Topic: wheel bearing brands

[eldar]

Ok so I have been trying to source some timkens for my wheels around my area. So far, nothing. I did run across a brand called  NTN.
They were quite expensive though.

The 304 was $18 each
the 305 was 21
and the 302 is 11.  Seems kinda pricy for bearings.

So does anyone know about this brand or an online source that is cheaper and I can get known good bearings?

[c_kyle]

I've heard All Balls mentioned here before, but do not have any experience with them.  You can get them from Dennis Kirk.

[Jonesy]

I just put NTN bearings in my back wheel, which I reinstalled tonight. Mine were a bit pricer, but I popped for the "electric motor" grade, which is supposedly the highest quality. I pulled 30+ year old NTN's out. I tried to get Timken's per HondaMan's suggestion but they really only do tapered roller bearings now.

The PO put Koyo's in the front (found in many aftermarket wheel bearing kits), so far they seem OK.

I'll let you know how they ride.

[Wheelhorse77]

I have found myself in the same predicament with my 77 F2.

I adopted it just last year, got it running, balanced carbs, and am about to throw some new spitfires at it and figured I would replace the bearings while I was at it.

Does anyone have anything good to say about the All Balls bearings from DK?

I did a search and most seem to use the All Balls for the steering conversion.

[hymodyne]

jonesey,

how did you get the wheel bearing retainer of the rear wheel?


hym

[Jonesy]

For the sprocket hub, I first drilled out the dimples in the threads (there so the cap won't work loose). I drilled just past them, no deeper. This has to be done for both caps.

I placed two pin punches into a set of holes opposite each other. While holding the tops of the punches with one hand, I placed a large screwdriver between the two and used it for a lever to turn the bearing cover.

For the bearing retainer in the wheel hub, I loosened the retainer by tapping the indents with a brass drift and a hammer, although this deformed the cutouts in the retainer a little bit. Once I unscrewed it enough so the edges of the cap were above the surrounding hub, I used a piece of bar stock (out of the scrap bucket at work) that was wide enough to fit in the slots. Pressing down while turning held it in place until it began to unscrew easily. It was tough, but I got the job done.

[bryanj]

NTN and KOYO are both OEM suppliers to Honda so they should last the same

[bgfootball67]

I went with ALL BALLS Bearings for front and back as well as a tappered set for the steering neck.  Anybody actually running these, feedback? 

[Wheelhorse77]

I went with ALL BALLS Bearings for front and back as well as a tappered set for the steering neck.  Anybody actually running these, feedback? 

I'm curious to see how the All Balls hold up. I have read through about two hours of bearing posts only to discover that Timken is not what it used to be and no longer makes ball bearings, and OEM is not as good as it should be so don't buy those.

I've basically discovered that you need to have a sealed bearing, both sides, and go to a reputable bearing distributor with my OEM bearings and they will hook me up. I have also read that I need to be careful because even if a bearing uses a reputable name it may not be level 5 for quality and made in China with sub-par standards.

With the number of queries that I have seen in regards to bearings, you think we would have a sticky that would give numbers, where to purchase, and a testimony of how they held up. I saw a few people can still buy Timken ball bearings, but that seems to be far and few.

Now in my searches, I have seen dated posts about some bearing numbers, but are those still valid and then, are they still obtainable.

If we could have something like this: it would save from numberous posts.

1) Bearings to meet your CB needs.

Year, Size of bike, Model K or F, Wheels Spoke or Com, 

2) Front 2 bearings and Rear 3 bearings and part numbers, where purchased for what amount
miles log'd so far on current bearings.

All parts needed to complete, things to watch for, how to properly set the bearings.


I've been on different forums for about 7 years now and in order to cut down on redundant posts it really helps to establish stickys.

[stueveone]

I also tried the Timken route, for the front end of my cb750k4 but found that my supplier couldn't even order them. They recommended Axis bearings, which they said were the highest quality for that style, and that many of the shops in the area (seattle) were also getting turned on to them. Oddly enough, they are manufactured in CHINA! I immediately questioned their quality, and salesperson told me that China is the next thing in bearings basically. He used the analogy of Japan, in that at first, Japanese bearings were pretty crap, but, over time, their technology improved. Same with China, he said, they put their profit back into technology so they are cutting edge. I took a look at the FAG and Axis side by side, and the Axis had noticeably finer tolerances and was "tighter" than the FAG. So, I  bought them, and installed them. I'll let you guys know how they turn out. 

[Jonesy]

According to the guy at the bearing dealer, NTN bearings are made from Japanese steel (supposedly ranked third best in the world) and are manufactured outside of Chicago. They run them for a number of hours and ultrasonically test them before letting them out the door.

The NTN numbers for a CB 750 with spoked wheels are:
Front Wheel: 6302LL (2)
Rear Wheel: 6304LL (2)
Sprocket Plate: 6305LL (1)

("LL" is the code for double-sealed bearings)

As I stated earlier, Timken doesn't do ball bearings anymore...

[formasfunction]

Anyone know how I'd go about finding the NTN numbers for my 75 CB550K1?

[mrbreeze]

I went with ALL BALLS Bearings for front and back as well as a tappered set for the steering neck.  Anybody actually running these, feedback? 

I'm curious to see how the All Balls hold up. I have read through about two hours of bearing posts only to discover that Timken is not what it used to be and no longer makes ball bearings, and OEM is not as good as it should be so don't buy those.

I've basically discovered that you need to have a sealed bearing, both sides, and go to a reputable bearing distributor with my OEM bearings and they will hook me up. I have also read that I need to be careful because even if a bearing uses a reputable name it may not be level 5 for quality and made in China with sub-par standards.

With the number of queries that I have seen in regards to bearings, you think we would have a sticky that would give numbers, where to purchase, and a testimony of how they held up. I saw a few people can still buy Timken ball bearings, but that seems to be far and few.

Now in my searches, I have seen dated posts about some bearing numbers, but are those still valid and then, are they still obtainable.

If we could have something like this: it would save from numberous posts.

1) Bearings to meet your CB needs.

Year, Size of bike, Model K or F, Wheels Spoke or Com, 

2) Front 2 bearings and Rear 3 bearings and part numbers, where purchased for what amount
miles log'd so far on current bearings.

All parts needed to complete, things to watch for, how to properly set the bearings.


I've been on different forums for about 7 years now and in order to cut down on redundant posts it really helps to establish stickys.

Sounds good to me Wheelhorse.....a simple buy these bearings....install them this way kind of post.....that would end all of the confusion. Great idea!!!!

[Wheelhorse77]

According to the guy at the bearing dealer, NTN bearings are made from Japanese steel (supposedly ranked third best in the world) and are manufactured outside of Chicago. They run them for a number of hours and ultrasonically test them before letting them out the door.

The NTN numbers for a CB 750 with spoked wheels are:
Front Wheel: 6302LL (2)
Rear Wheel: 6304LL (2)
Sprocket Plate: 6305LL (1)

("LL" is the code for double-sealed bearings)

As I stated earlier, Timken doesn't do ball bearings anymore...

I'm hoping to get my bike up on the jack this week and hopefully I can make it to my local bearing dealer shortly thereafter.

I will inquire about the NTN bearings and see if I can get some numbers for the 77 F2 with the ComStar rims.

I plan on replacing the front two and the rear three.

As far as making a sticky, we would need a moderator to make that happen.

[Wheelhorse77]

I went with ALL BALLS Bearings for front and back as well as a tappered set for the steering neck.  Anybody actually running these, feedback? 

I'm curious to see how the All Balls hold up. I have read through about two hours of bearing posts only to discover that Timken is not what it used to be and no longer makes ball bearings, and OEM is not as good as it should be so don't buy those.

I've basically discovered that you need to have a sealed bearing, both sides, and go to a reputable bearing distributor with my OEM bearings and they will hook me up. I have also read that I need to be careful because even if a bearing uses a reputable name it may not be level 5 for quality and made in China with sub-par standards.

With the number of queries that I have seen in regards to bearings, you think we would have a sticky that would give numbers, where to purchase, and a testimony of how they held up. I saw a few people can still buy Timken ball bearings, but that seems to be far and few.

Now in my searches, I have seen dated posts about some bearing numbers, but are those still valid and then, are they still obtainable.

If we could have something like this: it would save from numberous posts.

1) Bearings to meet your CB needs.

Year, Size of bike, Model K or F, Wheels Spoke or Com, 

2) Front 2 bearings and Rear 3 bearings and part numbers, where purchased for what amount
miles log'd so far on current bearings.

All parts needed to complete, things to watch for, how to properly set the bearings.


I've been on different forums for about 7 years now and in order to cut down on redundant posts it really helps to establish stickys.

Sounds good to me Wheelhorse.....a simple buy these bearings....install them this way kind of post.....that would end all of the confusion. Great idea!!!!

It's the same with a lot of forums, you see the same question asked over and over and over and you get tired of it cluttering up the boards.

Create a sticky. Show a how to for installs, parts, tools required, suppliers, things to watch out for/becareful of, and testimony of miles that users update their original posts to keep the sticky a reasonable length. If a better solution is discovered, then usually a moderator in charge updates the posts.

Common CB interests seem to be:

Bearings
Shocks-- 13, 12, 11 inch
Chain- O ring vs X and 630 vs 530
F series heads melting guides buring valves, set the clearance to .004 on the exhaust
Tires, sizes, tubes or no tubes, liners for spoked rims.

Heck Even an official Hondaman the best of series.


I am sure there are some other hot topics spread throughout but this is what I could think of for the moment.

[Jonesy]

Common CB interests seem to be:

Bearings
Shocks-- 13, 12, 11 inch
Chain- O ring vs X and 630 vs 530
F series heads melting guides buring valves, set the clearance to .004 on the exhaust
Tires, sizes, tubes or no tubes, liners for spoked rims.

Heck Even an official Hondaman the best of series.

Many of these (including the HondaMan stuff) are already compiled the FAQ's.

[Wheelhorse77]

Common CB interests seem to be:

Bearings
Shocks-- 13, 12, 11 inch
Chain- O ring vs X and 630 vs 530
F series heads melting guides buring valves, set the clearance to .004 on the exhaust
Tires, sizes, tubes or no tubes, liners for spoked rims.

Heck Even an official Hondaman the best of series.

Many of these (including the HondaMan stuff) are already compiled the FAQ's.

You know, I often receive these kind of answers when I bring up a subject of defining parts.

I just breezed through the facts section and someone was kind enough to post links for some parts but overall I still rank it nebulous at best.

I believe that most on here would like to see something clear and concise as far as ordering parts.

I.E.  If you have a 630 chain and you wish to modernize to a newer 530 with exceptional tensile strength that exceeds an older 630 chain

You need

Front sprocket-- part #
Rear sprocket-- part #

(Sprocket related) If you wish for more top-end run a front sprocket # with a rear sprocket # --some of this was in Hondaman's posts.

Chain 530 x 88 in a DID # RK part # in o-ring and X-ring respectively if obtainable by manufacture

Costs associated

Where to purchase for best price.

Best of Hondaman has some very useful and beneficial knowledge, I spent a good 30 mins reviewing the "best of series" but after reading through the post, some of it is dated---like the ordering of Timken bearings.

Time is a precious resource nowadays and I would love to see a streamlined approach for fellow aficionados to access valuable information at a click of a mouse button, not two hours worth of clicking.

[Jonesy]

I understand ya now. It sounds like what you are really getting at is some kind of subject-based search function within the site. There are so many ways the info can be organized and there is a lot of it!

[Wheelhorse77]

I just wanted to update some folks that I chose the ALL Ballz route from DK; both front and rear.

Upon inspecting the new bearings, I removed one of the dust covers only to find a very mininimal grease level in the bearings; I mean MINIMAL. I grab'd my Mobil fully synthetic grease rated to 450F and packed the bearings and re-installed the shields. Granted there is a little bit of leakout after putting 500 miles on the bearings, but atleast I know that the bearings won't starve. I want to ride the bike for many more years before having to replace the bearings.

It was so bad the the old bearings had more grease in them than the new bearings.

[newcomtd]

I understand ya now. It sounds like what you are really getting at is some kind of subject-based search function within the site. There are so many ways the info can be organized and there is a lot of it!

A knowledge database of sorts...I am an Information Systems major at the University of Cincinnati; this could make an interesting independent study project.  Does anyone think this would be worth the effort?

[Wheelhorse77]

If you can get credit for it, it would be worth while.

I have recently come to the sorts of 836 kits experiencing excessive crankcase pressure and the other hot topic seems to be jet sizes for certain upgrades.

Search button does work, but you have to read through countless posts that may or may not be entirely related to the topic you are looking for but because it contains the word in the query, it pops up.

[puppytrax]

Why do some of you think that Timken no longer makes ball bearings??   

[Bodi]

"Why do some of you think that Timken no longer makes ball bearings??"
- their catalog has no standard ball bearings
- the largest bearing dealer in North America told me so

[tbone]

For the bearing retainer in the wheel hub, I loosened the retainer by tapping the indents with a brass drift and a hammer, although this deformed the cutouts in the retainer a little bit. Once I unscrewed it enough so the edges of the cap were above the surrounding hub, I used a piece of bar stock (out of the scrap bucket at work) that was wide enough to fit in the slots. Pressing down while turning held it in place until it began to unscrew easily. It was tough, but I got the job done.

Jonesy, I use a home made brass drift (1/2" square key stock) with a slight angle (@5 to 10 deg.) on the drive end. That way the force of the blow is applied to the bottom of the cutout too and not just the top edge. They seem to distort a lot less.

[puppytrax]

"Why do some of you think that Timken no longer makes ball bearings??"
- their catalog has no standard ball bearings
- the largest bearing dealer in North America told me so

That's odd...I've been ordering (and receiving) Timken bearings for my Honda wheels from AW Bearings in Texas with no problems...    (Last order received was a couple weeks ago)

Maybe they just have a well-stocked warehouse...