bearings once in awhile you will get much more life out of them. i spent many years at an oil refinery and seen brand new bearings burn up in a very short amount of time. our mechanics who pop the seals our and pack them and they would last. i guess you could put the wrong grease in there and shorten there life. they always used U.S.A. made bearings.

 

Great info, thanks for the pics and write up, Joe.
I intend to do this, and add grease if needed when I pull the wheel.
I am sure the manufacturer wants you to just run them to failure, then replace them.
IMHO type of grease is critical; quality waterproof wheel bearing grease with tack to remain adhered is a must. Like Joe implied, some needed more grease, but over packing should be avoided.
You know, more and more things now days just lack in areas that most take for granted. I find myself checking and double checking more and more things. On vehicles, I have found directional tires put on the wrong way. Lug nuts under torque or over tightened. I checked over my new pressure washer yesterday - the spark plug was not even finger tight!
Many of us do much of our own maintenance for reasons like this. Our safety is at stake! With the wheel bearing failures reported by the masses, I consider these write ups to be prudent. If you feel different, ride on. But to those who find a dry bearing behind the seal, in that case it's a smart move.
Ride safe!

 

First of all, these are not pump bearings. Second, remember that guy worked for the company that sold those bearings. Third, yes, your life can depend upon a wheel bearing doing it's job, and it cannot do it without adequate lubrication. Sealed or not, all bearings need lubrication. The seal is there to keep contaminants out and the grease in. Pressure washers can defeat the seal and dilute the lubrication as has been discussed on this forum over and over again. And guess what your dealer uses to wash your bike? Packing bearings with grease is as normal and as packing a suitcase for a trip. Pop the seal back in place and you are good to go.

So yes, "taper"ing with the bearing is the right thing to do to ensure that they are adequately lubricated. Popping off the seal to check for a proper lube condition is no different than popping the top off your soft drink cup to check the drink level. It's just a bearing...don't over-think it...you almost sound like a BMW owner.