removing wheel bearings?

[PoltArt]

I want to get my F4i rims powdercoated and the guy said he needs me to remove everything on my own. SO I wanted to see if anyone knows an easy way to remove the bearings and whatnot from the rim without buying the special tool for the job? I would like to be able to reuse them as well so it would be nice to go with a safe way.

[lee majors]

get a steel rod about 1/8 inch or so in diameter. doesn't hurt to grind a flat surfaces in the tip. that way you have 2 points to work with. take a map torch or propane torch and heat the rim LIGHTLY around the bearing. now put the rod down through one bearing and cock it sideways and down until you feel it catch on the bearing on the other side. hit it lightly with a 20oz or so hammer and it will tap right out. take the spacer sleeve out. flip the wheel around and the last one is easy to get to. just lightly heat the outside of the rim again and it will come right out.
the tip of the steel rod should look kinda like this so that 2 points will contact the bearing.

[Stubbz63]

if your gonna reuse them you'll want the motion pro to help remove them without any side loading from beating them out.

you can use a small cylinder propane torch to heat up the outside hub area of the wheel then take a screwdriver or something and try to shift the center spacer over so you have a lip of the bearing to catch onto from inside, then use a drift or something similar to pount them out moving side to side and all around lil by lil. it'll take some beating to get them out this way, ive done a bunch of them but usually always replace them with new ones when i do. i have the motion pro tool on the way cuz its a good investment but between that and heating up the hub area a little they should come out way easier and may be ok for reusing them. there tuff bearings but beating them out the screwdriver way i deff wouldnt try to reuse them unless they come out super easy.

[Stubbz63]

http://compare.ebay.com/like/2711710...Types&var=sbar

heres what i just ordered but hasnt arrived yet, should be in today. fairly cheap but good investment considering bearing kits run about 50+ to replace front and back. gonna do my buddies and cousins wheels with it and see how easy they come out cuz they wanna try to reuse them also. so instead of buying bearing kits just buy the tool and you'll be good to go forever

[PoltArt]

Thanks for your help guys. I will see if I can safely bang them out, if not maybe it might be a good thing to just change the bearings as it's an 02 f4i and it will be a street bike so I would like it to be in great shape. Let me know if that product works though! If it does I will have to get one myself.

[Stubbz63]

oh it does, i checked with johnnyp and he's had good luck with it so far, but if i remember ill post up in a cpl days cuz i might be doing some real soon.

[STLZACH04]

I am getting my wheels powdercoated too and i just took mine out the other day. I rented the pilot bearing puller from autozone and it worked like a charm. They charge you 160 dollars when you borrow it but they give you all the money back when you take it back.

[PoltArt]

Stubbz, I ordered one, I should be able to pick it up by 4pm though lol. So tonight hopefully I will test the tool!

Really? So they just let people borrow it for free? That's sweet!


Oh side question, since people are helping me. Whats a good way to remove f4i tire valve? I never had to do that before but I assume I need to remove that as well for powdercoating.

[Lolletroo]

Just cut the valve with a knife and pull it out. Dont think theres really anyway to get it out in one piece. Even tho you should still get a new one for it.

[DavidGray]

I persisted the same problem of removing tire valves. Later on all stuff worked well. Bike rides better when got new wheel bearings. It also rolled like a charm for mine too.
________________
calvin klein eyewear for bike riders