Lessons learned the hard way - Replacing front wheel bearings - GW-1800

[Eck]

Just want to share some lessons I learned today so that those of you who own Goldwing's... do not do what I did.

 

It all started the other day when I put a new sneaker on the front wheel.

 

The new front wheel bearings that I ordered finally came in yesterday, so I figured I would install the new bearings today and get the front wheel back on my bike.

Yea, sounds like a plan don't it?

 

This so called 30 minute job has become and all day event.

I started at 9:30am to install the bearings I removed the "frozen" bearings from the freezer and took them to my work bench. The front wheel was all cleaned up and ready for the bearings.

The Goldwing 1800 has (4) wheel bearings in the front wheel. (2) bearings on each side.

I started with just a little spray lube on one side of the front wheel (does not matter which side you start on).

I installed one bearing at a time using a large 1/2 inch drive socket that was the same diameter as the outer race of the bearing.

NOTE: Never pound on the inside race of a bearing when seating a bearing.

Both bearings went in fine, and then I lubed up and installed the dust seal.

Turn wheel over.

There is a "center sleeve" that MUST be installed next. It just slides into the center of the wheel.

Next, a little spray lube on the wheel and again, one bearing at a time using the 1/2 inch large socket and a hammer to tap them in.

Now install another new dust seal on this side of the wheel.

CHECK for wheel bearing freeness...Slide your finger in the bearing and turn it back and forth to see if the bearing turns smoothly and freely, no binding or grinding.

ALL good, lets get that wheel re-installed on the bike now.

 

This is where I made a mistake. I was in such a rush to get the wheel back on the bike, I never stopped once to check the alignment / freeness of the axle.

Guess what.. my axle wont go through the front wheel. What did I do wrong?

 

SO ...Lets start over doing this the "right way".

 

Start by spraying just a little spray lube on one side of the front wheel (does not matter which side you start on).

Install the first bearing which is the "inner bearing". Seat it using a large 1/2 inch drive socket that is the same diameter as the outer race of the bearing.

AGAIN NOTE: Never pound on the inside race of a bearing when seating a bearing.

OK, using the front axle, slip it through that bearing and rotate it. Does the axle slide through the bearing freely? It should!!

Install the second bearing (the outer bearing) again using the 1/2 inch drive socket. Seat it against the inner bearing.

USING the axle, again insert the axle through BOTH bearings. Does the axle slip through both bearings freely. It should

Lube up and install the dust seal. Don't force it. I lubed my dust seal up and used only my fingers and thumb and I was able to get it 90% pushed in with out using a tool.

I then used another 1/2 inch socket that was same as the OD of the seal to seat it.

 

OK turn wheel over

Stop here.. Grab that front axle and the center sleeve. DOES the axle slip through the center sleeve with no binding or gawling? It should!!

Providing the axle slips through the inner sleeve lets install that inner bearing.

Spray a little spray lube on the wheel and again, install one "inner" bearing using the 1/2 inch large socket and a hammer to tap it in.

Stop - USING the axle, make sure the axle slips through the inner bearing you just installed, through the inner sleeve and out the other two bearings. Can you slip the axle in and out freely? No binding, galling? You should be able to slip it though easily. If so lets continue.

Now install the last outer bearing using the 1/2 inch socket and seat it against the inner bearing.

STOP - USEING the axle, check again. Does the axle slip through all (4) bearings and the inner sleeve?

If so, lets install that last new dust seal using a little lube and only your fingers and thumb, then finish seating it with the correct size socket to tap on.

 

Using your finger now, check all four wheel bearings for freeness of rotation. Slide a finger in the bearings and turn them back and forth to see if the bearing turns smoothly and freely, no binding or grinding.

ALL good, now you can install the wheel back on the bike.

 

• I never checked the axle to slip through the bearings as I installed after I installed a bearing.
  
• I never checked the axle to slip through the inner sleeve "BEFORE" I installed the sleeve. This is where I would have caught the binding / galling but I didn't.
  
• I never checked the axle to slip through all (4) bearings and the inner sleeve before I carried the wheel over to my bike to install it. If I would have I would have found out I had a problem and would have saved myself a half day of head aches.
  

 

As I was installing the front wheel, I used a "plastic head hammer" and tapped the axle firmly inward trying to get it to come out the other side of the wheel. NEVER DO THIS!! lesson learned here.

The more I tapped it the more I got it bound up in the wheel. Now I'm stuck. For the life of me I could NOT get that axle back out.

I used a small diameter socket on an extension, and pushed it through the wheel and hit the extension with a real hammer in an effort to tap the axle back out.

I ended up BEATING the end of a large punch through the front wheel to get the axle to come back out. The axle was binding (galling bad) in the "center sleeve" that is between the two inner wheel bearings.

As I was hammering the axle out, the darn dust seal and outer bearing came out. All of this is while the wheel is hanging on the bike. The wheel is now bound up, twisted off center alignment making it even harder to get the axle out.

After much pounding I finally got the axle out and the wheel back off the bike. (4 hours later)

I then carefully removed the remaining new wheel bearings to get the damaged inner sleeve out.

I then polished the ID of the inner sleeve and the OD of the axle to remove all scalding marks on both items.

 

So here I go again, I'm off re-installing the new wheel bearings in the front wheel, but THIS time I am checking fitment and alignment using the axle as I go..

I get wheel over to the bike, pick it up and hand insert the axle through the (4) bearings and I am ready to install the one locking bolt that screws into the end of the axle shaft.

AND HERE I NOW REALIZE...that the locking bolt (which holds the axle in the bike), will not go into (thread into) the end of the axle because of all the pounding I did with the punch. The pounding beaned over the steel edge around the bolt hole. I damaged the threads around the opening of the axle shaft end. Now Im stuck again.

I do not have a tap the size I need so I am now a stopping point until tomorrow when I can go get a metric tap big enough to chase the darn threads in the axle that I damaged.

 

Lessons learned.

Check that axle alignment as you go. When you install one part/ pice just STOP, and check that axle alignment and freeness. Man I sure wish I would have..

 

Bet I do next time!!! ....

 

 

[Barrycuda]

Sorry Eck for what turned out to be a nightmare...thanks for sharing

[Eck]

Sorry Eck for what turned out to be a nightmare...thanks for sharing

 

Hey my friend,

If "YOU" can have them (like on your brakes) ... I surely can............ha....!! Man what a nightmare this turned out to be, but I sure learned a lot from taking it on.

I just noticed that I forgot to install the dang inner sleeve...I fit checked it to the axle, then I set it on the bench. I never installed it and just went ahead and installed the bearings.. Now I have to remove one side of bearings just so I can install that darn sleeve..

What a dummy...and I did all this without even having a beer. Just coffee..maybe that was the problem...

Edited December 7, 2015 by Eck

[Midrsv]

Sorry about your troubles Eck, but I sure learn a lot from them. Good luck with the tap tomorrow.

 

Dennis

[BlueSky]

Wow! That was a learning experience!

[SilvrT]

Did the missus ask you if you read the instructions???

[Marcarl]

Yep,,,, been there, done that, and done that again. Not so bad when it's the front wheel,, but when it's a first gen engine out for a second gear fix,,, now that takes days,,, and I have done other things that remind of your issue.

One thing I have learned to do though, is after I have the bearing installed with a 'socket' I grab a punch and carefully check the seating all the way around before I decide that it is seated properly, then I do the other checks. Sometimes I find that the bearing is not quite seated properly, even though it sounded like it was home.

[Eck]

Well, I am in need of a front axle and locking nut.. I damaged mine so bad that it can not be repair. I can not find the correct size tap so I ground the end of the axle down about .030 to remove the damaged threads and then ground the tip of the shank of the locking bolt down to be funnel shaped, added a grove so it would act like a TAP, and tried to get eh bolt in the end of the axle. The threads will nto start..SO I used a funnel shaped sanding stone and "carefully" went into the end of the axle to "clean up" the first line of threads in hopes that would work. Nope it just wont get it. I said the heck with it and will replace the axle and locking nut so that I am certain it is correct.

 

SOOOOooooo... anyone out there happen to have an extra GL1800 axle and locking nut laying around? ..Yea right..

[WildBill1]

Most Hondas I've worked on have 15mm x 1.5mm constant series pitch threads. A hex die runs about 10 bucks at the local nut & bolt store here.

[BlueSky]

http://www.partzilla.com/parts/search/Honda/Motorcycle/2002/GL1800+A/FRONT+WHEEL/parts.html