Article [13] ST1300 - Maintenance - Fitting Wheel Bearings - What the manuals don't tell.

jfheath

jfheath

John Heath
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2013 ST1300 A9
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A PDF file to describe how to fit a pair of bearings into a wheel of the ST1300. It is straight forward, but if you don't know the correct procedure, there is a good chance of getting it wrong.
This pdf explains what things could go wrong, and how to avoid them.

A quick rundown and a few images - to remind of the content.
Insert first bearing - it matters which side goes in first.
Insert spacer
Insert second bearing driving inner and outer shell - until the inner shell touches the distance collar.

A few images of what could go wrong. Full diagrams and explanations in the attached pdf file.
(93 views of original file - updated 110221 to correct error P3 see post#17)

1586422773820.png 1586422797415.png 1586422621921.png

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Other related articles:

Article13.png ST1300 - Front & Rear Wheel Install and Front Axle Animation
Article13.png ST1300 - Front wheel bearing replacement [VIDEO]

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Attachments

  • ST1300 Wheel Bearings.pdf
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Yup my 44 year old kawasaki is the same , & it did load the bearings a bit ,& on next inspection the races felt brinneled when turned by hand! Thought I hadn't warmed the hub enough..good article.!
 
A thought popped into my head - something that I meant to try ages back, but never did.

Perhaps a much more certain way to install the bearings would be to install the first bearing in the usual way until it meets the shoulder, and then install the second bearing by using a long threaded draw bolt. Fit a bearing driver on each end and pull in the second bearing to meet the spacer.

Simple idea and I'm not the first to have considered this - but the thiught that popped into my head was to do with the mechanics of this.

When the axle is installed, it is tightened to quite a high torque, and it in doing so it is pulling the entire assembly on the inner race of both bearings. The axle distance spacer fixes how close together it can pull them. But if the outer bearings aren't driven in far enough, tightening the axle bolt could side load the bearing.

So if a threaded draw-bolt is used to pull them together, when do you stop pulling ? Do you apply the same torque as when tightening the axle, or is something much smaller adequate.

My feeling would be the latter. Once the bearing is tight against the spacer, it cannot get any closer, so stop tightening as soon as the bolt becomes tight. Any additional tightening cannot move the bearing further, and only serves to stretch the draw bolt, or strip the threads.

Is my thinking correct ?
 
jfheath said:
Is my thinking correct ?
Click to expand...
I agree, John. I’d think one variation would be to have two drivers. Support one driver on the side of the first driven/seated-to-the-shoulder bearing, insert the distance collar and drive the second bearing until you feel/hear the contact of the inner races. As long as both inner and outer races of both bearings are supported there should not be any side-loading imparted. JMO FWIW

John
 
What I've done is to take a spare axle and cut it down to make a tool to hold the distance collar square while inserting the second bearing.
I seat the first bearing, then flip the tire over, insert the axle tool in through the first bearing and into the distance collar, this holds everything square, so now when I'm seating the second bearing, I don't have to worry about having the distance collar tilt and binding, side loading the bearing etc.
It makes one less alignment issue to worry about when installing bearings. The only thing you need to be concerned with is depth etc.
Another thing that some of the folks at shops are taught to do to trick customers into thinking they need new bearings, is to stick their finger through the bearing, and press the distance collar sideways, causing the edge to drag against the bearing etc. They then ask the customer to "feel" the roughness of the bearing, and convince them that they need new bearings installed.
My axle tool also allows me to insert it through only one bearing and the distance collar, allowing a true feel of the bearing on the opposite side, then I swap sides and check the other bearing.
Since the distance collar is trapped on the axle, you get a true feel of the bearings etc.
 
Thank you John for a very concise write-up and the helpful diagrams. From personal experience, I have to second your suggestion to spend the money and get a bearing driver set. The cost of replacing the bearings I've damaged over the years more than offset the cost of the drivers. "Universal" drivers can be had from Harbour Freight and they work well. If you are lucky to have access to a lathe you can also make custom pilot bushings quickly and easily to accompany said drivers.
 
jfheath said:
A thought popped into my head - something that I meant to try ages back, but never did.

Perhaps a much more certain way to install the bearings would be to install the first bearing in the usual way until it meets the shoulder, and then install the second bearing by using a long threaded draw bolt. Fit a bearing driver on each end and pull in the second bearing to meet the spacer.

Simple idea and I'm not the first to have considered this - but the thiught that popped into my head was to do with the mechanics of this.

When the axle is installed, it is tightened to quite a high torque, and it in doing so it is pulling the entire assembly on the inner race of both bearings. The axle distance spacer fixes how close together it can pull them. But if the outer bearings aren't driven in far enough, tightening the axle bolt could side load the bearing.

So if a threaded draw-bolt is used to pull them together, when do you stop pulling ? Do you apply the same torque as when tightening the axle, or is something much smaller adequate.

My feeling would be the latter. Once the bearing is tight against the spacer, it cannot get any closer, so stop tightening as soon as the bolt becomes tight. Any additional tightening cannot move the bearing further, and only serves to stretch the draw bolt, or strip the threads.

Is my thinking correct ?
Click to expand...
Your proposed method became my go-to method when I bought my driver set a few years back. It works well on most wheels especially if you warm the hub and freeze the bearings ahead of time. Using the warm and freeze method I've actually had the bearings slide into place with no hammering at all. This works particularly well with old BMW gearboxes. I chill the bearings to -0F and warm the housings or hubs to 200F using an electric space heater.
 
1612115630642.pngI've not had a problem for many years so I don't know why the thought popped into my head. A good discussion to revisit though.
Before I got the proper drivers, I used an old bearing outer - with a cut through one side, ground out so that when it was seated in the hub, it was easy to spring it back out again, and a small flat ground away on one side to act as a pry point to lift it out of the hub again. I'd then use that to tap in the bearings on the outer shell. For the 2nd bearing and have the axle in place so that the 2nd bearing was perfectly aligned by the axle as it was tapped down. But you have to be oh so careful not to drive the outer shell too far down. Keep checking, and stop as soon as the inner touches the collar. I like to use the proper drivers, but using that home made tool invites a lot more care and attention to what you are doing.

But the first time I tried @John OoSTerhuis's suggestion a good while back - I didn't have a second driver - so I used my old bearing shell and inner to support the inside and outside race of the first bearing. And just drove the 2nd bearing in with the proper Honda driver. It didn't work out well. The bearing was tighter than it should be I still don't know why. Well I do know - it was side loaded - but I don't know what caused that to happen. It'll be something stupid like a bit of grit under the supporting bearing shells since it was in two parts. Fortunately, I knew it was an experiment and I'd ordered 3 bearings for the front wheel, so I drove the tight one back out, chucked it in the bin and inserted the new one using the tried and tested stop and feel technique. I've not had reason to refit bearings again since.

I still keep those old shells - they have come in useful for all sorts of things. Everytime a different old bearing comes out, I make a new tool !

None of which detracts from the original article. I still stand by that ! But other little tips and tricks are always useful to anyone tuning in !
 
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Great writeup, thanks.

There is a typo on page 3, paragraph five, first sentence. It should read "Placing the first bearing on the circular drive tool to act as an anvil....".

If I am wrong about this, please tell me, so that I have the correct understanding. Thanks.
 
Good write up!

I've never has to replace these bearings yet. I only have 45,000 kms so far on my machine. Good advice on making sure the collar isn't cocked sideways when checking the bearing condition.
Why is the spacer (distance collar) so long, that is doesn't allow the outer races on both bearings to be fully seated against their shoulders? Only one race of one bearing, on one side is against the shoulder.
Most often, mechanics and DIY guys would more than likely put too much side load on the bearings like you mentioned and then shorten the bearings life. Even the manual isn't correct as you say.....
Very confusing as to why the spacer isn't a few mm shorter, to prevent the problems you made us aware of.....

Thanks
 
Hi @Kevcules . Thanks.

When I first discovered this 10 years ago, I wondered why the spacer was longer than the distance between the shoulders. I reckon that it is probably to make sure that under no circumstances is the massive torque that is applied to that axle bolt in danger of pulling together the cast alloy shoulders on which the outer race of the bearings rest. My rather limited experience of cast metals is that they do not bend very well.

I don't know what those circumstances would be - but maybe a collapsed bearing, or maybe just different rates of expansion and contraction. If the distances between the shoulders and the length of the distance tube were exactly the same, would the distance still be exactly the same when the wheel heated up ?

Short answer is that I don't know the correct answer but there must be a reason. I'm just guessing as to what that reason might be. But as long as I know how to install the bearings in correctly, I'm OK.

Kevcules said:
Most often, mechanics and DIY guys would more than likely put too much side load on the bearings like you mentioned and then shorten the bearings life.
Click to expand...

The answer to that conundrum is 5000 miles. Before I knew any better, I watched a dealer replace a bearing for me. Next tyre change (5000 miles later) the same bearing was absolutely ruined, and so I replaced it myself. That's when I came across the long tube issue.
 
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