Rear flange bearing failure!

[Yard Hard]

Wanted to add to the long list of premature or whatever it is called(pain in the---I was going on a ride today) Put on new piolt 2's and was just giving the rear bearings a 19,000 mile free check up and low and behold the flange bearings are very rough feeling in the finger twist mod. The outer rear wheel bearing feels nice and smooth but i am not taking a chances. CBR is going to get a request from me on two complete sets of bearings. My question is, after reading all the past history on this, how about the dust sheild replacement and O ring? Every time? Only when damaged?

Looking forward to meeting some of you in my neck of the woods at the Cailf Redwood Park ride.

 

[STark1050]

It's cheap and easy to do. I think it's a poor design but it's something we have to deal with.
--Garry--

 

[Yard Hard]

So, what year rear drive did Honda fix this problem and get around a full blown recall notice. It is kind of like the 2003 Ford Expedition i had that spit spark plugs(was my problem, not Ford's they said)

 

[Mellow]

So, what year rear drive did Honda fix this problem and get around a full blown recall notice. It is kind of like the 2003 Ford Expedition i had that spit spark plugs(was my problem, not Ford's they said)

The year model doesn't matter. Some here will got 100k miles with no need to ever replace their bearings. Some will replace a few times within that span. Most don't have an issue. My 03 had 3 bearing failures in the 1st 40k miles if I remember. My 08 has never had one. I replaced the rear flange bearings @ 15k because of my previous issues but the bearings were fine. The replacements I put in have been going well for 35k.

The key is to check them at each tire change. Just like you check your brakes. They do seem to give you notice, it's rare for them to be good at a tire change and completely fail before the next tire change.

 

[Tom Mac 04a]

they didn't!...prob won't!! tho I haven't heard of a shop not fixing under warranty.

its a simple self check ( or shop check ) during tire changes

 

[Yard Hard]

Just ordered from CBR Bearing will be here in a couple of days. I ordered the complete kit for the rear flange and wheel. I ordered bearing upgrade from them for the flange side. It is a wide bearing that takes the place of the individual two bearing install. Any body with history on how this one bearing upgrade is working?

 

[Tom Mac 04a]

It is a wide bearing that takes the place of the individual two bearing install. Any body with history on how this one bearing upgrade is working?

two or three here have installed it... don't remember who... no long term reports ( so I guess no problems either )

 

[Denba]

I installed the CBR kit a few weeks ago and it went OK. It wasn't the easiest bearing change I ever did, they fit pretty tight. Be sure when you knock out the old bearings in the wheel (not the flange) that you drive each of them out towards the side they are pressed in from. They both have flanges behind them. I was able to move the spacer which is in between the bearings over far enough to reach through with a long drift and hit the bearing on the opposite side. Page 16-10 of the Honda manual has a drawing that shows a cutaway of the hub. The originator of the follwing thread, aa0yy, saved me much grief with his post. Go to https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?91752-Wheel-Bearings-on-the-non-flange-side&highlight=rear+flange

 

[Dinkie Diesel]

Just ordered from CBR Bearing will be here in a couple of days. I ordered the complete kit for the rear flange and wheel. I ordered bearing upgrade from them for the flange side. It is a wide bearing that takes the place of the individual two bearing install. Any body with history on how this one bearing upgrade is working?

Yard Hard, I have one of the CBR upgraded flange needle bearings in my bike. I only have 20k or so miles on it. It is still working like it should. Each time I take the rear wheel off I finger spin it to see if it's still smooth and I pull the inner race and slop a little white lithium bearing grease (Lubriplate 1241) in there. The seal just barely rides on either edge of the inner race. Not very confidence inspiring but it's working!

There are pages and pages of posts covering the flange bearing subject. Here's one you may want to read: Flange Bearing Post

 

[Yard Hard]

Advice and caution always welcome here. Recieved the CBR kit yesterday! Denba, I do see the bearing seats in the wheel hub. I am going to file two slight notch's in the wheel spacer as described by the tool wizard, so next time my punch will have a clear place to get the bearing started. I bought my 04 two weeks after the three year waranty exp and since then it has only been the water hose clamp issues and now the rear flange bearing. Very reliable ride.

Dinkie Diesel, My thoughts as well when i opened the package and the inner race slid right out. Thanks for the brand of grease, i am going to do the same as you on this.

 

[Yard Hard]

I posted a reply to Denba and Dinkie Diesel on 1/14 but i do not see it here. I must not have clicked the post it button ? Any way, i removed the flange hub and the wheel bearings felt butter smooth and with no play at all, so i left them alone. I drove out the flange bearings and the very outside one on the gear side was ruff but had plenty of grease it's mate however was butter smooth. I pushed in the CBR upgrade bearing and it is tight. It does not feel butterly smooth, not ruff but tight. I believe i have a flange hub that is not cut true, i noticed the last 1.5 to 2 mm before the bearing seated that it was taking a slight increase in preasure to push it to it's seat. I will have to keep an eye on this and see if it last any longer then the ones i just replaced.

 

[Yard Hard]

Going for a long ride this week, i have three days off and the Northern Calif weather is setting up to be great. I have ordered from CBR the stock flange bearings that are completely sealed (R2S) To carry with me just in case. CBR Bearing(Charlie) is wanting feed back from there upgraded bearing for the ST's rear flange, i told him i would pass it on. I told him the bearing looks like it will work fine and my bearing fit problem is in my hub, not the bearing.

 

[Throttlejockey]

I'm going to replace my flange bearings when I change out my tires very soon. I have a question about the OEM bearings. I know they are sealed on one side. does the open side get stacked against each other back to back and sealed end facing in and sealed end out on the outer one? I hope I worded that right...

Just curious because I'll be using bearings with seals on both sides.

 

[Mellow]

I'm going to replace my flange bearings when I change out my tires very soon. I have a question about the OEM bearings. I know they are sealed on one side. does the open side get stacked against each other back to back and sealed end facing in and sealed end out on the outer one? I hope I worded that right...

Just curious because I'll be using bearings with seals on both sides.

The open sides are facing each other.

 

[Throttlejockey]

Got it. Thanks Joe!

 

[Throttlejockey]

How come when I check the OEM Honda bearing part # it shows 6204UU and Google search shows sealed both sides?

 

[Throttlejockey]

Oops, never mind. Was looking at wrong #. That's the wheel bearing.

 

[CBR 46]

Hope to do this job over the weekend at 72k km.

 

[dond]

Had a bad bearings on my '03. Because it was under warranty and my dealer was a good one, I rolled the wheel in and they replaced them. I checked their work and they felt the same as the OEM.
I got new ones, did them myself very carefully and they were smooooth and probably still rolling out there somewhere. The VTX 1800 uses the same set up and Honda began selling only the flange complete. Grapevine said there was QC issues with some flanges.

 

[Papa]

Hope to do this job over the weekend at 72k km.

Are going to the single bearing?