How to remove and replace front wheel bearings

[Pappy]

One area that scares alot of atv owners is replacement of these items. It is a simple job that most everyone can do without spending big dollars on equipment. I will state that I prefer to use a shop press, but as long as you take your time and use the correct size tools you will have no problems at all.


Once the hub has been removed from the spindle, you will need to remove the 2 small thrust washers located on each side of the hub. These can be lifted out with your finger.

[Pappy]

The next item removed requires a small flat blade screwdriver. Gently remove the 2 dust seals from the hub.

[Pappy]

I have to jump ahead a step here so you understand what you will be doing. You will need a rounded brass punch or in most cases you can use a 11 or 12 mm deep well socket. The rounded edges of the socket will keep from damaging the spacer.


In this picture, you can see what you will be doing when using the punch or socket to drive out the small bearing. This does not require alot of force, merely a few taps with a hammer and the socket will drive out the bearing. A slide hammer can also be employed, but more times then not there is no room to get the jaws inbetween the spacer and bearing.

[Pappy]

Pick up the hub in one hand, insert the socket or punch from the large bearing side of the hub and tap out the bearing and spacer.

[Pappy]

With the small bearing and spacer now removed, flip the hub over and you will see down into the larger bearing. Again, an appropriate sized brass punch, shop press or the trusty old 13/16th spark plug socket will work. The biggest thing is to make sure whatever you use to drive out these bearings is sized to fit on the outer most metal edge of the bearing. Too small of a tool and you will be driving on the red grease seal. This can damage the bearing (if it is too be reused) and it can also cause you difficulty in getting a decent drive to remove the bearing.

Again, these get gently tapped out, I can hold the hub in one hand and tap the bearing out without beating on anything!

[Pappy]

After you have the bearings removed, it is time to either inspect or replace the old bearings. As cheap as they are, once a season is enough for the average rider, more if you race or ride in alot of mud and water.

Re-installation is the reverse order of the take out. Again, for the sake of those that do not have a press Ive used sockets. And I stress again, you should not BEAT on anything...tap tap tap it in.

A small film of grease on the inside of the bearing area will aide in the re-insertion

[Pappy]

When setting the bearing in place, be sure to keep it level. You do not want to try and tap it in if it is crooked.

[Pappy]

Once the small bearing (outer) is fully seated, flip the hub over and install the spacer. This is where you can jack the process up, it needs to be installed in the direction it came out. If you are unsure, look at the taper on the spindle and you will see exactly how it should face.

[Pappy]

The large (inner) bearing is next, fully seat it against the tapered spacer. You should just be able to get the spacer to move side to side with your finger when the bearing reaches its "stop" in the hub.

Thats it, re-install the seals and small spacers and you have completed this maintence item.

[Chino886]

How do you get the spindles off? I have never done it before and I broke one this past weekend!

[Pappy]

Remove wheel

Remove 2 brake caliper mount bolts and set caliper aside

Remove large spindle nut

Tap rotor and hub assembly off spindle

[Pappy]

Yes, it is not hard to do. Another tip, if you plan on takling the rotor off, sometimes it is easier to do while the hub assembly is still attached to the spindle. becareful, the allen head bolts do not like coming out and have threadlocker installed from the factory.

finally! i needed help with this before


thanks!


what about getting the race out?

[Pappy]

Unless you have a set of hubs I have not come across, there is no race in the majority of atv front hubs, just sealed ball bearings.

[Doibugu2]

How do you know if your bearings are bad?

[Pappy]

Originally posted by Doibugu2
How do you know if your bearings are bad?

If you want to see how the bearings are, pull the hub, the small spacers and the seals. Stick your finger inside the bearing and turn it, it should turn free and smooth. If its hard to turn or feels notchy, replace them

[400exrules]

with my wheels off, its kinda hard to spin my hubs, do i need to replace my bearings?

Originally posted by 400exrules
with my wheels off, its kinda hard to spin my hubs, do i need to replace my bearings? no its your brake pads still grabbing the rototrs a little. its normal

[j28d]

What if both bearings are the same size-86 250R? I tried prying one of them up a little to get a punch in so I could beat it out, but I"m not having any luck. Is there a trick I'm missing, or do I need some special tool? Also, is the bushing in the middle really important as it got a little scratched-I planned on sanding it a little and reusing it? Thanks for any help or advice, I've had nothing but problems with this R since I traded a shee for it.

[Pappy]

On bearings that are the same size, I usually try and get the spacer moved to one side so I can get a punch down through the bearing and onto the lip of the other bearing.

[j450rking]

i am having a hard time remving my bearings thay don't want to move at all what should i do?

[Pappy]

Originally posted by j450rking
i am having a hard time remving my bearings thay don't want to move at all what should i do?

Try using more force to get them out

[j450rking]

i got them out the same day i posted i took an 11 mm socket and put it in the vise and it poped right out

[jrm03]

Great write up Pappy, you helped me out. In my situation, when I tighten the hub nut down, it seems to put too much pressure on the bearing and thrust washer and makes the hub hard to spin. The nut has to nearly be loosened to no pressure against the washer to spin freely. Is there a recommended torque on this nut, or did I do something wrong?

[LTandRaptorider]

Originally posted by jrm03
Great write up Pappy, you helped me out. In my situation, when I tighten the hub nut down, it seems to put too much pressure on the bearing and thrust washer and makes the hub hard to spin. The nut has to nearly be loosened to no pressure against the washer to spin freely. Is there a recommended torque on this nut, or did I do something wrong?

Did you put the spacer back in? And make sure you've put it back in the correct way.

On a side note... Pappy, I like the color of the hubs in your install pics! Trans blue? If I ever find a frame for my old LT, that's the color I want.

[Pappy]

I would have to geuss a spacer was missed or the bearings are possibly incorrect? when the spindle nut is torqued down, it holds pressure on teh small brass looking bushing that inturn forces the center of the bearing into the center spacer and such.

The other possibilty is that when you removed the bearings a small mark was left on the center spacer and is causing it to not spin freely on the spindle. (if its an issue, remove it and debur it)


i believe it was trans blue, i didnt go back and look


:p

[A A R O N]

I just finished changing mine and have a question. Before I started I noticed play in the wheels. (I grabbed the top and bottom of the wheel and it had movement side to side). I put brand new bearings and seals in and made sure everything went in the same way it came out (spacers, etc...) and I still have the same amount of side to side play. The wheel spins fine and the spindle nut is on nice and tight. Is this normal?

[Pappy]

can you define where the play is coming from?

[A A R O N]

I'm not sure what you mean. I have the wheel (hiper 4:1 if it makes any difference) on the hub good with all the lug nuts tightened so it seems like the only place for the play to come from would be from the bearings. It seems like its got to be either the bearings or the hubs/spindles themselves....but its the same way for both wheels so it's hard to believe that they both have the same problem if it was in fact a faulty spindle or hub......

any ideas:(

[Pappy]

if its not coming from the ball joints, then your assumption in the problem being with the bearing is more then likely the culprit. this is not the first time I have heard of people finding play before or after bearing changes. i havent measured the bearing area or the bearings to see if there is noticable wear in the hub or if the bearings are undersized from the various manufactures, but i will start

[Scro]

You may want to check the bushings/bearings on your a-arms, where they mount to the frame. When they are bad, it sometimes makes it feel like you have a wheel bearing bad.

[A A R O N]

Originally posted by Scro
You may want to check the bushings/bearings on your a-arms, where they mount to the frame. When they are bad, it sometimes makes it feel like you have a wheel bearing bad.

The play is definetely isolated to the spindle area, so it seems as though it has to be the bearings.....They seem to be the same as the old ones, but then again, those had play too:mad:

[TYayo420]

wow what a co-winky dink....

the other day before i looked here and was a member i just had to do my fronts on my ex...

Mine was so bad, the only piece i had left on my left side was a scrap of metal, from the inner part of the bearing too abt 4 mm thick was it and 2 bbs came out, my tires was in the words of paul wall, sitting sidewayz.

I used a dremel to cut what was wedged in my hub out, some ppl might have to go that route, but a dremel with the metal cutting wheel and slice a slit down it then came out nice with a screw driver, ill post pics of the remains of my bearings from jumpin huge tables.

[zack221]

Originally posted by TYayo420
wow what a co-winky dink....

the other day before i looked here and was a member i just had to do my fronts on my ex...

Mine was so bad, the only piece i had left on my left side was a scrap of metal, from the inner part of the bearing too abt 4 mm thick was it and 2 bbs came out, my tires was in the words of paul wall, sitting sidewayz.

I used a dremel to cut what was wedged in my hub out, some ppl might have to go that route, but a dremel with the metal cutting wheel and slice a slit down it then came out nice with a screw driver, ill post pics of the remains of my bearings from jumpin huge tables.

That piece that you cut was the race which is the outside of the bearing.

[JR HURLEY]

DOES THIS APPLICATION APPLY WITH HONDA 4X4'S?? ESPICALLY THE FRONT AXLES

[gsxrkneedragger]

i'm in the process of changing both front wheel bearings on my z and they are stuck tight. i put pb blaster and let them soak for a little and then kept tyring. on the one side, the bearings came out, sorta. everything but the outside case of them. i've been beating on in and still can't get it out. is the dremel the best idea? or would something else work? thanks.

[RATPACK Z400]

To get race out put wheel hub in freezer for a while ,then beat on it. thats the only way I got mine out. they just don,t simply bang out alum, hub and steel bearing need cold to shrink steel dont heat.and freeze before install to get in easy,and if you ride in water use marine grease on bearing lasts longer.just my two cents.

[dxcody]

I just want to add something to this,

The other day I changed my first set of wheel bearings on a quad. It was a 660 raptor.

Now I am fairly sure it is about the same process, from pappy's write up, it seems the same.

What I did to get the bearings out, was heat!

I soaked them in PB blaster, let them sit for a good 5 - 10 minutes.

Wiped all the excess fluid off of the hub and bearings, and heated the outside of the hub with a simple little propane torch for about 2 minutes.

Turned the hub upside down and wacked it a few good times with a socket and old extension and a rubber mallet.

This method worked on both front hubs even though when I had originally tried to remove the bearings, I didn't think they were going to come out.

Hope I helped someone in the future.

[daniels70]

Go to your local auto parts store.

You will need to get a "pickle fork". You want to get the one that does NOT go into a air chisel.Get the one that you can use with a ordinary household hammer. That will do the trick to get the spindle off.

[cavalierz2]

Really hate to bump this old tread but i need to know where i can purchase the Spacers you have mentions on page 1, i took my front hubs apart to replace the bearings today and one had no spacer and the other was so jacked up that is was missing a spacer