So far NOT so good

EMTBSEAN

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Feb 20, 2020
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Well today I’ve finally been able to start the bearings replacement on my bike, the job itself had been going well until I came to removing the main pivot bearings, the none drive side knocked out easily enough but the drive side bearing just disintegrated into tiny pieces, and to add insult to injury the only piece left in my bike is the outer bearing race, I’ve been on eBay and bought a tool designed to remove the offending piece, I bought from the company I bought the extraction and insertion tools, I’m preying it works but in the mean time my bike is in bits in my workshop 😢
 

seamarsh

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May 7, 2019
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usa
Sounds like you waited too long for bearing service... yeah been there! I'd take it to a pro before you go any further.. let someone else stress over it.
 

Doomanic

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You want a set of these;

1681076333469.png


www.amazon.co.uk/YUAN-Bearing-Puller-Remover-Internal/dp/B07DXKRB4V
 

EMTBSEAN

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Sounds like you waited too long for bearing service... yeah been there! I'd take it to a pro before you go any further.. let someone else stress over it.
Your right I did mate, I didn’t realise how bad they were, in fact they weren’t bad, the only bad bearings were the main pivot bearings, believe it or not the other bearings were in remarkably good condition, I’ve ordered the outer bearing race extractor now, when it arrives I’ll have another crack at it, if that fails it’s Dremmel time 😉
 

RustyIron

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Jun 5, 2021
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the drive side bearing just disintegrated into tiny pieces, and to add insult to injury the only piece left in my bike is the outer bearing race,

Well... yeah... that's a thing that happens sometimes. This is a perfect example of why you want to beat on the outer race, rather than the center, when seating new bearings.

Once challenges occur, the trick is to not only solve the problem, but to do it without buggering it up even worse.

Maybe your eBay tool will do the trick.
Maybe Doom's slidehammer will do the trick.
The Dremel will definitely solve your problem. The trick is to be careful to cut just the bearing race without touching the bike.

Be gentle, be deliberate. You'll be able to fix it.
 

EMTBSEAN

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Feb 20, 2020
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Well... yeah... that's a thing that happens sometimes. This is a perfect example of why you want to beat on the outer race, rather than the center, when seating new bearings.

Once challenges occur, the trick is to not only solve the problem, but to do it without buggering it up even worse.

Maybe your eBay tool will do the trick.
Maybe Doom's slidehammer will do the trick.
The Dremel will definitely solve your problem. The trick is to be careful to cut just the bearing race without touching the bike.

Be gentle, be deliberate. You'll be able to fix it.
I totally agree with you with regards to beating on the outer race rather than the inner but unfortunately the bearing outer race is tight up to inner sleeve inside the frame making it impossible to access the outer race, I’ve been very careful indeed fitting the new bearings using plenty of grease but also careful to remove what’s surplus, there are shield washers to protect the bearings but the last thing I want to do is attract grit to the new bearings, one thing is for sure I won’t leave it as long before I change them again, even though the other bearings were still turning freely and not notchy at all 😳
 

steve_sordy

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Nov 5, 2018
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Lincolnshire, UK
One piece of advice I would give when it comes to hammer time. It is FAR better to use a big hammer gently applied than a small hammer applied with force.
Reason: You can exert more control with a big hammer gently applied than you can with a herculean smash with a small hammer.
 

maynard

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
One piece of advice I would give when it comes to hammer time. It is FAR better to use a big hammer gently applied than a small hammer applied with force.
Reason: You can exert more control with a big hammer gently applied than you can with a herculean smash with a small hammer.
Are we still talking about bearings?
 

steve_sordy

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Nov 5, 2018
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Are we still talking about bearings?
Knocking bearing races out, gears off shafts, anything that needs the application of force in the absence of a press.
I would add the following: When the Allen key, lever arm, C wrench, chain whip etc will not respond to hand pressure, then a large hammer applied slowly and firmly will always do the job better than a smaller one hit hard. The big hammer will do less damage to the object it is striking too! :)
 

EMTBSEAN

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Knocking bearing races out, gears off shafts, anything that needs the application of force in the absence of a press.
I would add the following: When the Allen key, lever arm, C wrench, chain whip etc will not respond to hand pressure, then a large hammer applied slowly and firmly will always do the job better than a smaller one hit hard. The big hammer will do less damage to the object it is striking too! :)
Nice one Steve, thanks for your feedback mate, I have a Park tool hammer that so far has proven perfect, it managed to knock out the none drive bearing no problem, my stuck outer race tool should be here by Thursday or Friday, in between now and then I’ll treat it to some penetrating oil, I don’t think it’s going to do it any harm, thanks also to everyone else who has offered advice, it’s much appreciated I can tell you and I mean it too 🙏
 

Mikerb

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May 16, 2019
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I totally agree with you with regards to beating on the outer race rather than the inner but unfortunately the bearing outer race is tight up to inner sleeve inside the frame making it impossible to access the outer race, I’ve been very careful indeed fitting the new bearings using plenty of grease but also careful to remove what’s surplus, there are shield washers to protect the bearings but the last thing I want to do is attract grit to the new bearings, one thing is for sure I won’t leave it as long before I change them again, even though the other bearings were still turning freely and not notchy at all 😳
Were the bearings up a gainst a bearing spacer sleeve or a machined recess? If it is bearing spacer sleeve it should move out the way enough to access the outer race. What can stop it moving slightly out of the way is if both bearings are still in place hard up against each end of the sleeve..............but you have already removed one bearing, so the other reason is for dust etc to have accumulated on the outside of the sleeve. Flush that out and it should move.
Obviously if it is located a gainst a machine recess it will need a blind puller to get it out .
 

EMTBSEAN

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Feb 20, 2020
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Were the bearings up a gainst a bearing spacer sleeve or a machined recess? If it is bearing spacer sleeve it should move out the way enough to access the outer race. What can stop it moving slightly out of the way is if both bearings are still in place hard up against each end of the sleeve..............but you have already removed one bearing, so the other reason is for dust etc to have accumulated on the outside of the sleeve. Flush that out and it should move.
Obviously if it is located a gainst a machine recess it will need a blind puller to get it out .
Yeah unfortunately it’s tight up against a machined shoulder Mike, there is a sleeve inside the frame tube, that moved out of the way no worries, the tool I’ve bought is from the same company I bought the other tools from and they performed flawlessly so I’ve got as much faith in this tool as I have in the others 👍 there was also an accumulation of dust inside the frame tube too, if there’s enough room I’m going to fit another internal tube to reduce the risk of any more dust getting in, thanks for your reply Mike 😉
 

EMTBSEAN

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Try some heat. A kettle full of boiling water is usually a safe option for bike frames
I have a heat gun which I’ll have it on low heat, not sure about hot water as it’s just above the motor, thanks for your suggestion though mate 😉
 

EMTBSEAN

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It’s not so much the mess as my workshop has a tiled floor, I’m more worried about the electronics of my bike, if it wasn’t an ebike it’d be a viable alternative, thanks anyway mate 😉
 

Mikerb

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 16, 2019
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Another hack!!
Find/buy a spacer that has a diameter that will fit snugly ...............superglue/araldite JB weld it to the bearing outer race and leave for while to set. Or just use a section of bolt cut to a size that will span the diameter and glue it. Then bash both out from the other side.

e.g a 2p coin slightly reduced fits into the outer casing of a 6902 bearing, and 2 glued together would be strong.
 
Last edited:

Dax

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 25, 2018
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FoD
I think they mean by heating it the alloy frame will expand quicker than the bearing outer race
As alloy will expand quicker than steel (y)

Gotta be careful heating alloy, doesn't take much detemper it.

At this point Id either pull it out with a slide hammer, or take it to the bike shop 😂
 

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