I have a BIG problem. for some reason I am burning up rear bearing on the right side. This first started on a ride from Ohio. I have checked to see if the wheel was out of line. (seems to be correct) So Yesterday I changed the bearing, got the rim on, line up the wheel, and toke her for a ride, by the end of the day the same bearing was shot. I Toke the rim off and replaced the whole rim (thinking thats the problem there), same thing the same bearing, Damn!!. I am at my wits end with this any suggestions? Am I torquing the wheels to much? what could it be? I read in the manual and it says 94ft lb. When I torque like that its too tight and I mess up the collar on the right side. PLEASE HELP!!!! :-(

I think you are missing that little spacer inside the sprocket carrier. Did you change the wheel in Ohio with fresh tires say? Walk back to that last tire change is my guess?

Geez...are you sure you're not 'missing something' when you reinstall?How about your axle?Straight?That side only....there is a race inside that hub where the axle rides on...you sure that collar is in there?And I don't mean...the outer spacer.Inside the hub..behind the bearing.

well the problem started in Ohio. I had to ride the bike back to Chicago. GRN14, I have the collar there I checked it and looks like it is scored from rubbing the bearing, All the washers and collars are there, am I torquing it to much? any tips? the book maake no sense to me its saying 94 ft lb. Should I just snug the axle bolt?

Are we reinstalling a new center collar? You hammer that throttle with less torque to the axle, she might unload. If it was a bent swing arm, you'd feel it handle weird. Can't be one bearing letting loose on the side load or the second one would follow I would assume.

Got any photos of the damaged bearing? Where is the old one or the second one that failed? Are these sealed? I forget.

You say you 'have the collar there'...okay....the one INSIDE the hub doesn't just come out.Here...look on a parts fiche...or your manual...manual is Page number 10-2.There's your axle diagram.That spacer does not come out just like the bearing or whatever...it's inside the hub there.Going across the width inside.(It could come out IF the bearing was removed first).IS THAT IN THERE?You can feel if it is by taking the wheel and pushing the axle through...it will ride up over the edge...you'll feel it.It may also be visible from one end...IDK...I never looked in there...but it's in there...or should be.You should be tightening the hub nut up til it gets tight,then go to the 'next' slot...the cotter pin slot.Stop there...do not keep tightening.IDK anything about 94ft/lbs.I made a mark in my axle/axle nut when she was tightened up from the factory...I always line those two marks up at the final tightening)...and that's the factory setting...or damn close to it...install cotter pin...she's fine.IF you are putting that spacer in there between the bearing(hub housing edge) and the swingarm as shown...there shouldn't be any way for it to get overtightened...UNLESS...you're just going crazy cranking in on that nut.

I meant to ask you...the two spacers there...they ARE different...yes.They will both fit in the hub...BUT one is not as tall as the other....are you sure they're on the correct sides?They have to be....otherwise...MAYBE it could ruin a bearing tightened down...IDK.But they are different.

"Are these sealed? I forget".Not in the conventional sense...you can grease these bearings in the hub(on the rear anyway)...the bearing(s) are exposed.The rubber seal is supposed to cover em up once the axle is back in place and everything's buttoned up.So in that sense,they are sealed.That spacer closes the 'gap' between the inner surface of the spacer against the rubber 'seal' in the hub.You will get some blowby however IF you add TOO MUCH grease in there when greasing em.It never hurt anything on my 07...just made a mess on the rim and all.

Yes...pictures would be good..of the hub with the bearing in there...and the whole shebang...assembled...as you would do it.Both sides there at the axle nut/swingarm area.And the other side....from the rear.No need to tighten the nut down all the way...just pics of what the two sides look like from the back.

It sounds to me like you've got your spacers on the wrong sides.That flange on the spacer...one is deeper than the other...I guess if your had em in there wrong...on the wrong side,that flange COULD press against that bearing in there and creat the problem you're having after it was tightened down.That'd be my advice...make sure the spacers are on the right sides.Any strange looking chain wear on either side of the sporocket?Like a bright ground off circle around where the chain rides on the teeth?(on the inner and outer sides of the sprocket)

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 5/11/2012 @ 10:20 AM *

Thanks guys, Ill take pic of the damage and post them. after I get off work. Im waiting on UPS to deliver two new collars and new seals today. And yes the bearing are sealed.

"And yes the bearing are sealed".Not to be an asshole...honestly...BUT...the rear bearing is NOT sealed.It has a seperate seal that goes over it into the hub.They can be greased and serviced by the owner...rear bearing...zx14That yellow stuff...that's factory grease in there.The seal goes over that...installed by hand...seperate.

FRONT bearing...sealed...from the factory.NOT serviceable by the owner.

That center race on the rear bearing,top pic..I think putting the spacer on the wrong side and tightening down the axle nut could actually push against that race...and destroy that bearing.The thing is..it's NOT happening on the left side....what's the common thing here?...the spacer.The other side...the spacer isn't sitting against the race.That's my observation anyway.

You wouldn't be the first guy to get those on the wrong sides...they look 'almost' identical.

Having those spacers on the wrong sides COULD effectively push the bearing(s) over...on the right side...THAT could be a serious problem.Even if it's only a few mm's.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 5/11/2012 @ 12:07 PM *

You pull that one bearing out, the center collar is the clearance. If that collapses, it can compress the center race as you well can figure out, that is where the collar keeps the gap or floats the center races so they do not bind upon torque set of the axle nut.

The deal is, find metal collars that act as the swing arm. Then torque the axle to spec. If you can't spin that axle, blow on the tire, thumb it on a spin is that friction, then something in the collar spacing is binding the center races.

@dj: be wary of not tightening your axle nut securely. A guy on Bikeland just kept his snug... his chain slack adjusters
paid the price. Bent one of them to the point of ruin.

* Last updated by: hagrid on 5/13/2012 @ 6:20 AM *

I never torqued mine.Tightened up with a big crescent wrench.Then backed it out to get a cotter pin in.I never had a bearing failure.
Craig.

Huh, for 30,000 miles all I have ever done is the lousy factory tools to tighten the rear. (Reason being so I could do it on the road if necessary) Will be inspecting closely. Was planning on changing all wheel bearings soon anyway.

torque mine to 94ftlbs not any problems here, now when i had wheels chromed i replaced with sealed bearings. You know my buddies did the same thing and it ended up he had something in there backwards or something ill check with him and see what the issue was or you can pm him mattz14

* Last updated by: scottjkyl on 5/13/2012 @ 5:02 AM *

"something in there backwards or something"....

grn lol. yea something....i think his was on the drive side though if i remember right it was the spacer between the hub and bearing either forgot to put it in or it was backwards

Ya...I think there may be A LOT of owners that don't realize those spacers are different.I wouldn't have probably...just happened to notice way back when when I first removed my rear wheel....something just didn't look the same between those two...easy to not see it.If ya look on the wheel assembly diagram in the manual...you will notice a difference,subtle as it is...but it's there.Once ya realize they ARE different,then ya gotta remember which side goes where!!!LOL....I just keep all of one side stuff...on the one side when I take things off.Some guys don't notice that in there...so they take the wheel they've removed to their tire guy...and if the grease in that hub is holding the spacer in(which it can and will do sometimes)....easy for the tire guy to not notice it there as well...then it(they) fall out...he puts em in there on the wrong side(or completely doesn't see it's fallen out)...and...VOILA!..you reinstall your wheel thinking everything is cool.NOT!Naturally...they're NOT gonna admit they botched such a simple deal....especially if it damages yer hub there..or whatever.Gonna say "You did it sir...you brought the wheel in here...I just mounted the tire like ya asked"...and he COULD be telling the truth...a guy COULD get those back in there wrong very easily at home.I say...DIY..then ya KNOW where stuff's at...at least for removing that wheel.I grease mine everytime I take that wheel off.Check the seal there.Gotta be careful when reinstalling that axle through there that I don't tear that rubber seal on either end when pushing.It will tear pretty easy if'n ya force those axle threads against it when she's not lining up just right.Especially on that Caliper side.

FWIW...you NEVER want to spray water around those bearings front OR back...you WILL get water in there...same goes for kerosine when you're cleaning your chain.Do not get kerosine in those bearings.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 5/13/2012 @ 10:22 PM *

Thanks guys for all the help. I figured it out. The question was asked " basically was it put back together correctly" the answer was no. I have a friend do the work for me as I had to work and that when the problem started. I received the new parts, removed the broken bearing sleeve and realize that there was a hub sleeve missing. I looked at the spec and found that I had all the parts but one. In looking around I found the sleeve, installed it and life was good again

"was a hub sleeve missing."...okay...what is this hub sleeve?I'm curious because I don't want to have it happen with mine.PICS?BTW...glad you got er sorted out DJ.Is it the long one that goes across the width of the hub in there,between the bearings?

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 5/14/2012 @ 11:12 AM *

Hub sleeve? = "I installed it, all was golden." Well, he said, "I am going thru RIGHT wheel bearings." He did say, I found the part and installed it as if it was now the sprocket carrier sleeve.

I asked if the right bearing was removed, was that center collar replaced when it fell out? It seems it never was reinstalled if say the sprocket carrier sleeve could damage a right wheel bearing with the spacer reinstalled, meaning.

Wouldn't that mean that 2 parts are missing? One being the sprocket carrier, 'oh here it is.' However, wheel hub sleeve sounds different than a sprocket carrier sleeve, no?

If you can't figure out the two spacers internal, it is obvious you'd see the 2 outside spacers missing, but he did no mention outside spacers. He pointed to losing a right wheel bearing and that means pop the bearing out, so goes the collar.

Geez...are you sure you're not 'missing something' when you reinstall?

How about your axle?Straight?

That side only....there is a race inside that hub where the axle rides on...you sure that collar is in there?

And I don't mean...the outer spacer.Inside the hub..behind the bearing.

And you are so confused, before you begin, read the OP's walk. It is confusing enough, you show up with a race, an outer collar inside a wheel or on a sprocket carrier, you, you YOU!

Read the OP in detail like a right bearing is going. "Who's on first? That's what I said!"

D'uh GAS'dis gun'inn for fun'inn. I'm bored!

You two make me laugh so hard my woman asks me if im OK! Then shes sees
im tapping on my cell and says "oh... your chatting with your Ninjee buddies again".

"oh... your chatting with your Ninjee buddies again".

Ol' blue better be laughing with us. He dishes it out, he better take the mirror finish back at him. I wonder how many come in the room asking what just went on, you come here and read thishit.

YOu gotta be taking in the dailies or it won't have that, 'happening' to it. If that makes any sense.

Yeah i know what you mean. Its like little nuggets of fun spread out thru the day... the puzzle... and the banter.
Too bad we cant meet up at the bar on a friday night and do this... i would probably die laughing.