Topic: Front wheel axle spacer question

[rheilman]

Hi there,  halfway through the first wheel bearing change on my 74 CB550.  After much persuasion managed to coax out the old bearings, and I have the correct replacements from Z1.

 My hangup involves the axle spacer!

 It seems to me that the axle spacer is longer than the distance between the shoulders on which the bearings seat.  Or put differently, I have one bearing installed, have re-inserted the axle spacer, and now the top of the spacer is higher than the seating area of the second bearing...

 Do I just drive the bearing in as far as the axle spacer allows it to go?  Will this in effect drive out the first bearing?  Are the bearings meant to go in all the way to the shoulder/seat/lip, or do they sort of float above the shoulder...

I hope I have described my conundrum clearly enough for anybody who might have an answer.

Thanks in advance

[Kevin400F]

The outer race of the bearing on the side with the threaded retainer is "fixed", and should be driven in against the hub shoulder, then secured with the threaded retainer.   The outer race of the other bearing "floats" in the hub bore.  The spacer tube fixes the distance between the INNER RACES when the axle is installed and properly tightened.

Allowing the outer race of one bearing to float prevents the bearings from binding with expansion/contraction due to temperature changes, etc.

Kevin

[rheilman]

Thanks Kevin, Ive got them in properly now!