moly 60 on rear splines what about front bearings

[h2smokin]

Ive read that moly 60 is good for the rear splines when I swap my tires out but how much. Lay it on thick or just a thin layer. I'm swapping a new set of tires on next week and just trying to be ready. Also I have mobil1 synthetic grease would this be fine to pack the front bearings with,? thanks

[VirginiaJim]

The front bearings are sealed.  They don't need maintenance as such.  Wouldn't be a bad idea to replace the outer seals (2), though, at every tire change.

[h2smokin]

are there 2 outer seals per wheel? I'd probably have to order them and thats usually another week to get

[Tim]

www.riderschoiceracing.com/catalog.asp

I would try  these guys. I have not had a chance to use these guys yet but the free shipping caught my eye. I looked up the seals and front bearings. At the price of a front bearing I would change them a little more often. Peace of mind if nothing more.  Sorta like changing your oil at 3K.

[VirginiaJim]

Front seals are 92049-0050 (08/09) and you need two of them.  Assuming they are the same on the 2010 bikes onward....  Parts fiche on Ron Ayers website.

I've got 46K on the bike and never changed them.  I should, though.  Bearings are original as well.  I keep checking for problems and have not found any with them.  Still smooth as silk and no play.  Some people are rougher on equipment than others.  I'm a gentle sort myself.  Maybe that's why they are still good.

[lather]

Playing with the front wheel with it off the ground (no, not wheelies) should show if the bearings need to be replaced.  I am pretty sure this is described in the manual. I would not bother to replace bearing or seals until I had some evidnece they were bad. As for lube, the manual specifies high temp grease for the seals, which Moly 60 is not. FWIW, I have 66,000 miles on the orig. bearings and seals with no sign of trouble.

[Tim]

 I thought the bearings would be a little more expensive than approx $14.00 a pop.  When you do get signs of a front wheel bearing going bad, it seems like it happens about the time you really don't need or want the head ache. 

[VirginiaJim]

That's always the case, isn't it?  But replacing something that doesn't really have a big history of going bad doesn't make sense to me at all.  My C10 was different.  It had chocolate bearings.

[rcannon409]

I  pop the"seal" off of the sealed bearings on my dirt bikes.  You can do this with an exacto knife, but the seal is fragile.  You can then wash them out with denatured alcohol and put whatever type of grease you think best inside. I use some high grade moly lube and some water proof Bel Ray grease.   Does it help?  My bearings last  a long, long time. You would be surprised to see how little lube is inside of  a stock bearing.  For the most part, whats in there is probably enough for the bearings life. But it may also be a advantage to use more grease inside as this leaves less space for water to collect in.

I promise I've replaced more motorcycle wheel bearings due to power washer damage instead of out and out wear.  Heres a decent video on how to remove the seal.  How to Remove Shields & Seals From Bearings with David Mills

[stlheadake]

<snip...>

I promise I've replaced more motorcycle wheel bearings due to power washer damage instead of out and out wear.  Heres a decent video on how to remove the seal.  How to Remove Shields & Seals From Bearings with David Mills

Ain't that the truth! 

[wally_games]

Ive read that moly 60 is good for the rear splines when I swap my tires out but how much. Lay it on thick or just a thin layer. I'm swapping a new set of tires on next week and just trying to be ready. Also I have mobil1 synthetic grease would this be fine to pack the front bearings with,? thanks

Anybody got an answer for this part of his question?

[h2smokin]

I ended up just going with a thin layer on both sets of splines. There was'nt much in there to begin with and I now at least know whats there

[B.D.F.]

You only need enough paste to coat the splines- any more just slings off onto the rear wheel anyway. I usually use a Q-tip (cotton swab in the rest of the world) and work a tad (technical term) into the grooves of the female spline. Also the only place any paste is needed is on the side faces of each spline- that is the only area there is any contact with the other (male) splines. Packing the bottom of the splines with paste does no good and eventually it will still sling out onto the rear wheel.

I have never seen a set of front wheel bearings in a motorcycle fail unless the wheel seals failed first. I have replaced the seals on my '08 twice now and each time they were worn sufficiently that they did not touch the wheel spacers and so obviously could not seal water and debris out of the hub. Once the seals fail and water gets in, the bearings start to corrode and after a while they get loose enough to make noise or move roughly. That is the time someone will notice a failed bearing but again, it was really a seal failure. Sort of the same way falling off a building's roof is really the cause of the pain- hitting the ground is only the inevitable result and causes the physical harm but the fall is the root of the problem. 

Any high temperature grease if fine to lube the front seals. You really cannot lube the bearings as they are sealed but lubing the seals will help the seals themselves last longer. I typically use wheel bearing grease because it is a high temperature grease and it is quite thick and doesn't sling onto the outer wheel or brakes much. Thinner grease will tend to migrate onto the outer wheel and brake rotor.

Brian

Ive read that moly 60 is good for the rear splines when I swap my tires out but how much. Lay it on thick or just a thin layer. I'm swapping a new set of tires on next week and just trying to be ready. Also I have mobil1 synthetic grease would this be fine to pack the front bearings with,? thanks

[rcannon409]

If you carefully open your front bearings, you'll notice the stock grease in there.  It looks, and feels, very much like vasoline.  I believe any  grease laying in the garage will be better than whats in there.   The advantage to moly lube, or a high content moly grease is this. The little particles of moly bond to or penetrate the metal surfaces that it goes on. It's probably better for the bearing long-term.

[Z71]

When you regrease any bearing , make sure you use a high temperature bearing grease.  Otherwise, the grease will liquify and leak out.  And such a bearing will fail quickly.