Wheel Bearing removal

Scuzi

Scuzi

Scuzi

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Joined
18 Oct 2002
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I bought and refurbished a set of wheels for my XTZ 750 project bike. I have new bearings all round and in order to get the wheels on, I tried to knock out the old bearings to install the new ones.

I'm stumped! I tried doing it as suggested in the haynes manual - taking a bar, putting it through the far side of the wheel and tapping it with a hammer to knock the bearing out. Sounds simple! The problem is that I cannot get any purchase on the bearing. It is flush with the inside of the hub and even a bar with a sharp point on the end cannot engage the bearing. It slips off.

After 3 hours trying with 1 bearing I'm now at the stage where all anger and frustration has subsided and I've admitted defeat. Is there an easier way to do this?!
 
I use a long chisel and a lump hammer to remove mine,the spacer tube in between the bearings should move aside slight just enough for you to get a decent purchase with the chisel on the bearing,work in a cicular motion and tap it out

If its seized/corroded badly to the wheel some heat should free it or you might end up cracking the wheel is its a cast wheel

I think you can also buy bearing pullers or use a slide hammer but I've never used those

Worst comes to the worst take wheel to local motorbike place and let them get it out,it won't be much

Edit,you removed the retaining circlip?
 
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As wazza says, you need to lever the internal spacer to one side and this should expose enough of the inner race to get a drift on to. Use a drift with a nice sharp edge rather then something with has been mushroomed out or rounded off over time.

If the spacer is very tight, try giving the inner race of one of the bearings a hefty whack with a hammer; this should push the opposite bearing out very slightly and loosen the spacer. This isn't kind to the bearings though, so only do this if they are going to be binned anyway.

Some bikes allow very little movement of the spacer which makes things difficult, and the other way to remove bearings in this case is a "blind hole extractor". This is an expanding mandrel that goes into the inner race and a slide hammer. It's possible to use an appropriately sized rawl bolt as a mandrel.
 
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