| Author | Message | ||
     Thetable |
Well, I finally have a little time to type up my opinions on the Pit Posse wheel bearing remover. In summary, I'm impressed and it works as advertised (pretty much.) Lets start with the front, as it works exactly as advertised. Put the remover deal on the floor and set the wheel down on it. (The alternative is trying to hold it in while you are setting the wheel on the floor.) Take the long rod, run it through the wheel, with the remover piece still resting on the ground, hit it with a BFH a few time to get it set, then pick the wheel off the ground and begin hitting it with said hammer. Then go chase the remover/rod/bearing assembly halfway across the garage when that bearing comes out the last little bit. Pulling all the parts apart is as easy as tapping the rod to the side a couple times, the rod falls out and the bearing comes right off the remover. Now on to the rear wheel, well to put it simply, the 30mm remover is really outside the designed operating range of the tool. Yes it works, but no where near as well as the 25mm tool. The procedure is similar to the one above except for a few steps. The remover really has a hard time taking a set on the bearing, which requires several attempts at chasing just the rod/remover assembly around the garage, then finally getting irritated and beating the rod into the tool with all ones might, so that the rod/remover/bearing join together into one homogeneous piece that will only be separated by large amounts of force (and maybe a little heat,) but the bearing will come out of the wheel. Now the rod will come out of the assembly with no problem, but then you get to trying to remove the bearing from the remover. My method was to hold the bearing and try to tap it out with my favorite BFH, but instead of actually tapping the remover I found it much more effective to hit my hand. Following a couple attempts at this I figured out the magic words to use. (I think I tried all the ones I knew on each successive hammer strike to my hand.) So I walked over to the vice and was actually able to remover the bearing from the tool. So now the remover is pretty well deformed and not returning to it's original shape so it really has to be tapped into the other bearing. I exaggerate a little, but really the 30mm remover is not the best design. It does not spread as well as the smaller ones, and it does not return to its original shape. My concern with the tool is if I decide to take it on tours, I will also be stuck carrying a decent sized hammer, I can't imagine it will work particularly well with a roadside rock. Overall, I give the tool 3.5/5 stars. It would be a 4+/5 if I weren't using the 30mm remover. Would I buy it again? Without a doubt. I really can think of a tool as capable of being stored in a relatively small space for as small a price, that will actually remove wheel bearings. | ||
| Strokizator |
Since the attraction here seems to be the compact design of the unit is there a better alternative for a bearing removal tool that will stay in the shop? | ||
| Whoreatio |
Bronson just used a rock. | ||
| Etennuly |
For in the shop a heat gun (up to 1050 degrees) a 5/8" x 20" (or so) square stock bar, and a 20oz hammer. Heat the rim around the bearing seat until it is too hot to touch, without burning paint, put the bar through the hub to the opposite bearing. Catch the corner of the bar on the inner race and tap it out. Flip the wheel and repeat. I heated the wheel and cooled the bearing to install, it just tapped in with a block of wood. | ||
| Thetable |
Having done that many times on bikes previous, the Pit Posse set is so much easier. | ||
| Ulyscol |
I found a shim washer placed between the shoulder of the 30mm tool and the race of the bearing allows the tool to bite in better. This also makes it so the tool doesn't need to spread as wide to engage the bearing. | ||
| Captain_lou |
I am taking my Ulysses to Alaska this June. The bearing remover sounds like it might be handy to have along. I am carrying an extra set of bearings but thought I would have to make it somewhere for service. Was the problem with the rear 30mm because the remover was the wrong size? I see on the pitposse web site that they off additional sizes. Do you know that the front is 25mm and the rear is 30mm on the Buell? | ||
| Thetable |
I like the washer idea, I will have to remember to pick one up on my next McMaster Carr order. And the remover was the right size, it just didn't want to spread as easily or return to the correct shape after spreading because there is, simply put, more metal there. Front is a 6005 bearing and rear is a 6006, 25mm ID and 30mm ID respectively. | ||
| Captain_lou |
I didn't see a 30mm in the kit. Did you have to order the kit plus an additional 30mm remover or can you specify which removers you want? Thanks | ||
| Thetable |
You could either order the kit and the 30, or you could order just the pieces that you need. You would need, the 30mm remover, the 25mm remover, and the large rod. I work on enough other bikes, the kit makes sense. | ||
| Ulyscol |
Thetable, If you are like me McMaster orders are a part of daily life  | ||
| Captain_lou |
Thanks, Thetable. Sounds perfect for my needs. | ||
| Jphish |
I think Mcgiver just used a paper clip and a bottle cap. Hmmm...or maybe he used that to escape from the Bolivian prison. Thanks for the review Thetable. I'm thinking preemptive strike and just change from NTNs to KBCs before I leave on next long trip. I'd like to leave the 3# hammer home. |
