Rear wheel bearing seized to axle?

Got a new set of tires, had em shipped to a local bike shop for install. When I went to pick it up, they had installed the front, but told me the rear wheel bearings had seized to the axle. They "hammered" on it, but stopped when they realized there was a possibility they were going to do damage. They said that the rear brake and pipes were in the way, and wanted to avoid breaking stuff to get the wheel off. They believe that either moisture got between the bearings, or the last person to remove it didn't use the proper lube.

Now, they seemed trustworthy-ish, but so far I'm 0 for 4 in terms of shops. I don't trust them, but couldn't install the tires myself. The first time I took the bike to the shop (first week of ownership, I was COMPLETELY new to bikes), I had them check for break delam. I know I could've done it, but like I said, I was completely new and didn't realize this stuff was within my capabilities. So either the shop lied and never checked for break delam, or they didn't use the right lube when reinstalling, OR the shop installing my tires didn't want to risk breaking something on an old bike they didn't want the responsibility of repairing.

Either way--what's my next step? The tire store told me to buy a new wheel and new bearings, and be prepared that my rear breaks are going to get destroyed trying to remove the wheel. This seems extreme, but thought I'd keep my opinions to myself until I have a chance to ask the real experts

 

Unless it was a very long time ago the people you paid to check the brakes probably didn't. Bearings don't seize to an axle over night even without lube.

It's also possible a bearing seized up and welded itself to the axle, although not very likely.

There are three places the axle can be stuck: 1) In the final drive, 2) In a wheel bearing, 3) to the brake panel. If they can turn the axle it won't be the brake panel.

The problem they've got is if they get it out and stuff is broken they can't very easily move the bike around the shop - so they want you to have spare everything so they don't get in that situation.

The axle needs to come out. You've got to decide if you want to take it home and take a big hammer to it or part with the $$ to have it done.

 

Hm, okay. It was about 7 months ago that the brake was "checked."

What do you mean about "turn the axle?" Meaning, does she roll? She does. I am still riding on it.

Considering my limited budget and the horrible treatment my poor bike has gotten from shops in this area, I will opt to do it myself if I can. Problem is, I'm really not sure where to start. I found a couple threads that seem related to me, but I'm not exactly sure. Any good guides or instructions from any of you guys that've dealt with this before? Should the haynes manual be enough to guide me? Also, any special tools that I need to buy (I gotta be prepared, since this is my only form of transportation).

Thanks.

 

No. Does the axel shaft rotate freely. Place bike on center stand. Loosen crown bolt, loosen pinch bolt. Then stick something in the larger hole on the right side to see if the axel will rotate. Try an allen wrench or screw driver that fits.

I cant understand what this checks, but I do believe thats what MiCarl meant. I cant see why the axel wouldnt rotate unless it was stuck in the pinch.

 

First try popping the tire off of the final drive.

Gloves, penetrant, hammer, block of hardwood or piece of aluminum. WD-40 with a long straw is a start for the penetrant.

Remove split pins from both sides
Remove crown bolt from left
remove pinch bolt on the right all the way
Sitting on the ground on left side of the bike and infront of the rear tire, put both feet on tire, and grab the drive shaft and/or bottom of the shock. Push the tire as hard as you can with your feet while pulling with your hands.
Objective is to see if you can get the tire to release from the drive hub.
The axel will slide through the pinch just a little. let us know what happens.

Also try beating on the axel a bit. Spray penetrant in whatever crack you can. Take aluminum, wood or copper, place in front of axel and whack the face of the axel on the side the crown bolt goes with the hammer.
Spray, tap, spray, wait, whack, spray, wait, whack.

Thats how I'd start.
Good Luck.

 

Just checks whether it's stuck in the brake panel. Doesn't make much difference where it's stuck though......

 

Hey Z, can you post some pictures of the wheel and axle. Any idea of which bearing is seized, right side or left side? If the inner race has truly welded itself to the shaft, you are are going to either have to cut something off or depending on which side of the wheel the bearing is seized, you may be able to bust the bearing apart. Before you tear up too much stuff, you may be better off to just buy a new wheel and axle off ebay for $50.00 or so.

 

can't take the wheel off the final drive till the axle comes out, the spacer between the brake back plate and the swingarm has to come out or there's nowhere for it to move.
undo all the brake stuff, threaded rod and brake stay arm,loosen the big axle nut and pinch bolt, now try to spin the axle with the screwdriver in that hole on the end of the axle.
if the brake back plate spins with it and you can't spin the axle without it spinning, you need a lot of penetrating oil and a big hammer.

 

Please forgive me, I have not had a chance to take one of these wheels off yet. If you were able to cut the large portion of the shaft off between the swing arm and the brake drum, the rear wheel should come off, right? With the brake parts removed. A die grinder with a cut off wheel should not have a problem cutting thru the shaft. A person would have to be careful not to cut into the inside of the swing arm. Will the brake shoe plate come off at this point?
My experience with inner bearing races welded to a shaft is that all of the penetrating oil and biggest hammers won't work. I don't really know how much force you will be able to get on it since the bike is basically setting on its side stand or center stand. I have a 20 ton press that doesn't work most of the time. My experience is with 30-65mm i.d. bearings that turn 18,000-24,000 rpms. Usually we bust the bearing apart and cut the inner race off the shaft.

 

Okay, I will give it a shot this weekend and let you know what happens.

 

It may be that the axle is corroded/rusted to the spacer between the bearings.

I would invest in some Kroil. https://secure.cnchost.com/kanolabs.com ... r_hf.shtml Order it today and you'll have it by the weekend. Might save you from breaking something.

 

Its really hard to say what is really suck form what i have read. as Bigfitz said its the rusted spacer. then that s easy cut. If the axle is corroded to the inter bearing get a new axle shaft.. and take your gear hub off where it bolts to the drive shaft if you have one. that will allow you to take the wheel off with out removing the shaft. then slide the hub off. that should allow you to move the spacer if that isn't the frozen. If it is cut it off. if that part slide off it will allow you to remove the brake parts. that will allow you to press the bearing shaftand bearing out a a unit then you will be able to cut the old bearing off. Best of luck

 

Got it. Thanks for the recommendation, I've been using penetrating oil you can pick up at Ace and it seems to suck a lot. Got some Kroil on its way.

 

When you try to drive the axle through back up the right side of the swing arm with heavy dead weight or brace it to a sturdy anchor. Half of your problem will be getting the blow to drive the axle rather than flex the swing arm.

Also, be careful not to mushroom the end of the axle. A hard wood block between the axle and hammer should prevent it.

 

Kroil! That the name of it. Fitz again

Im not so sure unbolting the FD will allow one to remove the wheel.

Polock is right and I was wrong. There may not be enough room to slide the axel because of that washer. I was referencing my assembly which is apart atm.

However, if the wheel rotates, the axel will rotate. The million dollar question is where is this thing seized?

Try the kroil and keep beating. Like MiCarl said, try not to mushroom the axel. Then again, if a good beating that results in the release of the axel mushrooms the axel, then your only looking at a new axel after you cut off the shroom. Maybe some new internals too though?

 

If the axle gets mushroomed it won't pass through the final drive or bearings. If it does mushroom a bit grind it down before trying to drive it through the final drive.

After driving a stuck axle out there is no way I would put it back together without all new bearings and seals. Unless it comes easy you'll probably need an axle too.

 

I agree MiCarl. I was just saying, if you beat the piss out of it and mushroom the head in the process, you'll obviously have to cut off the mushroom to get the axel out of the assembly. Meaning, the axel is now worthless cause you just cut off the end of it

It is a delicate situation because if that occurs and there is no release within then the cost of an axel is added to the cost of whatever will need to be replaced anyways.

Now that I think about it, beating the crap outta the axel and mushrooming the end of it is a minor concern. If the axel ends up being permantly stuck and all options are exhausted, then all that is left is to destroy it to get the wheel off.

Even if the drive shaft is unbolted I cant see the assembly coming apart because of the section of the axel that sits in the pinch. There isnt any play to release the shaft from the FD assembly.

Spray Kroil, wait, and beat.

 

If you loosen the pinch bolt, how much will the swing arm flex? If it is like my Honda, there isn't anything inside the swing arm to catch the large end of the shaft. I say spread the swing arm apart enough to get a cut off wheel or sawsall down in to cut the shaft. This will at least get the wheel off of the bike where you can actually work on it to free the shaft from the bearing. Whether you beat on it or cut it you are going to have to replace the shaft. If you do decide to beat on it don't use wood, get a piece of brass or aluminum to use. And always remember to wear these, safety glasses. 8)

 

we're not sure what's stuck yet, if it is a bearing it might be the first one on here. if you can find another nut that size, screw it on and beat on the nut or turn that one over and beat on it, nuts are cheap. this is why they make brass hammers or a brass dolly bar

 

I had the same problem and ended up burning it off with an oxy-acetelene torch from the brake hup side. Fun!!! Before that I tried heating, hammering, and turning the axle with no luck. I needed to replace the axle and brake hub afterwards. Let us know how it goes.

 

Also, I want to add that I did try soaking it for days with rust penetrant without result. Burning it off was the last resort in my case.

 

it's always good to keep a few of these around for this sort of thing

 

Whoa! Taking over the patio every weekend to tear my bike apart has put me on thin ice with the wife already. Pretty sure explosives would push her over the edge...

Just looking through the manual to be prepared. Providing I CAN get things apart, what kind of lube do I need for the bearings when putting it back together?

 

I use marine grade grease on the axel.

 

Is it possible to remove the shocks, swingarm and drive shaft from the drive assembly and then remove the wheel/drive/brake assemble as one piece? Then work with removing the drive and brakes without damage?
A seized bearing can be removed from a axle without damaging the axle by busting the bearing assembly and cutting the inner race off the axle with a saw, cutting wheel or chisel. Use a chisel to bust the bearing by placing the chisel between the races and drive the balls out with a hammer providing you can get to it of coarse.

 

This is a good point. If it won't come out, and you have to resort to major destruction, then you likely will have several parts damaged. Remove the swingarm/wheel assembly whole and it will be much easier to disassemble it...or destroy it, which ever happens first. Removing the whole assemble it how I took mine apart, and put it back together. Then I torqued everything down properly.

 

8O Sweet.

 

Use the HOLE Drilled through the Axle.
BOLT a Short Length of CHAIN to the Axle.
Attach a SLUGGING HAMMER to the Chain.

Use the SLUGGING HAMMER to Dislodge the Axle.

Rub the Bolt through a Washer.
Add the Chain.
Run the Bolt through the Axle.
Attach other-end of Chain and Washer.
Secure with a Nyloc Nut.

Attach Slugging Hammer.
Pull all slack out.
Begin sliding Hammer until Axle loosens.

 

That would works except the bearings are in the wheel, which are blind bores. There is no where for the bearings to go. Depending on the bearing orientation that you may not be able to separate them that way.

After looking at my 650, you wouldn't even need to spread the swing arm, the large portion of the axle shaft is completely exposed. Personally, I would give it a couple of good whacks, then go get my die grinder and cut the axle in two. If you cut it back really close to the washer, you could grind what's left of the shaft back to that washer and the brake plate should come off.

 

have you tried to heat up the bearing with a propane torch to make it it alittle large. just a thought

 

I would cut through the axle, both sides with a recipricating saw & get it on the bench.

 

Mrbug, I was talking about getting to the bearings after removing the wheel/drive/brake assembly(if possible) without damaging the axle. Then disassembling the brake side or drive side, exposing the wheel bearings. Then destroy the bearings which will need replacing anyway and saving the axle if the axle isn't damaged.

 

Use a Slugging Hammer.

Hook-up the Axle and "Yank" it out.

Pre-load the Impact.
Pull the Rod TIGHT before Sliding the Hammer Weight.

Also:

Buy a Hardened Hex Nut to fit the Threaded-end of the Axle.
Start the Nut on the Threads.
Have someone Strike the NUT with a 15 Lb. Hammer while you administer the Impact to the Slugging Hammer.

 

Heating with a propane torch could help. Removing the entire swingarm/drive assemble sound like a good idea too.

 

Cut the Axle.
Get the Wheel and Brake off the Bike.
Use a Hydraulic Press to free the seized axle.

 

Zhalbert, is the axle stuck in the brake hub or?