Wheel Bearing Removal.

[Aaron WildeMember]

I replaced the bearings on my WR ages ago but cannot remember how I did it. I am now replacing the front wheel bearings in my YZ and am having trouble getting purchase on the bearing to push it out. You don’t drive the whole lot out do you ? Cannot imagine you would as the bearing would have nothing to push back onto. I thought it would be a bad idea to punch the spacer from the closer side to push the bearing on the far side out as it will mark the spacer. I put wheel bearings int a search of headings and only came up with hits on the size of different bikes post. I thought someone would have done a post on this before as it is very common fault???? I will take pics and post them up to show how I did it if nobody comes up with a post showing how its done.

I just checked UTUBE and the only good one used special tools If I have to go and buy special tools I may as well get the bike shop to do it???

[ScottMember]

No you can’t drive the whole lot out. The way I do it is stick my punch or dolly inside the spacer and lever and jiggle it until I can get the spacer off centre to the bearing it normally gives you enough of an edge to drive the bearing out. One side of the spacer should move pretty easily, the other won’t as it is kind of held in place by the casting in the hub from memory??
I think the back has a circlip in there too, but pretty sure the front doesn’t. I’ll check later.

When I have had real stubbon wheel bearings in the past I have welded a plug into the bearing which makes it very easy to knock out from the other side.

[DeanMember]

Yep Aaron, you will need a Dolly, I use a steel rod about 300mm long and 12mm diameter. Make sure it has a nice sharp edge. Poke the dolly down thru the spacer and push it to one side to expose the bearing. Give it a nice firm hit with the trusty 2lb ball pein hammer then move the spacer to the other side and do the same again. You can make the job a bit easier by warming up the hub with a heat gun. When the bearing comes out remove the spacer flip the wheel over and do the same to remove that one.

Those Yamaha front bearings are piss weak in my opinion too small for the application. I remove the seals blow out the standard grease with compressed air repack with quality grease then put the seals back on. Get much better life from them.

Ollie

[Aaron WildeMember]

Thanks guys . The punch I’m using could probably do with a touch up to get a better edge on it. It just keeps slipping off as the spacer is so tight and there is hardly any gap there to sit the punch on. Would never have thought about the welding idea, I suppose you don’t need it any more so who cares if you damage it getting it out. Will try those tips I just have not welded in my garage yet and it only has a 10 amp point on the wall. Oh that’s right somebody ground the 15 amp plug on the welder so it can go into a 10 amp socket :laugh: At least I did not do it.

[StuartMember]

Ollie wrote:

Those Yamaha front bearings are piss weak in my opinion too small for the application. I remove the seals blow out the standard grease with compressed air repack with quality grease then put the seals back on. Get much better life from them.

Ollie

Yamaha don’t fit sealed front bearings, only a seal on the spacer & speedo drive. That would be their downfall

Although my WR still has original bearings fitted no problems as yet.

[TheBossMember]

Tech thread Boony

[glennMember]

WTF did I do wrong this time Mr Admin.. we got the bearings fixed and all is good now….just letting everyone know!!!~!!

[GregMember]

Maybe it didnt fit in the rules of the thread Boony as I am sure this doesnt so now I will get the shaft :laugh: . PM them if you have a drama rather then discuss it here

On the subject I have a bearing puller that will just catch the bearing lip Badbowie was talking about works a treat, Snap-on dear as :unsure: Pulls the bearings out straight and easy

TB

[Aaron WildeMember]

The spacer was very tight and I was not aware how much room there was once you pushed it to one side just like you ALL told me. Pep and Boon wasted no time jamming the whole lot to one side and punching the bearing out. I will get the bearings and seals and the next available opportunity. Will compare the sizes to the ones posted up in the bearing size thread. I think I might write the bearing and seal sizes on the inside covers of the workshop manual for easy reference next time. The bike has about 80 hours on it is that an early failure on about normal ??? Thanks again guys.

[Rolf GoldbergerMember]

Just be “PATIENT” with it mate you’ll get there in the end.

[glennMember]

Aaron wrote:

The spacer was very tight and I was not aware how much room there was once you pushed it to one side just like you ALL told me. Pep and Boon wasted no time jamming the whole lot to one side and punching the bearing out. I will get the bearings and seals and the next available opportunity. Will compare the sizes to the ones posted up in the bearing size thread. I think I might write the bearing and seal sizes on the inside covers of the workshop manual for easy reference next time. The bike has about 80 hours on it is that an early failure on about normal ??? Thanks again guys.

Glad we could help mate !!!

[ScottMember]

Trailboss wrote:

On the subject I have a bearing puller that will just catch the bearing lip Badbowie was talking about works a treat, Snap-on dear as :unsure: Pulls the bearings out straight and easy

TB

As TB said there are bearing pullers that do a good job too. Recently I was doing a resto on a bike the axle was that small I realy couldn’t get a punch through to drive the bearing out so pulled out the bearing puller I have. Unfortunately the bearing was that shagged it just pulled the inner race out and left me with a new drama, the outer race hard up against a shoulder in the hub. I tried the old trick of running a weld around the inside of the outer race to shrink it (Normally works a treat) but not this time last resort was the welded plug method, I just cut a bit of flat bar welded it onto the outer race, light tap and out it came. That bearing had been in the hub for 30+ years..

[Richard WMember]

Heres a tip from my shed, don’t use an oxy to cut them out.

[murph the surfMember]

Don’t be worried about the bearings failing after 80 hrs mate.
Looking at my records, I have ruined bearings after 700kms. Depends a lot on the conditions you ride.
Must of been a very wet and muddy 700kms come to think of it. :dry:
On average it seems to be a change every 1000to 1200kms
Cheers
Murph

[Aaron WildeMember]

These are the bearings fitted They are not original just ones I got from the local have it all shop.They are sealed as you can see should that change how much grease required around the bearing??? I just tapped them in with a half inch drive socket that fitted neatly over the bearing. being careful to make sure it went in straight.

New seals went in easily. There is a slight tool mark on the inside of the spacer I would like to rub out. ???
Sorry for you mechanics out there as this could be a bit boring. :unsure:

[Author]

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