Author Topic: What's that noise? (Read 3753 times)

Swamp Rat · « **on:** May 25, 2006, 11:45:46 AM »

So I'm riding to my co workers house for the commute to work. I stop at the light light turns green,ease out the clutch and I hear a kind of popping sound. The sound went away once I shifted to second. Came to a stop again and again hear the same popping sound when accelerating in first gear. At the next stop I put it in nuetral and reach down to check the chain...a little loose but not bad. I decided I'll snug it up a bit when I get home in the morning.

I get home the next morning pull into the shed and put her up on center. I pull the pen loosen the axle adjust the wheel and snug it back and give the wheel a spin for good measure. Hear more crunchy sounds HMMM lets try this again. Loosen everything up re-adjust and snug back down again. Give the wheel a spin and still a crunchy sound and the wheel is binding up a bit. So I pull the wheel off put the axle back in and spin it while holding it in my hands [ the wheel that is]. Binding crunchy sounds. Crap!, wheel bearings. Only 10 grand on the OD seems a little soon for bearings to me but something didn't get torqued down right somewhere along the line.

Maybe they messed up on the tire change or maybe it was me last time I tightened the chain.

Dealer said it could have been worse because I caught it soon enough and I would only need a bearig change for about $100 total. I can live with that. He said a guy came in with a bike a few weeks ago that had been riding on bad bearings for a few days and ended up replacing bearings hubs,axle and wheel for about $1100.

I should be getting a call today to pick the wheel up. I'm jonesing bad...been about a week since last ride besides that...the Hemi is killing my wallet.

Just remember it aint always the chain.

Sven · « **Reply #1 on:** May 25, 2006, 12:06:54 PM »

These kind of stories always set me on edge a bit. As a non-gear-head, I can only imagine not even knowing something is wrong and having to pay half the bike's value just to get it fixed.

jbrough7 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 25, 2006, 12:13:08 PM »

Just send it cross the border, sven, and I'll fix you up for free!

Sven · « **Reply #3 on:** May 25, 2006, 12:25:06 PM »

Quote from: jbrough7

Just send it cross the border, sven, and I'll fix you up for free!

You're such a bud for making that offer!

...But can I get it from someone who knows what they're doing instead?

gyrogearcrunch · « **Reply #4 on:** May 27, 2006, 10:57:38 PM »

Good LORD! $100 to replace wheel bearings??? This ain't brain surgery, buddy! You can get wheel bearings for $10 per set (or so). They done seed y'all comin' bro'!

All you need is a caliper (the measuring kind) to get the inner and outer diameters and width of your bearings, then get on the horn to JC Whitney.

Don't ever be this dumb again, or I'll likely come over and take your beer away!

Herb

Quote from: Swamp Rat

SNIP

So I pull the wheel off put the axle back in and spin it while holding it in my hands [ the wheel that is]. Binding crunchy sounds. Crap!, wheel bearings. Only 10 grand on the OD seems a little soon for bearings to me but something didn't get torqued down right somewhere along the line.

Maybe they messed up on the tire change or maybe it was me last time I tightened the chain.

Dealer said it could have been worse because I caught it soon enough and I would only need a bearig change for about $100 total. I can live with that. He said a guy came in with a bike a few weeks ago that had been riding on bad bearings for a few days and ended up replacing bearings hubs,axle and wheel for about $1100.

I should be getting a call today to pick the wheel up. I'm jonesing bad...been about a week since last ride besides that...the Hemi is killing my wallet.

Just remember it aint always the chain.

Swamp Rat · « **Reply #5 on:** June 04, 2006, 01:38:05 PM »

Just an update,
I wish I had done the repair myself. 2 weeks and still no wheel. I stopped by the dealer as I was passing by thinking it should be ready but NNOOOO! they got the wrong damn parts in and they still don't have the right ones yet.

Anything else I need done to the Bandit will be done elsewhere from here on out. After the $80 oil change I should have learned my lesson with those people. I'm a slow learner I guess but I have learned. I'll let y'all know when I get the wheel back and how much it ends up litening my wallet.

P.S. Gyro I don't drink much beer but true punishment would be to take away my coffee pot

Farre · « **Reply #6 on:** June 04, 2006, 03:24:07 PM »

the rear wheel bearings are indeed very cheap and easy to replace. Unless your into the cushion lever, those sizes seems to be special, i couldn't find it in the SKF catalogue

So now my bike, totally, prepped is waiting for 4 bearings! Gah!

gyrogearcrunch · « **Reply #7 on:** June 04, 2006, 10:40:42 PM »

"Stealers" are everywhere - it's "Dealers" that are hard to find. I like to visit different places when I need parts for El Bandido. I look for 3 things: - Is the part in stock or is it available in less than a week? - Is the price reasonable? Is the parts counter staff knowledeable and courteous?

What you ought to do is to check the yellow pages for "Bearings" or "Ball Bearings". Many cities have specialty bearing shops. This is where all the mechanics go for the bearings they use on repairs. I went to a place in Morristown, NJ, for a set of flanged bearings needed in an ancient Sears' jigsaw. They had 'em, and the place was literally crammed with mechanics buying bearings. I never heard the parts guys say "No, we don't have it" or "we can't get it". Amazing! By the way, the jigsaw runs like new 15 years later.
Finally, NEVER let a mechanic install a bearing by directly tapping it with a hammer. Many bearings are ruined during installation that way. Always use a piece of tubing or a socket that's the same as the bearing OD (Outside Diameter) between the bearing and the hammer. Absolutely NEVER try to seat a bearing by directly tapping around the outer edge of the bearing. Also, wet the bearing and the bore it's going into with 3-in-one oil. Some bearings are chamfered only on one side: This side goes in first. The Haynes manual has a lot of info in chapter 6 on wheel bearings.

Herb

P.S.: Coffee will drive you insane. One beer helps the work go better when fiddling with machinery.

Quote from: Swamp Rat

Just an update,
I wish I had done the repair myself. 2 weeks and still no wheel. I stopped by the dealer as I was passing by thinking it should be ready but NNOOOO! they got the wrong damn parts in and they still don't have the right ones yet.

Anything else I need done to the Bandit will be done elsewhere from here on out. After the $80 oil change I should have learned my lesson with those people. I'm a slow learner I guess but I have learned. I'll let y'all know when I get the wheel back and how much it ends up litening my wallet.

P.S. Gyro I don't drink much beer but true punishment would be to take away my coffee pot

MrBAMcClain · « **Reply #8 on:** June 05, 2006, 12:47:28 AM »

Swamp Rat....dude you should have called me for $80 I woulda packed the bandit full with everything needed and rode to B.R. myself and had you ready to ride in 20 mins....Good Lord man

But on a serious tip, when I get my smuggler seat, hopefully this week I'm gonna ride that way maybe we can hook up for a ride

Swamp Rat · « **Reply #9 on:** June 05, 2006, 11:30:56 AM »

At this rate it may not be ready by then.

Swamp Rat · « **Reply #10 on:** June 08, 2006, 11:08:38 AM »

Second update,

I got the wheel back yesterday after waiting 2 1/2 weeks. On a plus note the dealer only charged $85 instead of $128 because of the extended wait. I thought he could have done better but it was better than nothing.

I got the wheel home and imediately installed it and went for a test ride ie;shorts and tennies. Ah, squid heaven. Just to the end of my street and back and I'm the last place on a dead end road. I'm going to go for a ride this morning befor it gets too damn hot for the old HJC lid. I was sweatin my ass off yesterday afternoon for the test ride. I despise summers down here.