nuts! front wheel bearings
- Thread starter flhrrider
- Start date
Hoople
Account Removed
TQ, Have not got anything as of yet because I don't know exactly what we are dealing with. As soon as one of mine goes bad, I will have something to look at.
J
Jack Klarich
Guest
I think the MOCO made a huge mistake with the newer SEALED bearings, they for the most part blame us for washing the wheels for premature failure of a IMO poorly designed CHEAP to produce bearing:s
So the tale continues...... I brought the wheel to the dealer this morning. The bottom line after they changed the bearings is that one was good and the other took a lot of pressure squeezing the races together to feel a bit of roughness. The roughness doesn't spread all the way around it's just in one spot. So it was the subtle beginning of a failure. Masked in part by the spacer in the wheel between the bearings. It sure sounded bad when I spun the wheel! Before they replaced them the dealer offered to warranty the job if I took the wheel home and brought them the whole bike. I thought that was really cool. So there's the trade off in cost. I did my own inspection and found a bit of roughness that I wouldn't reasonably expect anyone but me to find. This weekend I'll show the bearings to a few guys and see if anyone can pick the bad bearing.
There's two numbers on the bearing:HD8278 F-558018
There's two numbers on the bearing:HD8278 F-558018
At 15K these wheels had never been off the bike before. I picked the bike up with 3 miles on it. The bike had never been pressure washed. Only washing has been by hand by me and I don't even let the garden hose directly hit the bearing areas, controls, etc. That being said, Is the front wheel installed at the factory or when it's decrated at the dealership?
J
Jack Klarich
Guest
Installed @ the factory:s
Joe2007ultra
Active Member
My 2010 Ultra fronts were bad in 7000 miles. Dealer said the seal on the bearing is giving them fits with water getting in. Keep the hose away from the bearings.
I think you may have hit the nail on the head thereTriple. A friend of mine used to powe rwash his bike all the time and his front bearings failed him prematurely. I am guessing, but I can't be positive, that the water is what damaged his bearings.
cedarbrook63
Junior Member
I hold the record from what I've read so far in regard to bearing failure - rear bearings have had it at less that 6K.
Bike never pressure washed or hosed - bucket of water, rag, Airforce master blaster (shouldn't think this would blow water into bearings???
) and Pledge. That's all she gets. Lives in a garage and seldom sees the rain.
If I can't get caught out in the occasional shower - then I have no business owning a Harley in England. But seriously - if a bike is well looked after then surely such bearing failure can only be due to defective material. Hoots -even really rubbish cheap cars survive going through car washes - is someone seriously trying to tell me that one of the most expensive brands of motorbike in the world is so soluble?:newsmile055:
Missed going to a great bike show/meet in Prescott last Sunday coz the scoot was still in hospital :wall
Does it show that I'm a bit peeved?
Bike never pressure washed or hosed - bucket of water, rag, Airforce master blaster (shouldn't think this would blow water into bearings???
) and Pledge. That's all she gets. Lives in a garage and seldom sees the rain. If I can't get caught out in the occasional shower - then I have no business owning a Harley in England. But seriously - if a bike is well looked after then surely such bearing failure can only be due to defective material. Hoots -even really rubbish cheap cars survive going through car washes - is someone seriously trying to tell me that one of the most expensive brands of motorbike in the world is so soluble?:newsmile055:
Missed going to a great bike show/meet in Prescott last Sunday coz the scoot was still in hospital :wall
Does it show that I'm a bit peeved?