Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: VirginiaJim on July 19, 2011, 01:49:34 PM
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How can one tell when their front wheel bearings have gone bad? I'm not seeing beer bottles around the front wheel and they felt smooth (when rotating the wheel) when I last changed tires a month ago. Didn't feel any play either.
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In my last post under the thread rotors I kinda described it. What I thought was brake noise turned out to be the bearings. I lofted the front tire and gave it a good shake, things just didnt feel right, I checked the head bearings and no wobble or play that I could tell, put the wheel back on the axle (off bike) and the play was quite noticeable. I also slowly turned the bearing with a finger, I could feel a tad bit (precison term Brian uses) of drag/roughness and of course, the slop (another Brianism). Getting the bearings out took a little bit of doing due to the inner sleeve. I didnt have a bearing puller that would even come close to pulling them so I used a good sized punch to lightly tap around the bearing, I ended up using a coffee can (old fashioned metal one ;)) to keep the bearing off the bench. I would also strongly suggest pulling the rotors, not forgetting to mark which is left and right. I would strongly also recomend that this is the time for Jim to wash his rim, who knows how long till it gets a bath. To reinstall the bearings get a bearing driver, much less chance of damage to the new bearings. Install one bearing ensuring it is fully seated, flip, install sleeve, I used the axle to help keep it aligned, and install other bearing. Dont forget the new seals and some moly lube. As I said before, the new bearings really feel good, I will never go that long between bearings again.
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I don't feel anything like you described in checking out the front wheel. Just got a little nervous with all this talk about bad bearings. I've got 45k on the bike and they still feel good.....I think.
Got out of washing it....hah!
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For somewhere around $20 and 30 minutes of work? My comfort zone will have me changing them at the 80,000 mile mark. Kinda like tires, I never let them get to the minimum, just too much riding on them, pun intended 8)
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You better check 'round back for those beer bottles Jim, just cuz they might have gone bad don't mean they is dumb.
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Roll the inner race of the bearing with your fingers and it should feel smooth. If you feel any grittiness, drag, anything even the slightest bit 'lumpy' then the bearing is bad.
If your front axle seals are good (tight, not leaking water and will hold the axle spacer) and there is grease around the front bearings then odds are they are good.
Nothing to worry about- just take a quick look at them when you change the front tire and forge ahead. Even if they rust and pit they will still function fine. It would have to be really bad for the bearing to actually fail (spit the balls out and collapse in a catastrophic failure). I have Kirby look at mine now and again ‘cause he is built a lot closer to the floor than I am and he has not ever said anything about mine being bad…..
Brian
How can one tell when their front wheel bearings have gone bad? I'm not seeing beer bottles around the front wheel and they felt smooth (when rotating the wheel) when I last changed tires a month ago. Didn't feel any play either.
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I will never go that long between bearings again.
And how long is that?
Good post BTW
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And how long is that?
Good post BTW
49,000 gentle miles ;)
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How can one tell when their front wheel bearings have gone bad? I'm not seeing beer bottles around the front wheel and they felt smooth (when rotating the wheel) when I last changed tires a month ago. Didn't feel any play either.
Beer bottles, nope Jim didn't see em, but a Martini shaker... ?? :-\ ;D ;)