Wheel bearing install - How did I screw up??

[TK4]

That's the thing driving me nuts. I used the axle to align the spacer and second bearing when installing it. I could not do this for money....

Break the tabs off OR pull the inside shields out of the bearings. Everything should go together.

 

[timtune]

Bit of tempest in a teapot I guess. Couldn't measure any misalignment on the free end so I beat on it some and that did not help. Pulled the threaded coller and couldn't really measure any difference so I beat on it some more too. Bingo! Axle now works as expected.

NOTE: During all of the above work the axle stix were greased as instructed.

 

[Mad Mike]

The spacer, #8, is used to set the gap between the inner races of the bearing, the gap for the outer race is held by the hub. The "ears" on the #8 spacer is to locate the spacer in the center of the hub, so that it doesn't fall out of alignment with the bearings, so you can easily install the axle. Those two gaps have to be the same to align the inner and outer races so they're parallel.
The ONLY way to have bearing mis-alignment is if the bearings are canted in the hub.
I would remove one bearing, install the axle and spacer and see if the far bearing lines up.
If the holes where the bearings sit are worn, and the bearing doesn't press in snugly, the hub is junk (I have a couple of Honda CB hubs if you want them)

Mike: you cannot have something intrude INTO the bearing cage, the balls have to be able to move/circulate around the races... that's how roller bearings work, the roller elements have to roll.

The tabs don’t intrude into the ball or retainer space, just the inner part of the outer raceway - the space occupied by the seal or shield.

@bitzz,I could have been clearer and said the space between the balls and outer rim of the outer raceway, I can see how one might read that as inbetween balls.

 

[Mad Mike]

Since the fingers locate in the cages on both sides, the cages can move as long as they rotate at the same rate as the one at the other end of the axle.

They don’t hit the cages, and the spanner bushing (#8) doesnt rotate, it’s under tension of the axle.