Wheel Bearing Replacement

[severely]

Originally Posted by Tomkay44

Thank you so much China Ryder 27. I really appreciate it.

Are you getting any closer to getting the wheel on and bike running?

[Tomkay44]

Originally Posted by severely

Are you getting any closer to getting the wheel on and bike running?

Appreciate you asking. I'm afraid the answer's no. I ended up just fingering a bunch of marine grade grease up in rear wheel bearings and figured I'd deal with the shut caliper issue on the way out. I wanted to check & zert the swing arm while I was in there.
It turns out I stripped the bottom shock bolt during assembly so I died it & tapped the nut.
When I got the swing arm off I noticed the shock would barley move. I'm thinking it's supposed to swing kind of freely from up there so I figured I better take that off to grease & torque it. IT WON'T COME OFF.
I bought some gripping sockets, it made it worse so i had to take the seat, airbox, exhaust (to get the air box off) so I could get with vice grips. I CAN'T EVEN GET IT WITH VICE GRIPS. It's like a bad sitcom that you can't turn away from.
I'm soaking it in WD40 for a few days and will try it again.
Think I'll change my user name from Tomkay44 to NoMechanic1..... Not letting it get to me though. Lol

[Tomkay44]

I had it running good a while back but I saw all the posts about dry bearings, swing arms, shock bolts, steering columns etc and figured I better do all that before I tried to enjoy it without being paranoid.

[severely]

Originally Posted by Tomkay44

Appreciate you asking. I'm afraid the answer's no. I ended up just fingering a bunch of marine grade grease up in rear wheel bearings and figured I'd deal with the shut caliper issue on the way out. I wanted to check & zert the swing arm while I was in there.
It turns out I stripped the bottom shock bolt during assembly so I died it & tapped the nut.
When I got the swing arm off I noticed the shock would barley move. I'm thinking it's supposed to swing kind of freely from up there so I figured I better take that off to grease & torque it. IT WON'T COME OFF.
I bought some gripping sockets, it made it worse so i had to take the seat, airbox, exhaust (to get the air box off) so I could get with vice grips. I CAN'T EVEN GET IT WITH VICE GRIPS. It's like a bad sitcom that you can't turn away from.
I'm soaking it in WD40 for a few days and will try it again.
Think I'll change my user name from Tomkay44 to NoMechanic1..... Not letting it get to me though. Lol

So, are you referring to the shock not coming out after the bolt removal, the bolt removal itself or the swingarm not coming loose? Do you own a torque wrench? I'm guessing torque values are fairly consistent on the Chinese stuff so possibly torque values off other models are a worthwhile reference for future tightening of bolts. You sound like a young, strong guy and strength is a strong ally but can also be a foe. Good luck.

[Tomkay44]

Originally Posted by severely

So, are you referring to the shock not coming out after the bolt removal, the bolt removal itself or the swingarm not coming loose? Do you own a torque wrench? I'm guessing torque values are fairly consistent on the Chinese stuff so possibly torque values off other models are a worthwhile reference for future tightening of bolts. You sound like a young, strong guy and strength is a strong ally but can also be a foe. Good luck.

No. I got the bottom shock bolt off and the shock wasn't swinging freely from the top shock bolt (on the rear). I thought it best to take it off (top), grease it up and torque it but it's on way to tight from the factory.
I've got it soaking in WD40.
I've still got some strength left but I'm way old severely (62). I probably need to soak in some WD40 too but not sure I have enough for me AND the nut/bolt

[mikeklien]

You will need to buy a new seal.

After trying to get it off, you may have damaged it.

Just put a screwdriver under the edge and whack the handle with a hammer.

You may have to be mean to it.

I have had one on my front wheel on my Apollo that gave me grief.

It came out but not in a reusable form. Lol.

Just order new seals for both sides.

Buy a quality seal from a reputable company.

Trust me on that. Both my front and rear (original) seals let water in.

Rusted my bearings within 6 months.

I went with Japanese made seals and bearings. No more problems.

Requires research but worth it.

There are little numbers cast on the seal that tell the size. Just Google the numbers and choose wisely.

[severely]

Originally Posted by Tomkay44

No. I got the bottom shock bolt off and the shock wasn't swinging freely from the top shock bolt (on the rear). I thought it best to take it off (top), grease it up and torque it but it's on way to tight from the factory.
I've got it soaking in WD40.
I've still got some strength left but I'm way old severely (62). I probably need to soak in some WD40 too but not sure I have enough for me AND the nut/bolt

LOL, I hear you Tomkay. I'm 66 and not nearly as strong as I once was. Do you have 1/2" drive ratchet and 6 point socket to fit the bolt? If so use a piece of pipe or PVC that slips down the length of the ratchet handle, about a foot or so long to increase mechanical advantage and hopefully loosen said bolt. longer handles give you more strength and use a combination wrench on the other end of the bolt to prevent spinning. Good luck. Sounds like a wild disparity on various bolt torques on the bike and it seems wise to disassemble, lubricate and reassemble.

[severely]

Originally Posted by mikeklien

You will need to buy a new seal.

After trying to get it off, you may have damaged it.

Just put a screwdriver under the edge and whack the handle with a hammer.

You may have to be mean to it.

I have had one on my front wheel on my Apollo that gave me grief.

It came out but not in a reusable form. Lol.

Just order new seals for both sides.

Buy a quality seal from a reputable company.

Trust me on that. Both my front and rear (original) seals let water in.

Rusted my bearings within 6 months.

I went with Japanese made seals and bearings. No more problems.

Requires research but worth it.

There are little numbers cast on the seal that tell the size. Just Google the numbers and choose wisely.

Are the stock bearings single side sealed as I suspected?

[China Rider 27]

Originally Posted by Tomkay44

No. I got the bottom shock bolt off and the shock wasn't swinging freely from the top shock bolt (on the rear). I thought it best to take it off (top), grease it up and torque it but it's on way to tight from the factory.
I've got it soaking in WD40.
I've still got some strength left but I'm way old severely (62). I probably need to soak in some WD40 too but not sure I have enough for me AND the nut/bolt

I'm in the sixty club too and been there and done that Tomkay a few times so you are not alone. I will second that 1/2 inch breaker bar and good sockets wrenches. The bolts on these bikes are over torqued and I think that is what leads to many bolt failures so taking it apart is likely taking the stress off. If you can't get good grip anymore then it is time to cut it off. If you need help just post up. I have to grease all my shock mounting bolts or I don't sleep at night!

[buzz]

just had mine apart,full of grease. did nothing all is good

[zero_dgz]

What you guys need is an impact gun. I balked at the expense when I was young and broke, sure. Nowadays it is the default answer (and a lifesaver) when stuff doesn't come apart with a wrench the first time. You can spend all the time and effort in the world applying penetrating oil and devising ways to get breakers in there, wearing yourself out, rounding bolts off with pliers and vise grips, etc., but 99 times out of 100 it will just come right off when you whack it with the impact. There are some jobs now like swingarm bolts and lug nuts, etc. where I don't even try with a wrench anymore. I go straight for the impact.



You don't need to spend Snap-On money for one. Anything with a decent amount of torque (1000+ ft. lbs) will do for just about anything you'll find on a bike. Even one from Harbor Freight. When you pay more you're basically paying for compactness, not necessarily power... Pick whatever you think you can fit in places you'll need to get on your bike and call it good. And buy a set of metric impact sockets to go with it from the usual scumbags. You'll thank yourself later.

[Tomkay44]

Originally Posted by China Rider 27

I'm in the sixty club too and been there and done that Tomkay a few times so you are not alone. I will second that 1/2 inch breaker bar and good sockets wrenches. The bolts on these bikes are over torqued and I think that is what leads to many bolt failures so taking it apart is likely taking the stress off. If you can't get good grip anymore then it is time to cut it off. If you need help just post up. I have to grease all my shock mounting bolts or I don't sleep at night!

Thanks for all your support China Rider 27. That's what it took. The old hammer, chisel and, of course, replacement.

[GlennR]

Be sure to have plenty of BEER on hand before you start. It's nice to have a buddy there to laugh and make a few jokes while drinking your beer.

Country music probably helps too. Those guys always seem to be down at the parts stores.

[Tomkay44]

Originally Posted by zero_dgz

What you guys need is an impact gun. I balked at the expense when I was young and broke, sure. Nowadays it is the default answer (and a lifesaver) when stuff doesn't come apart with a wrench the first time. You can spend all the time and effort in the world applying penetrating oil and devising ways to get breakers in there, wearing yourself out, rounding bolts off with pliers and vise grips, etc., but 99 times out of 100 it will just come right off when you whack it with the impact. There are some jobs now like swingarm bolts and lug nuts, etc. where I don't even try with a wrench anymore. I go straight for the impact.
You don't need to spend Snap-On money for one. Anything with a decent amount of torque (1000+ ft. lbs) will do for just about anything you'll find on a bike. Even one from Harbor Freight. When you pay more you're basically paying for compactness, not necessarily power... Pick whatever you think you can fit in places you'll need to get on your bike and call it good. And buy a set of metric impact sockets to go with it from the usual scumbags. You'll thank yourself later.

Thanks for the advice. Would you mind providing me with a "something like this" link for the impact wrench and sockets?
I did get it off with a hammer and chisel btw. I spared the bolt but the nut looked like something Ironman threw up.

[GlennR]

Originally Posted by Tomkay44

Thanks for the advice. Would you mind providing me with a "something like this" link for the impact wrench and sockets?
I did get it off with a hammer and chisel btw. I spared the bolt but the nut looked like something Ironman threw up.

Here's a corded one from Harbor Frt that's pretty beefy for $89
https://www.harborfreight.com/automo...tch-64120.html

They also have a $49 one that would probably handle most jobs.

I prefer the corded tools since they're cheaper & the batteries don't crap out in a few years leaving you with a useless tool if they don't offer replacement batteries anymore.