Raptor 200 - Front Wheel Bearings

Sponge1971 · 10-12-2020, 10:47 PM

(edited, to put 'the whole story' into this single post... instead of spreading out over thread)

Hi all,
Another Canuck here...

Anybody know the size of the front wheel bearings for a Tao Tao Raptor 200?
(bonus... any 'quality' replacement suggestions?)

I`ve recently purchased a Tao Tao Raptor 200 (from K...s Motorsports in Vaughn-ish area) Sadly, they are not *really* too interested in the whole `service after sale` thing... so, I thought I would try here...

It`s only been a few hours, but the front left wheel bearings have cratered. Ok, so I went pounding around in the back woods a bit, but seriously... I`m not... (whatever that crazy guy`s name is... that did all those insane dirt bike stunt videos back in the 90`s 20`s... mostly crashes...more broken bones and staples in him)... I'm 50 and out of shape. It was like, 3 minutes worth...
Anyways, today I noticed a grinding kind of noise, jacked the front and that wheel was catching... I figured it was the brake disc... took it off... nope. Then I realised the wheel was 'weird'... the outer bearing was seizing at a spot! I backed off the nut and re-snugged it just enough to re-pin... It rolled smooth again! I was kinda hoping to cheat and maybe roll on the spindle a wee bit, if it had to... (I had to go get the kids from the bus stop and I knew they'd love an atv trailer ride... instead of the same old truck bed

...) yeah, so in the 1.5 kms that took... the wheel is half hanging off now...

It's way too late to try now, but I'll have to pull the hub and get those bearings out. I'll likely have to pull the other hub's bearings just so I can get an accurate measurement of them... I'm hoping someone here has already had the 'pleasure'

and can share their experiences?...
I'll come back and update this thread with some pics & 'findings'... pics are always fun... and, 'findings' are what this is all about!

Eric

UPDATE...
I should have taken a pic 'as it sits' on the ground, sorry. But, this will have to do... holding wheel over at maximum lean:

View of catastrophic bearing failure, on axle:

Here is what I dug out of the hub, 2 totally destroyed bearing sets. The outer oil seals held everything in anyways!

I used a punch and triangular circumference 'tapping' (maybe a bit harder

) to coax the outer races out of the hub.
I managed to find the OEM markings "6203RS" on a bearing seal. This matches up with a known/real bearing.

Just in case, I measured the OEM bearing's: Inner Race ID @ 17mm, Outer Race OD @ 40mm, Both Inner/Outer Race's Thickness @ 12mm.
These 17x40x12 dimensions do line up with the 6203 type bearing specs.
Photos of measurements, using calipers...

this is a pic of the OEM's Oil Seal with "22" "40" "7" markings on it:

FWIW, here is a mock-up of how the whole thing stacks inside the hub:

From inside to outside: Oil Seal, Bearing, crappy '~1" piece of thin-wall pipe' spacer, Bearing, Oil Seal, proper little spacer, Big Washer, Nut (oh, and clip)
(I forgot to put on the Oil Seals & Big Bearing, so I sketched them in

)
So, I called my local bearing shop (General Bearing Service in Whitby, Ontario) and I was able to source some nice SKF Bearings (6203-2RSH) & Oil Seals (562805):

Sadly, I don't have a press and my bench vise is too small. I tried using my 3-jaw puller to 'press' the bearings in... but, my pucker factor maxed out when I got to the point where I was leaning everything I had into a 24" bar on that poor thing. I had to resort to the 'cave man' technique... a block of wood on the cement floor and a baby sledge...

YES... I happened to have a 39mm outer diameter socket in there... (I wish I had some 1/2" threaded rod 'n stuff, so I could have tried to pull-press it into place...)
Anyways, it all worked out. The inner bearings are shouldered into the hub and I was careful not to 'press' the other bearing in too tightly against that pathetic inner spacer. It is certainly not cut cleanly, nor squarely, nor quite the right length. (I don't remember exactly why I feel it's a teeny bit too long) I am betting that it was side loading the inner races, a bit, with the outers pressed to shoulders in hub... and this made the bearings finally pop under operating loads.
I decided to replace the other side's bearings too. FWIW, there were no apparent problems with the right side. It was smooth as silk. Amazingly, when I pounded those bearings out (and I mean 'pounded') ... via the inner races... they still worked fine, after. So, maybe I'm all wrong about my theory above about side loaded inner races?
Yeah, so both front wheels are all SKF'd up and all seems fine so far. Inaugural ride manifested no apparent issues... other than I really need to adjust the carb to ease starting / cold idle... (NGK iridium CR6HIX spark plug is ordered...) ... but, that's a thread for another day... along with a thread about how I had to shim the front brake calipers so they could actually float, as designed...

Eric

10-12-2020, 10:47 PM	#1
Sponge1971 Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: Oshawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 13	Raptor 200 - Front Wheel Bearings (edited, to put 'the whole story' into this single post... instead of spreading out over thread) Hi all, Another Canuck here... Anybody know the size of the front wheel bearings for a Tao Tao Raptor 200? (bonus... any 'quality' replacement suggestions?) I`ve recently purchased a Tao Tao Raptor 200 (from K...s Motorsports in Vaughn-ish area) Sadly, they are not really too interested in the whole `service after sale` thing... so, I thought I would try here... It`s only been a few hours, but the front left wheel bearings have cratered. Ok, so I went pounding around in the back woods a bit, but seriously... I`m not... (whatever that crazy guy`s name is... that did all those insane dirt bike stunt videos back in the 90`s 20`s... mostly crashes...more broken bones and staples in him)... I'm 50 and out of shape. It was like, 3 minutes worth... Anyways, today I noticed a grinding kind of noise, jacked the front and that wheel was catching... I figured it was the brake disc... took it off... nope. Then I realised the wheel was 'weird'... the outer bearing was seizing at a spot! I backed off the nut and re-snugged it just enough to re-pin... It rolled smooth again! I was kinda hoping to cheat and maybe roll on the spindle a wee bit, if it had to... (I had to go get the kids from the bus stop and I knew they'd love an atv trailer ride... instead of the same old truck bed ...) yeah, so in the 1.5 kms that took... the wheel is half hanging off now... It's way too late to try now, but I'll have to pull the hub and get those bearings out. I'll likely have to pull the other hub's bearings just so I can get an accurate measurement of them... I'm hoping someone here has already had the 'pleasure' and can share their experiences?... I'll come back and update this thread with some pics & 'findings'... pics are always fun... and, 'findings' are what this is all about! Eric UPDATE... I should have taken a pic 'as it sits' on the ground, sorry. But, this will have to do... holding wheel over at maximum lean: View of catastrophic bearing failure, on axle: Here is what I dug out of the hub, 2 totally destroyed bearing sets. The outer oil seals held everything in anyways! I used a punch and triangular circumference 'tapping' (maybe a bit harder ) to coax the outer races out of the hub. I managed to find the OEM markings "6203RS" on a bearing seal. This matches up with a known/real bearing. Just in case, I measured the OEM bearing's: Inner Race ID @ 17mm, Outer Race OD @ 40mm, Both Inner/Outer Race's Thickness @ 12mm. These 17x40x12 dimensions do line up with the 6203 type bearing specs. Photos of measurements, using calipers... this is a pic of the OEM's Oil Seal with "22" "40" "7" markings on it: FWIW, here is a mock-up of how the whole thing stacks inside the hub: From inside to outside: Oil Seal, Bearing, crappy '~1" piece of thin-wall pipe' spacer, Bearing, Oil Seal, proper little spacer, Big Washer, Nut (oh, and clip) (I forgot to put on the Oil Seals & Big Bearing, so I sketched them in ) So, I called my local bearing shop (General Bearing Service in Whitby, Ontario) and I was able to source some nice SKF Bearings (6203-2RSH) & Oil Seals (562805): Sadly, I don't have a press and my bench vise is too small. I tried using my 3-jaw puller to 'press' the bearings in... but, my pucker factor maxed out when I got to the point where I was leaning everything I had into a 24" bar on that poor thing. I had to resort to the 'cave man' technique... a block of wood on the cement floor and a baby sledge... YES... I happened to have a 39mm outer diameter socket in there... (I wish I had some 1/2" threaded rod 'n stuff, so I could have tried to pull-press it into place...) Anyways, it all worked out. The inner bearings are shouldered into the hub and I was careful not to 'press' the other bearing in too tightly against that pathetic inner spacer. It is certainly not cut cleanly, nor squarely, nor quite the right length. (I don't remember exactly why I feel it's a teeny bit too long) I am betting that it was side loading the inner races, a bit, with the outers pressed to shoulders in hub... and this made the bearings finally pop under operating loads. I decided to replace the other side's bearings too. FWIW, there were no apparent problems with the right side. It was smooth as silk. Amazingly, when I pounded those bearings out (and I mean 'pounded') ... via the inner races... they still worked fine, after. So, maybe I'm all wrong about my theory above about side loaded inner races? Yeah, so both front wheels are all SKF'd up and all seems fine so far. Inaugural ride manifested no apparent issues... other than I really need to adjust the carb to ease starting / cold idle... (NGK iridium CR6HIX spark plug is ordered...) ... but, that's a thread for another day... along with a thread about how I had to shim the front brake calipers so they could actually float, as designed... Eric __________________ Tao Tao Raptor 200 Tao Tao DB 110 (Princess Auto) Mini-Bike Kit Last edited by Sponge1971; 10-18-2020 at 10:29 PM. Reason: pictures were broken... managed to fix (using Imgur)
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