druz
10-30-2014, 02:36 PM
In my build thread I quickly went over repacking my front wheel bearings so I thought I would create a little more detailed how to for any one looking into doing it. It is a fairly simple process with only basic tools needed (no press). You can repack your current hubs if they are still in good condition, or if yours are already shot like mine then you can find some cheap new hubs and repack those. The whole point is to use a high quality synthetic grease that will tolerate the high heat created from heavy brake use on the track, or simply replace the crappy grease found in cheap hubs. Amsoil Dominator is the preferred grease for most track junkies, although lots of SM folks use Redline CV2. You can look into replacing the ball bearings with higher quality G10 spec bearings which are ~$25/100, or even Ceramic coated ones if you want to drop the $10/ea. Just be sure to measure the bearings that came in your hub. I've read that most are 13/32", but mine were 3/8".
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-uJFZTcEGxmA/VE1QFcq5N1I/AAAAAAAACBY/TSk01M_eC9s/s800/1024142154.jpg
I started with Rockauto's "Value Pro" hubs which were $30/ea. They have heat treated races that some of the even cheaper hubs may not, ymmv.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-nMDP1MaRp2o/VE1P7ShnekI/AAAAAAAACA4/iajhu95lTqE/s800/1024141412.jpg
The hub is made up from 2 sets of ball bearings, each within their own inner and outer race. I'll call them the front and rear with the front being the outside and the rear being the inside.
First find some pennies or similarly sized washers and place them between the 2 inner races. There should be enough play to easily slide them in.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ROCNgMjLSFs/VE1P-7sW80I/AAAAAAAACBA/YAPyC-Jmn78/s800/1024141416.jpg
Find an appropriately sized deep socket, around 19mm, and drive the front inner race out with a hammer. Then use a small screwdriver to gently pop out the front ball bearings from their cage. Obviously don't scratch the outer race.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-mMe9Y2A9mag/VE1QDmxuwCI/AAAAAAAACBI/k87mjhpYu_Q/s800/1024141420.jpg
After you remove all the bearings you can pull out the cage. Then flip it over and support it up somehow (I used 4 deep impact sockets) and then use a larger socket, say the 29mm you will need to remove the hub nut, and you can drive out the rear inner race. On mine, the race, bearings and cage and rear seal all came out together. You may need to drive your seal off seperately if your hub has the seal that is covered by a lip from the race. Be sure to keep the front and rear sets separate.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HjT7BxmriJ0/VE1QEtn70XI/AAAAAAAACBQ/7BW4rhOfD8o/s800/1024142113.jpg
Now clean, clean, clean everything to get the old grease off. Acetone or WD40 works well on metal parts but don't use it on the plastic cages or the seal. As such, those pieces take forever to clean, but you don't want to contaminate your new grease.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-N4wv4hCovtI/VE1QKBWwtAI/AAAAAAAACCA/RPHu3ppKdjI/s800/1025142044.jpg
Install is the reverse. Put the rear bearings back into their cage and grease them up. Then place them back into the outer race. Use your hammer and socket to glenty tap the lightly greased inner race back in and replace the seal.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KlbrlwVDDlY/VE1QGf-UZbI/AAAAAAAACBg/FQ31fjAizx8/s800/1024142208.jpg
Getting the front bearings back in is a bit more difficult. Grease up the cage and place that back in. Then pop the bearings in one at a time. However since the cage doesn't really sit against anything you need to hold it from the back to line it up with the front outer race. Grease up the bearings before you put them back in.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ivBtwJ0vJ4M/VE1QHiof-jI/AAAAAAAACBo/RuuiELCTk8g/s800/1024142219.jpg
Once you get them all in, pack it well with grease.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-eQQ6_S5NKTI/VE1QIXziQ7I/AAAAAAAACBw/e-MNMmHcr5g/s800/1024142224.jpg
Then gently tap the inner race back in using the socket and you're all done.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ucIqhD3AM4I/VE1QJUFF_PI/AAAAAAAACB4/m-KJUPZ9tZc/s800/1024142230.jpg
This write up isn't super detailed, but hopefully you will be able to fill in any blanks if you're attempting something like this.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-uJFZTcEGxmA/VE1QFcq5N1I/AAAAAAAACBY/TSk01M_eC9s/s800/1024142154.jpg
I started with Rockauto's "Value Pro" hubs which were $30/ea. They have heat treated races that some of the even cheaper hubs may not, ymmv.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-nMDP1MaRp2o/VE1P7ShnekI/AAAAAAAACA4/iajhu95lTqE/s800/1024141412.jpg
The hub is made up from 2 sets of ball bearings, each within their own inner and outer race. I'll call them the front and rear with the front being the outside and the rear being the inside.
First find some pennies or similarly sized washers and place them between the 2 inner races. There should be enough play to easily slide them in.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ROCNgMjLSFs/VE1P-7sW80I/AAAAAAAACBA/YAPyC-Jmn78/s800/1024141416.jpg
Find an appropriately sized deep socket, around 19mm, and drive the front inner race out with a hammer. Then use a small screwdriver to gently pop out the front ball bearings from their cage. Obviously don't scratch the outer race.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-mMe9Y2A9mag/VE1QDmxuwCI/AAAAAAAACBI/k87mjhpYu_Q/s800/1024141420.jpg
After you remove all the bearings you can pull out the cage. Then flip it over and support it up somehow (I used 4 deep impact sockets) and then use a larger socket, say the 29mm you will need to remove the hub nut, and you can drive out the rear inner race. On mine, the race, bearings and cage and rear seal all came out together. You may need to drive your seal off seperately if your hub has the seal that is covered by a lip from the race. Be sure to keep the front and rear sets separate.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HjT7BxmriJ0/VE1QEtn70XI/AAAAAAAACBQ/7BW4rhOfD8o/s800/1024142113.jpg
Now clean, clean, clean everything to get the old grease off. Acetone or WD40 works well on metal parts but don't use it on the plastic cages or the seal. As such, those pieces take forever to clean, but you don't want to contaminate your new grease.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-N4wv4hCovtI/VE1QKBWwtAI/AAAAAAAACCA/RPHu3ppKdjI/s800/1025142044.jpg
Install is the reverse. Put the rear bearings back into their cage and grease them up. Then place them back into the outer race. Use your hammer and socket to glenty tap the lightly greased inner race back in and replace the seal.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KlbrlwVDDlY/VE1QGf-UZbI/AAAAAAAACBg/FQ31fjAizx8/s800/1024142208.jpg
Getting the front bearings back in is a bit more difficult. Grease up the cage and place that back in. Then pop the bearings in one at a time. However since the cage doesn't really sit against anything you need to hold it from the back to line it up with the front outer race. Grease up the bearings before you put them back in.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ivBtwJ0vJ4M/VE1QHiof-jI/AAAAAAAACBo/RuuiELCTk8g/s800/1024142219.jpg
Once you get them all in, pack it well with grease.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-eQQ6_S5NKTI/VE1QIXziQ7I/AAAAAAAACBw/e-MNMmHcr5g/s800/1024142224.jpg
Then gently tap the inner race back in using the socket and you're all done.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ucIqhD3AM4I/VE1QJUFF_PI/AAAAAAAACB4/m-KJUPZ9tZc/s800/1024142230.jpg
This write up isn't super detailed, but hopefully you will be able to fill in any blanks if you're attempting something like this.