| Author | Message | ||
     Nittanyxt |
Pulled my wheels to put new skins on and the drive side bearing fell out! Bearing is intact and seems to be fine but looks like it spun in the wheel recess.Wheel and spacer are toast,swingarm is fine.Glad my warranty isn't up for another 12 days!  | ||
| Rwcfrank |
Mileage please? | ||
| Nittanyxt |
16730,I figure that it went in the last few hundred of a 5K trip. | ||
| Froggy |
More proof PA is cursed! In the last month Johnnylunchbox, me, Toona, you, and god knows who else lost the rear bearings! I think its time that we require passports to travel in PA, that will significantly reduce the amount of bearings failures in that state. | ||
| Rwcfrank |
What makes no sense to me is how come the bearing in spinning in the wheel rather than the balls falling apart. This condition usually indicates that there was not a sufficent press fit. So I will add to my list of rear wheel "things to check" bearings (note to self, be sure new bearings come with the ____colored seals length of spacer tube bearing to wheel interference (probably going to use Loctite bearing press) Axle condition Okay I think I got it Anyone wanna sell a roached rear wheel so I can bore out the center for a larger bearing? | ||
| Whisperstealth |
My warranty is up next month. Okay so far, but thinking I should pull wheel and check everything out. Bikes got 12,700. Just to vent: This should be a recall item! How has it not been? | ||
| Froggy |
To be a recall it has to be a safety related defect. I've had the bearings fail on me many times with many bikes (not just Buell), including twice this year on Buell's requiring me to get a tow. Every time it has happened, yes it sucked, but not once was I in any danger. Picking up a nail would of been a larger safety and control issue. Buell did have a voluntary product program back in 2003 to upgrade the wheel bearings, as the ones that came on the 03 models were sub par and failed a lot faster than the current bearings. It would be cool if the MoCo came out with another voluntary program to replace all rear wheels (or at least 2008+ bikes) and upgrade them to the 2010 setup. But fat chance of that happening! | ||
| Bosh |
It's amazing how the bearing can spin in the wheel like that. I installed the bearings in my 2010 back wheel and I couldn't believe how tight the fit was. | ||
| Nittanyxt |
It has me baffled as well,the bearing feels smooth as can be. The last 5k miles were fully loaded 2-up hard riding in just over 2 weeks, with very little rain (2 hours worth) and no dirt roads. | ||
| Rays |
Oh dear, did you read the other recent thread? http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142 838/578299.html?1278585778 Looking at your picture that bearing looks to have a lot of clearance comparing the top to the bottom. Did the bearing actually spin or did the inside surface of the hub look more like the bearing was moving around slightly? As I said in the other post I'm still running around with the bearing loctited in (actually tried that on advice from Hugh and it got me out of a bind) but when I get around to fitting my 2010 wheel I will look into what can be done as a cost-effective permanent repair. I know of another '06 Uly here in Australia where the owner discovered this issue while on a trip. He used a section of an aluminium drink can (very good fit apparently) and knocked the bearing in with that as a sleeve to get him home. Worked a treat. Have you had anyone replace the bearings before now? | ||
| Vecchio_lupo |
The boys on the UKBEG site suggest all new bearings with every tire change regardless of "perceived" condition. With all the bearing failure around the world it seems prudent. | ||
| Rays |
Hmm, I have replaced my rear tyre nine times on my '06. If I had replaced the bearings very time I think I would have needed a new wheel a lot sooner than I did. I regularly re-grease my bearings as some of the others here do and have yet to have an actual bearing failure as such in 60,000miles. These bearings are a known weak point so a little extra maintenance is well worth the effort in my opinion. | ||
| Hughlysses |
The boys on the UKBEG site suggest all new bearings with every tire change regardless of "perceived" condition. With all the bearing failure around the world it seems prudent. The problem with that approach is you're likely to wear out the bore in the wheel from repeatedly removing and installing bearings, and we've already seen that can be a problem. If you do choose to change bearings at every tire change, I'd highly recommend (1) pre-heating the wheel prior to removal of old bearings to reduce the effort required to remove them, and (2) pre-chilling new bearings in the freezer for an hour or so prior to installation so that they can be installed with less resistance. Otherwise, you'll wind up eventually having to repair the wheel by welding up the bore and re-machining or using Locktite to hold the bearings in place. (Message edited by Hughlysses on July 08, 2010) | ||
| Vecchio_lupo |
Thank You Hughlysses, that sounds like good advice, and good practice. Perhaps every tire change is too much, but waiting for point of failure is no solution either. Fact #1 - Wheel bearing failure is a fact of life with XBs. It is a design, or at a minimum, component flaw. Fact #2 - We must be proactive in the solution. Be it higher quality components, or increased preventive maintenance. Everything else is personal opinion and conjecture. If somebody achieves long term success with a replacement bearing, please let the rest of us know about it. | ||
| Motorbike |
Guys and gals, I registered a complaint with the NHTSA about six weeks ago or more on the rear wheel bearing failure issue. So far, I have only received a confirmation notice stating that the complaint has been received. I will keep you up to date when I receive any more info. Thanks. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Rays +1 | ||
| Metaldude |
One very important step in bearing maintenance is to drill a weep hole in the wheel. I was blown away by how much water was in the wheel when I watched Union_man change his bearing when it failed on his bike. I've noticed that water in the wheel is common thread on many of these conversations. Someone also brought up once that the grease in these bearings is not "marine grade". Although it's not present in all bearing failures, I think water is a huge contributing factor. And one that can be easily negated by 5 minutes. | ||
| Motorbike |
For those of you that follow Metaldude's suggestion of drilling a weep hole in your rear wheel, please post back and let us know if any water runs out when you position the wheel so the hole is at the lowest point of rotation. I am very curious to see how this turns out. I have considered drilling my wheel but I am afraid I would probably get more water in than out considering how often I wash the bike. Thanks. | ||
| Rwven |
Motorbike, Drill more than one hole! | ||
| Motorbike |
How many can I drill without weakening the wheel? | ||
| Methed |
Immediately upon getting my bike home after picking it up from Ft_B, who had never replaced the bearings mind you, I swapped out the originals with the latest available from Buell--this was only a precaution however, there was no notable problem with the originals. Noting the bit of rust on the axle, I also drilled a weep hole at that time. That was 12k miles and a set of tires ago, and I have had no additional rust nor any signs of failure whatsoever since. Also note that I ride and park in the rain regularly and have not gone hard-core with the anti-seize as some have. | ||
| Rwven |
Motorbike, The best answer to that question is none. Yet some here have drilled multiple holes without experiencing any failures. If my recollection is correct at least one BadWebber drilled three holes in his so that one would always be in a position to drain. | ||
| Mithrageist |
Long time lurker and admirer. Could this failure be the result of overload? It appears not to be a bearing failure but a wheel failure. Riding 2 up with gear on what a 450/500 pound bike? I gave up any notion that my XT is a touring bike a year ago after a few trips. Even set up the Uly wasn't right. Bought a Vulcan for that purpose and don't regret it. To me, plan and simple the Uly is a sport bike with bags and a great one. It is more bike around the twisties than my skill level(been riding Hawgs only for the past 30years), but am learning. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Anyone here find that their bearing was flinging out grease? I just checked mine out in the parking lot and the pulley side has "spin art" coming from it. Crappy cell phone camera pics:   Does this mean bad things are in my future? | ||
| Hughlysses |
It does look like a wheel failure. Bad casting, improper machining, improper original bearing installation? Whatever caused it, the bearing wallowed out the recess in the wheel. Riding 2 up with gear on what a 450/500 pound bike? I gave up any notion that my XT is a touring bike a year ago after a few trips. Even set up the Uly wasn't right. I've put lots of miles on my X, as have plenty of others, fully loaded and 2-up (likely above the max rated weight) without problems. Why do you say your Uly wasn't right? The only problem I've had was a tendency for the front wheel to get light, which I don't view as a bad thing. | ||
| Nittanyxt |
This is definately a WHEEL failure,due to what I don't know. The bearing moved around in the recess, enlarging it. The bearing itself is fine,but I wont reuse it. I'm guessing low strength casting or improper machining, I'm glad the kid and I made it back to the ranch,our was to be 1k longer than it ended up being(5200 miles) | ||
| Hughlysses |
Does this mean bad things are in my future? Natexlh1000 - Not necessarily. The grease looks clean so it may be that the bearings were just slightly over-packed from the factory. I'd wipe the excess off and keep an eye on the bearings for a while. If no more grease comes out you're probably fine. If they start spewing rusty or metallic-looking grease, then you've got a problem. | ||
| Mithrageist |
Hughlysses coming from a traded in 800lb. behemoth, loaded 2 up, bags and other gear the thing just fells too top heavy and it seems to wallow around corners(yes I played with the settings and tire pressures). It just lost what it is. Also, in crosswinds it didn't seem exactly stable. I'm not saying you can't tour on it. I rode an RD400 halfway across the country back in the day, but I wouldn't do it again. It's like putting a thorough bred race horse in plowing stocks. Just my opinion and that could change. | ||
| Steveford |
The wheels are made in China, are they not? | ||
| Whisperstealth |
Could someone please, please post a pic of where and how they drilled a weep hole. |
