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Front hub bearing removal

Posted: Sat May 29, 2010 4:44 pm
by youngun
Afternoon everyone, havent been around 'ere for a while!

Anyway, i got a front hub bearing kit from ESM the other day....thinking it would be a simple job of drifting out the old bearings with a suitable socket/pipe and putting in the new ones. Turns out this is not so, or im being an idiot. The manual hasnt been particuarly helpful either. Could someone please enlighten me on how one replaces the bearings.....without lots of swearing!

thanks

Re: Front hub bearing removal

Posted: Sat May 29, 2010 5:33 pm
by alex_holden
Find a drift that will fit through the rear bearing but not the front one and use it to drift out the inner race of the front bearing (use a tin or something to catch the balls and the spacer). Don't throw away the spacer. Find a drift that is slightly bigger than the rear inner race and use it to drift it out from the front (catching the balls and the seal). Now the hard part: use a chisel to drift out the outer races via the two little grooves (only visible after you've removed the inner races).

Reassembly is fairly straightforward. Make sure the hub is spotlessly clean first, push lots of clean new grease into the new bearings, and press the new bearings in using a bench vice and a tube of the right diameter to press on the outer race. Make certain you put the bearings in the right way round (the wheel will probably come off on a corner if you get it wrong!). The outer race has a wide lip and a narrow lip; the wide lip goes towards the middle of the hub. Don't forget to include the spacer.

The seal goes on last. The metal back should face inwards (so the spring is visible after drifting it in).

Re: Front hub bearing removal

Posted: Sat May 29, 2010 6:07 pm
by aupickup
are you sure the seal goes on with the spring facing out

Re: Front hub bearing removal

Posted: Sat May 29, 2010 9:52 pm
by bmcecosse
Should do - the idea is to keep dirt out!