All four of mine on the fatbob were notchy and pretty much rooted at the 35,000 k mark. that's an 09' model. When you compare them directly to the wheel bearings in an Evo era bike they're pretty puny. Which doesn't make a lot of sense given the increases in torque etc that has happened since then. Bloody harleys always coming up with new ways to keep you in the shed.lol. They are what they are..
Thanks mate. Yeah,the bearing is sitting flush at the mo on the brake side,gotta go in further eh. I'll have to take the wheel out AGAIN for the 750th time ha ha haaa....Onya mate,thats the problem for sure.
Maybe keep it in mind that the original bearings outta me Rocka are DK brand,and they have HD's part number on them. They've done near 40,000k's and are only the slightest bit wobbly. Mightn't mean anything to a mechanic but wtf... Just saying eh.
Okay,right/brake side bearing all the way in. So the left side bearing would have to go all the way in to just touch the "AXLE" spacer? Is that what you mean mate? I have to explain all this shit to the guy at the bike shop that put them in the way they are now. He works on all sorts of bikes/quads etc, but I've no choice, I'm a cuppla hrs away from a HD shop. He charged me $40 to take out my ol bearings and put the bearings I bought from elsewhere in,so he should do it for nix. Part of the job,he did it wrong 1st off......see what happens Mon.
Primary side first on the big twins. Bearing in all the way then spacer then snug on exhaust side.
The Twin Cam roller wheel bearings, the wheel has one or two groves machined in the surface. This is the brake side on my bike. Use the correct spacer, these can even vary on different years on the same model. The pulley side bearing is put in next. The bearings need to be pulled in with the right tool or big flat washers/machined spacer and a threaded rod that pulls the bearings inner and outer races square in the bore under the axle tension. Just pushing or tapping them in usually leads to side loading the bearings because there is about a 2mm gap between the brake side bearing outer race and the shoulder in the wheel. This makes it very easy to push the outer race not far enough or too far in. The bearings are a firm fit to stop them moving sideways. Trying to make your own spacer be the perfect length might not be a good idea and if there is any dirt between the bearings and the shoulder or the spacer compresses under axle tension, the bearings will side load. The bearings fail if side loaded. Using a proper tool (Amazon or ebay for a fraction of the price) makes the whole process much easier including removing the old bearings, a twin cam, cam bearing removal tool also worked on my bike to get the old ones out. If you've removed them with a screwdriver or chisel don't come near my bike with advice or sell me your old wheels. They are made this way so they can be assembled quickly/cheaply, funny it seemed to come in about the same time as the twin cam pressed cranks and crank roller bearings. Take the time to do it right and it should be a long time before it has to be done again.
While the wheel is out, check the drive pulley installation, I do this because some models had the wrong length bolts used and the bolts torque up properly, the pulley is pulled up against the wheel, but not tight. It only needs a slightly thicker washer or a mm or two taken off the bolts if this is the case, it was not that common, but it did happen, leading to sheared off drive bolts and a stuffed wheel and pulley. This was on new bikes, if swapping the pulley for a custom one it might pay to check anyway in case the bolts are the same length as the holes they go in. Mine the holes go right through into the space in the centre so it does not apply to all wheels. Don't hear of it much in Australia but there was a problem in the USA, I found out from someone who had it happen to them in Australia, they fixed it themselves, thats how I found out. Seen two of them stuffed so far.
If I've got it all wrong let me know and I will change the above to save someone else the hassle of having to fix the bearings from improper installation.
The manual says to install the primary bearing first, this does not seem to mean the primary side of the bike, it is the primary side of the wheel defined by the one or two groves in the machined surface. Edit in (On another set of Harley instruction for a spoked rear alloy wheel it has. The primary side for the first bearing to be installed, is the side with the valve stem and grooves machined in the wheel.)
The wheels in the shed have two grooves on the back ones and one on the front one running around the wheel on machined surface where the bolts go. This is the side where the first bearing is pushed all the way in according to my manual (Softail 2008) see picture below.
Diagram below to try and make it clearer.
1. first bearing fully in.
2. done by tapping or pushing the second one in.
3. bearing not far enough in, spacer too short, or spacer compressed under axle tension. All materials compress under tension and the axle is a big bolt done up to 100 ft/lbs or 130 N/m on mine.
4. last picture is two collets or thick machined spacers pulling the two bearings together with a threaded rod, all under tension and all bearing races square to each other, the same as they would be when the wheel is fitted.
Clear as mud, lol.
I thought the drive pulley was on the primary side?
It is on mine too (primary, left hand side, drive pulley), but the brake is on the other side, right hand (exhaust) side.
Have not done this myself yet, but just checked the Service Manual (Softail MY 2013).
In section 2.8 it states to press in the bearing on BRAKE DISC side first (until fully seated), then install spacer, and then the bearing on the other side.
Good luck!
Only back for a week, been overseas, will be some furious reading of the manual tonight. The important thing I found is that the spacer is made slightly longer than the space between shoulders the bearings would seat against if pushed in all the way. This makes the way the second bearing is seated not a matter of just pushing it in until it stops like the first one. Push too much on the second bearing and it pushes on the spacer which pushes out on the centre race of the bearing on the opposite side. When installing if the bearings are pulled in tight with the installing tool so that both races on each bearing are square to each other, then there is no side load when the bike is upright and any side load is shared 50/50 when the bike is going around a corner. If they are located a bit off this isn't going to happen. Quick to mass assemble and the only important tolerance is the bore to bearing fit, as long as the spacer is a bit longer than the width between the bearing seating shoulders, there is no need to set anything else. Minimal skill needed by the assembler (or robot) with the right tools, no grease, no castelated nuts or tension to do, the bearings are sealed one piece units. Very quick to do on an assembly line, no adjustment or running in needed, service intervals check that they havn't failed. Put them in wrong and its only a matter when, not if they will fail.
For what its worth. My manual, Softail 2008, has install first bearing on primary brake disc side of hub, which is identified by having one or two groves cut into the disc mounting surface. In italics font, this is written before step 1.
1. describing the tool and saying to apply graphite lubricant onto tool threads etc etc, put lettering side of bearing away from the wheel centreline, it has,
2. Hold hex nut end of threaded rod and turn nut to install bearing into primary side of hub. bearing will be fully seated when nut can no longer be turned. Remove tool.
3. Install spacer inside wheel hub.
4. Reverse tool and install opposite side bearing untill bearing contacts inner spacer.
Went through the spare wheels without brake discs or pulleys in the shed. All including the front ones have a groove or two grooves on the machined surface for the brake disc on one side, including the twin disc Fatbob front one.
I am guessing when they say Primary it does not always mean the primary side of the bike, it means the primary side of the wheel. The rear wheel had two grooves on the brake side which is not the same side as the Primary drive casing. The offset of the hub is determined by the amount the spacer is longer than the space between the two shoulders machined in the hub. On mine its not much because I had a friend machine a spacer for me, because the Harley wheel came without bearings or a spacer. From this I would guess the brake side bearing has to be installed first on the front (left side) and rear (right/brake side) with Softail wheels. Will edit earlier post tomorrow.
The Harley part number for the tool is HD-44060A (wheel bearing remover/installer), if you want to buy a overpriced tool or look up pictures of it online to see what you need to do the job.
Google search "Harley wheel bearing tool" and other much cheaper ones are available that do the same job.
Seems to be the brake side, The defining factor is the one or two groves in the machined surface. All the pictures in my manual have the brake disc on the wheel, presumably to protect the machined surface from the tool, as the harley tool has short legs. Twin disc front wheels also have a grove one one side as well. Personally I would buy a Hartland or something similar from Amazon or ebay and do it as I described, otherwise why are these wheel bearings failing? Definately not like a jap bike. lol.
Not always, some of the most advanced stuff available is made in China too. They manufacture what the buyer/distributer wants.
back to work
Most bikes are out of warranty when they fail, Perfect life expectancy, Coincidence.? Not likely.
