ST1300 - Possible Front Wheel Installation Problem

When the bearings are replaced in the front wheel, the order of installation is important. Get it wrong and the front wheel will not be on the centre line, and this may affect steering and the performance of the braking system.

The issue is to do with the fact that the distance collar (that fits between the two bearings inside the hub) is longer than the distance between the two shoulders inside the hub of the wheel.
If the left bearing is driven in first it will end up being slightly too far to the right of the bike and this will displace the right hand bearing when that is driven in. As a result, the front wheel will be positioned too far to the right.

The diagrams show the cross section of the hub, bearings and axle, viewed from the front of the bike.

In the top diagram, the right hand side bearing shown looking from the front of the bike on the left of the diagram has been installed first and is seated correctly against the (green) shoulder in the hub. This is the correct way of installing the bearing. The left hand bearing is then driven in with the (blue) spacer in between. This does not sit on the shoulder in the hub. It seats with its inner race on the distance spacer (blue), a little way from the shoulder (green). To help distinguish when the wheel is off the bike, the side with the pulsar ring is the right hand side.

The red dotted line is the centre line between the forks. The black arrows indicate where the centre line of the hub, wheel and tyre sits.

Please note that the diagram is shown when viewed from the front of the bike - as per the manual.



The bottom diagram shows what might happen if the left hand bearing is wrongly installed first. The left bearing is now seated on the (green) shoulder in the hub, and the right hand bearing is held away from the right hand shoulder by the (blue) distance spacer. The arrows on the green hub are in the same position, but the entire hub, wheel and tyre have been moved towards the left fork leg.
This may present issues with the clearance of the calipers on the brake disk rotors - but the front wheel is now marginally out of line.
I haven't taken any measurements to produce these drawings, and the distance involved may be only a mm or two. I don't know. But I do know that the workshop manual makes the point in text and on diagrams about installing the right hand bearing for the front wheel first, until it is seated.

There must be a reason for that, and I don't know what effect on ridability this has. Maybe some. It will certainly affect the relations hip of the caliper brackets to the brake disc/rotor.
I am merely pointing out how the wheel ends up off centre if the bearings are installed in the wrong order.


(nb The rear wheel has similar issues, but for the rear wheel, the manual says to install the left hand bearing first).

You may be onto something here but like the service manual, I wish the two of you would have drawn things with the "right" side to the right where it belongs. It could be confusing in that looking at only the drawing it appears as though the left bearing is driven in first. They also don't point out that the "right" side is also the side where the pulser ring would mount on ABS model bikes which would make things clearer. Thanks for taking the time to point out the misalignment issue if the left bearing is driven in first.

I am opening up for assumptions here. Most that have made comment about the pull to the right or left was after a tire change. Not a wheel bearing change.

Your diagrams and text on the correct procedures is very important when changing bearings and may have an effect on pulling, and proper clearances to the rotors and ABS ring if you have that. I too will echo Byron's comment on drawing with right on the right.

I have changed my front bearings once and I can admit that I did not read the manual, but just seated one to the bottom of the rim and the second one to the spacer. Must have gotten lucky, as I do not experience pulling either direction.

Sounds like neither of you have ever worked on a Harley Davidson before
In most the the HD service manuals, identify right/left as standing in front of the bike and looking at it head on.
Even the brake rotors, are clearly stamped (left) on the right side when seated on the bike, and (right) on the left side when seated on the bike.
From a tech's point of view, its not their bike, so they don't sit on them

Thanks for posting this, I learned something new. Like Kevin, I've replaced wheel bearings in the past with nary a thought to the correct sequence. Maybe I've also just gotten lucky?

The Honda Common Service Manual certainly states "Right and left bearings have a specific installation order. Refer to the model specific manual for which bearing to install first." My ST1100 manual states right bearing first, as does the ST1300 and my VFR800Fi. Just for contrast the VTR1000F manual states to do the left bearing first.

Thanks for the info

ok lets git this right / standing in front of Bike looking at head light is the right and left sides .

I can clearly see which side has an axle bolt into the axle and which side does not.

Right and left, with respect to a vehicle, is normally determined from the position of the driver's seat.
Rarely is that is not the case.

Andrew Shadow said:

Right and left, with respect to a vehicle, is normally determined from the position of the driver's seat.
Rarely is that is not the case.

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Since I see more HD's on the road than almost any other bike (BMW's included, and I ride with a BMW club) it's not so rare. Most cars and even airplanes use the same convention (side is from the perspective of whoever is in the front seat). Owners of planes are prohibited from doing most maintenance work on their aircraft so to me, Larry's explanation doesn't work.

SMSW said:

...……………... Owners of planes are prohibited from doing most maintenance work on their aircraft ………...

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This is new to me. Got any supporting documentation/link?

I'm a fan of PORT and STBD. Everybody else can argue for their own convention.

Whooshka said:

This is new to me. Got any supporting documentation/link?

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You have to have A&E certification/license - or so I have been told. Owners can do the work if an A&E mechanic signs off on the work. Minor stuff is ok w/o the mechanic.

SMSW said:

You have to have A&E certification/license - or so I have been told. Owners can do the work if an A&E mechanic signs off on the work. Minor stuff is ok w/o the mechanic.

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That does not mean an owner/pilot is prohibited from working on his own plane. He can do all the work he wants including building a aicraft, but it needs to pass an inspection for it's air worthyness certificate.

Whooshka said:

That does not mean an owner/pilot is prohibited from working on his own plane. He can do all the work he wants including building a aicraft, but it needs to pass an inspection for it's air worthyness certificate.

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Sure, but building an experimental aircraft is way different than doing your own maintenance. From what I have heard, the inspections are quite rigorous, and ex. aircraft follow some different rules than commercially made airplanes. Most of us here do our own wrenching on our motorcycles. Much of that would not be legal w/o a licensed mechanic signing off on the work were we all aircraft owners. Again, the rules are somewhat different on experimental airplanes regarding maintenance.

My response has nothing to do with experimental craft. Although you are correct in there are different rules for them. How about the guy restoring his grandfathers 1960 something Piper Cub? Or the crop duster in the mid west? They work on their own planes and it's absolutely allowed, not prohibited. BTW, I work for the FAA.

Anyway that's the last thing I'll say. Sorry for side tracking the thread.