Ok guys. I have a silly question....
Installing front wheel bearings on my Street Glide (Non ABS). The manual states to have the letters/numbers facing out on both bearings. Well, both bearings are identical on both sides. Does this mean they can be installed either way?

I have searched the forum and not found anything that really addresses this.

 

Yes, just install them. More importantly, install in correct sequence.

I can appreciate your question since the manual refers to which side is out. It may be a carryover from the earlier 2000-2007 (Touring) 3/4" & 1" x 21mm wide bearings. Those had the HD part# on the Race (yes, Race), just on one side

 

Thanks!
Yup correct sequence.- Primary (left) side first all the way in then right side until it touches the spacer.

 

You got it

You probably know this, but for reference... in the REAR the primary is the Right.

 

But not on a Sportster

Just messing with ya.

Left side is primary side in the front on all models. Primary side in the rear is always the brake rotor side. ABS, non ABS, single front or dual disk it doesn't matter.

I seat the second bearing in a wheel only deep enough to take any play out of the spacer between the two bearings. No deeper, that way I don't bind the bearings.

 

Correct You are, but the reference was for the SGlide he's working on


Man, that almost, almost always true.

Hmm...how 'bout this Front?


If your flip both installers" around 180° (to get rid of the recess in the faces) before you seat the second bearing, you won't/can't go deeper, so then there's no binding
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You're right. On a Springer it would be rotor side first in the front.

My wheel bearing installer pilots are slightly smaller than bearing bores (they are the OD of the bearing). It wouldn't matter which way the recesses were facing. You can pull the second bearing deeper into the bore than it should be.

Am I missing something?

 

Btw (you probably already know this), "edits" don't cause notifications to be sent out...I just happened to notice your following edit

It can Matter

Does your installer look like the photo below with the recess and perfectly flat on the other side?




Because the Second bearing installed has NO Stop for the Outer Race, the recesses in the installer allow the Outer Race to be possibly pressed further inward after the Inner Races make contact with the Center Spacer Sleeve. Whereas with a perfectly flat installer surface, the Outer Race has to stop moving exactly when the inner race stops upon contact with the sleeve. So if you flip both installers to the flat side before seating the second bearing, you eliminate the recesses. It can't be over-driven to cause binding.

As you state:
Your being careful and it works, but the other method I describe Won't Allow you over-drive and cause binding. Especially beneficial for a novice.

make sense?

 

It kinda does make sense but the install tool (from George's Garage will drop into the bearing bore no matter which side the use. So how does one side of the pilot or the other matter?

I'm not arguing, I'm asking

 

It's all good

Somethings are hard to explain with words only. If we were standing in front of each other...much easier...of course.


It's not about the O.D. of the installer, it's about having a flat surface (no recess) to press on the Inner and Outer Race simultaneously and stop simultaneously when contact is made with the center spacer sleeve. Binding can be caused by being able to press on the Outer Race independently from the Inner with No Stop for that 2nd bearing outer race.

It's similar to when someone installs the Wrong center spacer sleeve (too short). Everything seems great until the axle is torque down with bearing failure imminent. The problem is that you just put pressure on the Inner Race independently from the Outer Race.

Does that help?
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