Topic: $3.29 Wheel Bearing Driver

[JBMorse]

My favorite thing about hardware stores is that people rarely use the various bits of hardware for their intended purposes!  This weekend I was in need of something to bang in my new wheel bearings for the rear wheel on my CB500.  I didn't have any sockets big enough, couldn't find any scrap lumps of pipe or other appropriate metal things.  So I broke down and made a trip to the hardware store. 
I planned on buying a short length of iron pipe, but then discovered a coupling that fit just right.



It's a 1.25"X1.5" iron pipe reducer.  It just happens to fit the outside races of the 6304 and 6305 bearings. 




Best of all, it was only $3.29! (US Dollars!)  So hopefully I saved some people some dollars and/or frustrations! 
Cheers
Jeremy B

[mystic_1]

Not too shabby!

Hmm, you could probably get some more adapters/reducers, plus a short threaded nipple, and make a whole bearing driver set for all the bearings on the bike.

mystic_1

[Johnie]

I just lay the old bearing over the new bearing and tap it in. But you have a nice idea there.

[JBMorse]

I just lay the old bearing over the new bearing and tap it in. But you have a nice idea there.

I had considered using the old bearings to drive the new ones in, but I thought that tapping on the inside races could damage the new bearings.  And I didn't see any way of dismantling the old bearings to separate the races. 
Did you just concentrate your tapping on the outside races of the old bearings, or somehow get them apart? 

[MCRider]

Yeah I blindly followed the tradition of using the old ones over. and tapping around the outside. Almost always good for smacking a finger once in a while.

I'd prefer something bigger to hold onto.

[Johnie]

I just lay the old bearing over the new bearing and tap it in. But you have a nice idea there.

I had considered using the old bearings to drive the new ones in, but I thought that tapping on the inside races could damage the new bearings.  And I didn't see any way of dismantling the old bearings to separate the races. 
Did you just concentrate your tapping on the outside races of the old bearings, or somehow get them apart? 

Correct, I just concentrated the tapping on the outside races of the old bearings. Been doing that with car and bike bearings since the 70's. Not to say there may be better ways to do it, I just stay with what worked for me.

[Laminar]

I used a 27mm socket and 4" extension.

[Johnie]

You just have to be careful with what size thing you pound on in that rear hub or you could bugger up the retainer ring threads.

[wildcatmahone]

Good job! Easy with the hammer honestly the plumbing section of Home Depot has saved my ass many times...

[BobbyR]

I Like using PVC unions and the like. 

[CycleRanger]

I Like using PVC unions and the like.

Yeah, PVC is both cheaper and safer.  It's hard enough to drive the bearing but softer than the metal.