Bearing Source Please

As my 2004 RT closes in on the magical 100k mark, I'm thinking about replacing the front wheel bearings. They may go another 100k and I have no immediate issues, but something I just feel like doing in the coming months.

Can anyone recommend a source for the 2 high quality bearings. (FAG, SFK, perhaps?)

(no Chinese knock-offs please) and maybe where to get the bearing puller and seal?

thanks very much,

RPG

As my 2004 RT closes in on the magical 100k mark, I'm thinking about replacing the front wheel bearings. They may go another 100k and I have no immediate issues, but something I just feel like doing in the coming months.

 

Can anyone recommend a source for the 2 high quality bearings. (FAG, SFK, perhaps?)

 

(no Chinese knock-offs please) and maybe where to get the bearing puller and seal?

 

thanks very much,

 

RPG

Afternoon Rick

I have always used BMW supplied bearings (even then one might be from overseas).

It's been a while but last time I went looking to match those bearings up they weren't much cheaper from motion Ind. than from BMW.

The bearing sizes are in the BMW parts book as well as the bearing number for the deep groove angular bearing side bearing.

As for a bearing puller & installer?-- If you are lucky you might get the center bearing spacer to move just enough to get a long drift in there to drive the far side bearing out (once one side bearing is removed the other side will drive right out)

If you can't move the spacer enough then you can easily make a bearing remover with a bolt that fits one of the bearing center holes with a deep V slot cut into the bolt. Just drop the bolt in from one side, then set bolt head on a hard surface, then reach through from the other side & drive a big screwdriver into the V slot to expand the bolt to firmly grab the bearing center hole. Now just lift the wheel upright & drive the bearing out. (heat the wheel hub before driving bearings out)

Or if you have a welder just weld a nut or washer to the bearing center then run long rod through from the other side & drive the bearing out.

For a driver you can use the old bearing outer races as good functioning drivers.

I searched for an alternative source a while back, and if I recall correctly, one of the sizes was difficult to source. (the left and right are two different sizes... which for the life of me I can't figure out why)

I just ended up buying them from the BMW dealer.

The larger one is a FAG X-life 3205-BD-2HRS-TVH (I think this was the one that was hard to find)

The smaller one is an NTN 6204LU. But it has no markings on the metal surfaces -- just on the seal -- so you need the dimensions from the BMW parts fiche.

Obviously, both are sealed on both sides.

I searched for an alternative source a while back, and if I recall correctly, one of the sizes was difficult to source. (the left and right are two different sizes... which for the life of me I can't figure out why)

I just ended up buying them from the BMW dealer.

 

.

Morning tvpierce

The bearings are different because the BMW uses an angular (thrust) bearing on one side to handle the front wheel side loadings.

It seems that the BMW design team and/or BMW engineering feels that BMW riders will ride their product hard enough to require side thrust load control on the front wheel.

Or, possibly BMW thinks the PTTR puts enough continuous side loading on the front wheel to require lateral bearing loading protection.

I guess the good part about one side thrust control is that it allows the off-side standard ball bearing to kind of float laterally so heating or cooling of the wheel hub doesn't effect bearing life or cause a loose or tight bearing.

Hi Dirtrider and typierce,

Thanks for the information. Looks like I'll be buying from BMW. Although expensive, the peace of mind is worth having the correct parts in place.

RPG

As my 2004 RT closes in on the magical 100k mark, I'm thinking about replacing the front wheel bearings. They may go another 100k and I have no immediate issues, but something I just feel like doing in the coming months.

 

Can anyone recommend a source for the 2 high quality bearings. (FAG, SFK, perhaps?)

 

(no Chinese knock-offs please) and maybe where to get the bearing puller and seal?

 

thanks very much,

 

RPG

I'm curious why you have decided that 100K miles is the change point for the front wheel bearings, but not for any of the bearings that REALLY have to work for their living? It seems money and work for no reason. Front wheel bearings are an easy bearing to test for wear each time you have the wheel off. Whereas so many other bearings in the bike are impossible to check until they have failed.

As my 2004 RT closes in on the magical 100k mark, I'm thinking about replacing the front wheel bearings. They may go another 100k and I have no immediate issues, but something I just feel like doing in the coming months.

 

Can anyone recommend a source for the 2 high quality bearings. (FAG, SFK, perhaps?)

 

(no Chinese knock-offs please) and maybe where to get the bearing puller and seal?

 

thanks very much,

 

RPG

 

I'm curious why you have decided that 100K miles is the change point for the front wheel bearings, but not for any of the bearings that REALLY have to work for their living? It seems money and work for no reason. Front wheel bearings are an easy bearing to test for wear each time you have the wheel off. Whereas so many other bearings in the bike are impossible to check until they have failed.

sure Andy, I can test the bearings next time I remove the calipers, but I admit to not having done that in all my tire changes. It's more peace of mind than anything else. I DO check other bearings from time to time (swingarm pivot, rear end for play,front Telelever arm, etc., etc.) And I'm looking forward to pulling the bearings and re-painting the wheels over the winter anyway.

I grew up in Detroit. We like to wrench on 'sheenery.....LOL

I understand how you feel but there is always a risk that you damage something changing out a perfectly good bearing. If it is a known replacement/wear item go ahead, otherwise do a spline lube or a crown bearing change or something like that.