Front Wheel Removal and Bearing Replacement

In order to remove the front wheel you need to have the bike on a secure platform or raised in the with the weight shifted to the back! The last thing that you want to have happen is the front crashing down on you without the front wheel attached… this will be an expensive mistake. You can use the pictures found here: Jackup points on the Scarver for ideas or to see how i do my maintenance on the motorcycle when it needs to be in the air.

The front wheel removal in fairly simple once the bike is in the air.

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loosen up the two torx bits that are facing the front of the bikeDSCN1859.jpg
now get a 17mm socket and a screwdriver with handle that will allow you to counter hold the axle on the other side while you are loosening up the bolt holding the axle in the front forks. DSCN1860.jpg
With the bolt removed wiggle, twist and turn with the screwdriver on the other side and pull at the same time. DSCN1861.jpg
The axle should come out without any issues. You might have to hold the front wheel up some since it will drop and cause a pinch condition which will make it harder to pull the axle out.DSCN1862.jpg
With the axle removed pull out the wheel towards the front and remove the small spacers so you dont loose them.

Installation is in the reverse order however to make it easier for yourself do the following:

clean and grease the axle up with brake caliper grease or any other high temp grease
also spread the brake pads so its easier to reinstall the wheel once you have to insert the rotor back into the caliper assembly.

once you have everything back together squeeze the front brake lever several times… and by several i mean several times like 20ish or so! This will make sure that you are seating the pads correctly back onto the rotor!

good luck!

Front Bearing replacement by Daily Rider

Yes, you should be able to do it yourself. First, take a screwdriver or a tire iron and pop out the outer dust seal on each side. The bearings have a collapsible ring around the inner spacer, it doesn't collapse much, just enough to get a drift on the bearing. I use a 1/2" round bar to both collapse the ring and remove the bearing. You just put the bar where the axle goes, and put it in so it's just short of the bearing on the opposite side, you then take a mallet and whack the bar on the free end to cock the bearing spacer sideways. This might take a few tries, because the collapsible ring is pretty stiff. After you get the spacer cocked enough to get your 1/2" drift behind the inner race of the bearing, you're ready to remove the bearing. A MOST IMPORTANT STEP!!!! Use a heat gun and warm up the wheel hub, this takes a while, because the heat radiates out into the entire wheel, heat it until the center of the wheel is nice and warm. After it's nice and warm, start tapping out the offending bearing, tap it out a little at a time and move around, so the bearing comes out straight, tap in one spot, then go 180 degrees from that spot and tap there.

If you're only replacing one bearing, after you get the bearing out, clean out the center of the wheel before installing the new bearing. After the hub is clean, put a light coat of grease on the bearing seat, straighten the little collapsible ring on the bearing spacer and drop the spacer in the hub. Heat up the hub again with your heat gun, after it's nice and warm, slide the new bearing on the front axle, hold the bearing on the axle and stick the axle through the spacer and the other bearing, until the new bearing rests on the wheel hub. At this point, DON'T knock the new bearing in with the axle, instead, find a driver just slightly smaller than the outer bearing race and tap the bearing in place. The axle serves to keep the bearing from cocking and damaging the wheel hub. Once in awhile, you'll find a hub that's a little loose, and you can push the bearing into the hub by just pushing on the axle, that's OK, just don't beat it in that way, because you'll damage the new bearing.

Now if you're doing both bearings, the procedure is a little different. You knock out the first bearing the same way, but leave the other old bearing in place. When you go to install the first new bearing, leave the bearing spacer out and use the axle to align the bearing the same way and tap the new bearing in place. Now, take your drift and knock the other old bearing out, it's much easier now, because you don't have the spacer in your way. When installing the second bearing, don't forget to install your spacer first and then install the second bearing with the axle the same way, you did the first one. Install some new dust seals and you're good to go. A HEAT GUN IS A MUST FOR THIS JOB, don't even start the job without one, DON'T use a propane torch or anything like that, you'll end up damaging the wheel, it must be a slow even heat. Any questions, just yell and I'll try and make it a little clearer. Have fun! It's really an easy job.

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