New Rotor / Wheel Bearing ?
 

I'm installing a new set of RUSLOW rotors & Hawk pads (Front/Rear) on 02 Harley Screw with low mileage (< ~2K). The new rotors have the bearing races installed,... so the ?'s I have are:

1) Do the bearings & races have to be a new matched set ?
(ie; both new & sold as a set?)
2) Can I use my old bearings (inner / outer rollers with less than
2K miles) with the new front rotor / races?
3) Can I just inspect / clean / repack & install (with new grease
seals) my current bearings ?

Thanks in advance.
Paul

I replaced my rotors a couple of days ago, so hopefully i can help.

Speaking from a safety standpoint, I highly recommend getting new bearings and seals. If your new rotors are larger in diameter than your O.E. rotors, it's a no-brainer. It'll only cost around $30 and you'll know exactly what you're working with. If you can afford to upgrade your braking system with new rotors at all four corners, you're whizzing in the wind if you don't install new bearings and seals. It would be a shame to have to replace those rotors again if those original bearings should fail or seize up on you.

Thanks Percy:)

1. I've never seen them sold as just the bearing or just the race. All the ones I've seen come in matched sets, new bearing and new race.

2. Yep.

3. Yep.

Clean 'em up good with mineral spirits or something (while I don't recommend it, yes, gasoline works okay too), repack them, install new seals, reset the bearing preload and you'll be good to go.

How do you set bearing pre-load?

The way I do it, tighten the castle nut while spinning the rotor in the opposite direction that you're tightening. Spin it, tighten the nut until the rotor stops, won't take much. Back off, spin it, tighten again until it stops. Back the nut off about half a turn and you're there.

1) No, it's not absolutely necessary. Most people don't. That being said, when replacing the bearings in a hubbed rotor, I have always popped the races that came with it out and replaced the entire set. Just makes me feel better about it.

2) Yes

3) Yes.

To torque them, the service manual calls for three steps: 30, 17-24, then 17.

-Joe

The manual does say 30, 17-24, then 17 for the torques, but that last 17 is in in-lbs, not ft-lbs. The procedure in the manual is: torque to 30 ft-lbs while spinning the wheel, loosen nut 2 turns, torque to 17-24 ft-lbs while spinning the wheel, loosen nut 175 degrees, then tighten to 17 in-lbs while spinning the wheel.

Indeed, it's 17 In*lbs, not ft*lbs..... I think the bearings would last about a mile before seizing at 17 ft*lbs LOL!

-Joe