Mad Mike
Well-known member
Are you sure it's threaded?
Most grease axles aren't threaded, they use a 3/16" drive-in Zerk fitting. You remove with vice grips, yanking them out like a bad tooth.
Wheel bearings
- Thread starter Fuzzbuster
- Start date
Most grease axles aren't threaded, they use a 3/16" drive-in Zerk fitting. You remove with vice grips, yanking them out like a bad tooth.
That bearing has no seal on one or both sides because the design of the carrier and the spacers and the external seals is supposed to seal the dust and water out by other means (e.g. separate seals).
You can (and I would) substitute it with any deep-groove ball bearing with shields or seals on both sides. As long as the 4-digit size code is the same (e.g. the "6305" part of it - or whatever those digits are, in your case - for a deep-groove ball bearing, the first digit will always be 6) then the external dimensions are the same. Ask the bearing shop for <those digits>-DD for sealed on both sides.
Having the bearing itself sealed on both sides means it stays protected while you are, for example, changing tires or sprockets, and it stays protected after the external seal gets a zillion kilometres on it and no longer actually contacts the spacer that it's supposed to seal against.
Motorcycle wheel bearings are often "special" because they're often only sealed on one side. The side facing the inside of the wheel isn't sealed because that space between the two bearings is not exposed to the dust and water of the outside world. I still replace them with -DD bearings.
Mad Mike
Well-known member
The suffix for a sealed wheel bearing is 2RS (2 sides with rubber seals), this will hold in the permanent grease and hold out moisture and grime. Suffix 2ZZ means the bearings have shields, they do nothing good as wheel bearings on a bike.
2RS seals are good for 4000 hours of intermittent rough service operation (that's a lot of KMs on a motorcycle).
...DDU is the NSK designation for double contact seals. Back when I designed machinery, we used NSK bearings so often that their terminology is still stuck in my head 25 years later.
Agree on not using ZZ (shielded) if the bearing is potentially exposed to the outside world. Those won't stop water getting in. Clarification on earlier wording, the ZZ bearings will "fit", they're just not as well protected against water intrusion.
Agree on not using ZZ (shielded) if the bearing is potentially exposed to the outside world. Those won't stop water getting in. Clarification on earlier wording, the ZZ bearings will "fit", they're just not as well protected against water intrusion.
Gaoler
Well-known member
Fuzzbuster
Well-known member
So... wheel bearings are not as fun as I thought! I actually haven't got to the wheel bearings yet but the sprocket carrier had me saying a few bad words! You need multiple tools to do this job and other items like blocks of wood. Removal wasn't to bad I used a socket upside down. When the bearings got to the edge of the carrier I used a oil filter socket for it to slide into. Install was a pain, you can't use the old bearing to drive in the new one because where the bearing seats is deeper and you would actually seat both the old and the new. You can use the old bearing to start the process but then you have to switch to something else. Fortunately I had just the right size socket that was literally a mm smaller in diameter to drive in the new bearings. There is also a C clip holding the bearing in that requires a special tool. Hopefully this solves the problem! 
Mad Mike
Well-known member
With a little experience most bearings are easy to change.So... wheel bearings are not as fun as I thought! I actually haven't got to the wheel bearings yet but the sprocket carrier had me saying a few bad words! You need multiple tools to do this job and other items like blocks of wood. Removal wasn't to bad I used a socket upside down. When the bearings got to the edge of the carrier I used an oil filter socket for it to slide into. Install was a pain, you can't use the old bearing to drive in the new one because where the bearing seats is deeper and you would actually seat both the old and the new. You can use the old bearing to start the process but then you have to switch to something else. Fortunately I had just the right size socket that was literally a mm smaller in diameter to drive in the new bearings. There is also a C clip holding the bearing in that requires a special tool. Hopefully this solves the problem!
Finding replacements isn’t always easy- companies like AllBalls make their living off the fact everyday bearings are hard to decode and find for most home mechanics. Their kits are mostly common off the shelf bearings and seals kitted for you.
Removing them is always harder than putting them back.
Fuzzbuster
Well-known member
Well switching the sprocket carrier bearings did not change anything, the same sound is present at the exact same time when the bike is cooling down. I am beginning to believe that this sound is just something that bikes do. It could possibly be parts cooling off at different rates causing a collision between shrinkage and expansion? I have no clue. I am going to put the bike through its paces and see if anything breaks! I am going to order a puller and driver set off amazon and when that shows up I will swap out the wheel bearings and report back then! 
For bearing installation where there is a press-fit situation ... Warm up whichever piece is on the outside (doesn't have to be super hot) and freeze whichever piece is on the inside. Then assemble them quickly. Be ready with tools to tap them home if necessary, often they will just drop into place but at a minimum it will be a whole lot easier.
Fuzzbuster
Well-known member
Thanks Brian, now you tell me this!
I actually did see that somewhere but totally forgot!
I was caught up in the moment! Will do that for the rim bearings. Any other tips?
This 100%. ( although I would add give the piece you freeze a light coat of grease first- just to help ease it if you need to tap it home)
Fuzzbuster
Well-known member
Does this work for seals as well or is that a bad idea?
No. Seals are a press fit with the proper seal driver.
Relax
Well-known member
Hope that works for you (it should for a simple scenario). I bought the exact same one, and had to return it because it wouldn't work for my job.
Why do you guys always have to rub it in.
You don't have to have a snap-on collection to do it right.A proper sized socket will work. Just don't tap it in with ball peen hammer.
Relax
Well-known member
So... wheel bearings are not as fun as I thought! I actually haven't got to the wheel bearings yet but the sprocket carrier had me saying a few bad words! You need multiple tools to do this job and other items like blocks of wood. Removal wasn't to bad I used a socket upside down. When the bearings got to the edge of the carrier I used a oil filter socket for it to slide into. Install was a pain, you can't use the old bearing to drive in the new one because where the bearing seats is deeper and you would actually seat both the old and the new. You can use the old bearing to start the process but then you have to switch to something else. Fortunately I had just the right size socket that was literally a mm smaller in diameter to drive in the new bearings. There is also a C clip holding the bearing in that requires a special tool. Hopefully this solves the problem!
You mean snap ring pliers? You can get individual ones pretty cheap at Princess Auto (and probably Amazon), but I spent the extra to get the Lisle bidirectional with replaceable tips when they were on sale:
I also got this set of bearing/bushing press kit and highly recommend, especially at this lower price:
Relax
Well-known member
This particular one also happened to be the only set I could find locally (long before I started using Amazon) that would open wide enough to remove the Ducati single sided swingarm's eccentric circlip.
