Wheel Bearing

How often should I be checking sealed wheel bearings?
Thank you

Most of the time you will hear a bearing that is getting bad when you spin the wheel by hand on the bike. Some wheel balancers spin the wheel on their own bearings and it will tell the Mechanic that a bearing is bad when he changes your tires. Not all wheel balancers are like that though.

Also if you have a HD shop manual for your year and model and look in the maint. interval section it will list the mileages you should be looking at for your bearings. If ya don't have the manual GO GET ONE - best money you will ever spend on your ride!

Thank you to all that replied to to me about the wheel bearing. I do have several service manuals but all I could find was service on older wheel bearings. I used to repack them need it or not when ever I pulled off the wheel. but with the newer seald bearings I was unsure and it had been a while so i was just asking. I just got lazy. It's one of those things to check this time of year. Thanks again.

There's no maintenance to sealed wheel bearings. They're supposed to go 100,000 miles, and then you replace them. If they start making noise replace them sooner.

This is the answer I was looking for. I know that there is no maintenance to a seald wheel bearing that is why I installed them in the first place. The bearing may be good today, but who is to say that the same bearing my explode next month or the month after that.. I should have asked my question like this. What is the life expectancy from a seald wheel bearing?. Or.. How many miles can I expect to get out of a seald wheel bearing? Just a simple question. Thanks

If you notice a build-up of dirty grease around the outside of the seal, then it's time for further inspection...that's what mine looked like and when I changed them and pulled the seal off there wasn't much grease left inside...you are "supposed' to get around 100,000 miles outta 'em but YMMV.

In my Dyna book it says to inspect anytime wheels are removed. Replace when endplay exceeds .002 inch.
Easy to measure. Mount a dial indicater so it reads on the brake disc. Move wheel left to right. If the indicater shows more than the .002 endplay, replace the bearings.
Also as you spin the wheel and you feel any roughness replace the bearings.

Hey mpz

My Harley got 44000 on it. Do I have to do anything with the rear and front bearings ?

Plus have you heard of: DYNA BEADS?
H-D dealer show these small plastic bag of white porcelain
beads that you put inside your new tires and there's NO NEED for these
LEAD BALANCING WEIGHTS.

Have you heard anything about these things.

Re: Wheel Bearing - How To Pull 'Em OUT

Hey chucktx

Order new tires and I figured I pull both bearings on my '85 H-D Electra Glide Classic - Yeah Right Schooner problem is I NEVER tried it before

Tell me if you would please how the heck do I start. Step by Step if you will.
The attachments is my rear wheel.

Dyna beads work great. I have sold and installed lots of them and never any problems.

What? sounds like snake oil,, what is a dyna bead and how do they work.

Little tiny Ceramic beads that roll around in your tire and keep it perfectly balanced for the life of the tire. Check out innovative balancing dot com. Sounds like snake oil but they do work good especially for the guy who mounts his own tires and does not have a balancer. They work in everything from bikes to semis.

looks like the day of the high speed balance vs the bubble are over!

Re: Wheel Bearing ~ Thank You Cailf Phil

Hey Guy

I was a little heisten in buying these crazy beans. But you said they're good then I'll go down to Harley Dealer and buy 'em.

Question(s)

1. What amount of beads do I put in the fron tire

2. What amount of beads do I put in the rear tire

I got a FLHT 1344cc about 650lb. bike.