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Front wheel bearings change

silverfoxxx

silverfoxxx

Member
Member
Any info out there on average mileage when the front wheel bearings need changing. Rather stay ahead than wearing them out. Iv just 52000+ miles.
 
It's always a good idea to check them when changing tires. If you note any wear or roughness while turning then it's a good idea to replace them. I don't believe there is a periodic maintenance item for replacing the bearings.
 
With all the extended warranties out there - if they’re rough wondering if dealer is picking them up?

I understand bearings don’t last forever (well what does) but would expect they’re not looked at the same as a wear item such as brake pads.
 
At every tire change, I like to pop off the grease seal on the side of the bearings after removing the axle seal and take a look. Sometimes even if the bearing feels OK when rotated, something may not look quite right. I sometimes add a little grease.

Then I replace the axle seals with new ones. I think a new axle seal helps keeps water out of the bearing - the axle seals eventually wear-out over time.
 
I'm with jwh20. I put a finger in the bearing and turn it. If it's not smooth and free feeling, time to replace. I've read some change at every tire change. I think that is a little excessive. Also I believe these are sealed bearings so adding grease might not help at all.

I had a wobble (if I let go of the bars) on decel at about 35mph going down hill. Drove my crazy just because. Next front tire change I found the bearing's to be tight. Free turning but tight. A new set of front wheel bearings rectified this.
 
From experience I can tell you that even if a bearing feels OK it may have a problem - like rust. That's why IMHO removing the bearing grease seal and doing a visual check is a good idea.
 
I just replaced the front tire on my 2009 C14, in the process of remounting the wheel on the bike I had the front end slightly elevated with a small scissor jack under the oil pan and I was surprised after mounting the wheel how long the front wheel spun when given a slight push, with no brake calipers installed there was no drag on the wheel and it turned quite awhile before finally coming to a stop. I've been told by the bike mechanics that the bearings are sealed and unless you see evidence of leakage or the bearings don't turn freely then they're OK, I turn each bearing slowly with my finger waiting to feel any rough patches or find spots where the bearing takes a little more effort to turn. My bike has 132,000 km on it and the bearings are the original factory bearings. I've thought of changing the bearings just for the hell of it but I've had enough "shoulda left well enough alone" experiences in my 66 years that until the bearings show evidence that they need replacing I'll probably keep riding on them.
 
IBAJIM said:
From experience I can tell you that even if a bearing feels OK it may have a problem - like rust. That's why IMHO removing the bearing grease seal and doing a visual check is a good idea.
Click to expand...
Can you reuse the seal? If not where do you find them? Thanks
 
touring03 said:
I just replaced the front tire on my 2009 C14, in the process of remounting the wheel on the bike I had the front end slightly elevated with a small scissor jack under the oil pan and I was surprised after mounting the wheel how long the front wheel spun when given a slight push, with no brake calipers installed there was no drag on the wheel and it turned quite awhile before finally coming to a stop. I've been told by the bike mechanics that the bearings are sealed and unless you see evidence of leakage or the bearings don't turn freely then they're OK, I turn each bearing slowly with my finger waiting to feel any rough patches or find spots where the bearing takes a little more effort to turn. My bike has 132,000 km on it and the bearings are the original factory bearings. I've thought of changing the bearings just for the hell of it but I've had enough "shoulda left well enough alone" experiences in my 66 years that until the bearings show evidence that they need replacing I'll probably keep riding on them.
Click to expand...
With as many km's as you have, changing the bearing out might be a good idea. The are cheap enough. I do the same as you when checking the bearings. The problem I found was while there was no roughness felt, they seemed harder to turn than a new one. Changing them out solved a head shake problem I was having. When I let go of the bars going down hill at 50-60km 0r (35mph) I got head shake. Didn't matter what front tire I had on. Bothered me for some time till I changed the front wheel bearings. The neck bearings were tightened at a Kawasaki dealer ship long ago when I asked the bearings be greased. BTW next time I di that I'm going to go to All Balls tapered bearings.
 
I just bought bearings front and rear for my next tire changes. I have about 73,000 miles currently on my 2011 and hope to replace rear tire and bearings in under 500 miles. Good timing for this post.
 
kzz1king said:
Can you reuse the seal? If not where do you find them? Thanks
Click to expand...

Yup they can be re-used - just be careful when you remove the seal. I use a small screwdriver to gently pry off the seal.

They say a roller bearing only has to be 1/3 filled with grease, BTW. I admit I may use a bit more than that.
 
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