Rear wheel bearing failure

[snrusnak]

Sorry didn't read the whole thread but for wheel bearings check all balls, just did mine a few months ago. Hope this helps....if not, then ignore :D

[Theycallmecrash]

For what its worth. Seems to be a common issue.
I have 2 sets of wheels, one set factory wheel bearings, and the other all balls racing. I dont have enough miles on the alls balls, but from free spinning they feel much better. Spin easier abd smoother, even riding around the all balls set feels much better. So ive kept that set on the bile for almost 2k still feeling good.

[imnxtc_007]

"I’ve had a rear bearing failure doing 40 MPH on a 6 lane road in rush hour traffic, not fun. There was only about 4K on the bike when the bearing failed.

IMHO the bearings are not the main culprit. I did some research and found that our bearings are not really sealed but have what are called “Loose Contact Seals”. Loose contact seals allow the bearing to run much cooler but also allow some dirt and moisture to enter.

The main culprit thought is the over taught drive belt. To loosen the tension a bit I’ve drilled a larger clearance hole in the idler arm. The belt is still tight, but not overly so.

Because of the loose contact seals, again IMHO, you should replace the bearings on somewhat of a regular basis. If you’ve reduced the drive belt tension you should replace both front and rear bearings every 10-12K If you run with the over taught belt you should probably do the rear bearings every 4-5K."


Really ? Replacing a rear bearing every 4 - 5 thousand miles ? So every time you replace tires ? Crazy !!

[paulda93]

Here I am again with another bearing failure. Can anyone point me in the right direction to where I can purchase a new drive belt as I feel it to be the culprit.

[oh9bolt]

Here is a good start to your search for the hard to find belt part number....


Also how does a bad belt ruin the bearings?

[user_deleted]

paul: if you got 9 months of riding out of a set of bearings...even at 1000 miles per month....something else amiss or they were not installed correctly. check the idler pulley bearings while you're doing your work.

[XB9Oslo]

I just ordered some bearings fore my XB and the SKF part numbers was:
Front wheel 6005-2RSH
Rear wheel 6006-2RSH
Belt idler pulley 6203-2RSH
Swing arm 6204-2RSH

You can also use 2RS or 2RS1, same bearings but older versions

[joebuell06]

I went All Balls, they seem good, but I haven't tried them on the road, just yet. I (not too long ago) learned that bearing failure is often a cause from poor/wrong installation. Al from ASB let me in on what it is, saying that it's caused by improper force applied to the inner/outer bearing races. It's also important to insert (on the rear wheel) the bearing on the brake rotor side, first. Then place the spacer and the other bearing, but keep constant pressure on the inner and outer bearing race, until the inner race comes in contact with the spacer. (Be sure not to mushroom the spacer as it is a softer aluminum.) After that, be sure not to snug the axle down too tight and crimp all of the assembly.

[Negative]

I wanted to get SKF bearings for mine when I got replacement bearings but the only shop around here that carried them was NAPA auto parts .... and they wanted about $40 PER bearing ... I went with the cheaper Japanese bearings (not the REALLY cheap Chinese ones) and just figured I'd check em quite often ... =\

Al from ASB let me in on what it is, saying that it's caused by improper force applied to the inner/outer bearing races. It's also important to insert (on the rear wheel) the bearing on the brake rotor side, first. Then place the spacer and the other bearing, but keep constant pressure on the inner and outer bearing race, until the inner race comes in contact with the spacer. (Be sure not to mushroom the spacer as it is a softer aluminum.) After that, be sure not to snug the axle down too tight and crimp all of the assembly.

That's great info to know ...

[paulda93]

I am not saying that I did or did not install the wheel bearings incorrectly, but I feel as if the belt is just to dang tight. I know you want tension, but at what point is it to much tension? I am going to ordering a new set of bearings and also look at the idler pulley bearing as another member has mentioned above.

Furthermore, have only had the bike for around 6k miles now and this is the second wheel bearing failure on the sprocket side of the wheel. When I recently replaced the wheel bearings after the first failure I followed the service manual step by step and I made sure to torque any and all bolts to the required torque when I was finished.