Wheel bearings

[AndyD]

Hi,
Looking to fit new bearings in the front and back wheels and see there is a special tool needed for each of them.
Is there a DIY workaround solution or is the only (sensible) solution another squeeze on the wallet?

Cheers,
Andy

[motty]

Text removed as not relevant

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[Bryanj]

The job can be done without the special tools if you are carefull.
You MUST drill out the "stakings" you can see where the threads are to a depth of about 6mm.
If you can use heat and penetrating oil on the thread.
For the front wheel cut a piece of steel to fit accross two opposite grooves and use a big spanner on the flat steel sticking up.
Havent done a 400 rear for many years so can remember exactly but something similar, it may be a LH thread on the rear

[AshimotoK0]

What I did was got a piece of steel rectanguar bar that is a snug fit into the front wheel alloy  bearing carrier and gripped that with a drill vice to get a decent purcase on it. Make sure on both bearing retainers that you drill out the stakings otherwise you are on a hiding to nothing. On the rear one I drilled two holes in a fairly long flat steel bar on the same centres as the two opposite holes in the retainer that a pair of hard steel pins were pressed into them. The two pins were a fairly tight fit in the retainer holes. You need to hammer out the bearings from the opposite side after heating the hub a bit with a blowtorch with a drift (I use a brass one) . When you press in the new bearings only press on the outer race. Of course there are special tools for all of this, and I now own some of them but this how I did it back in the day. Bound to be others that have an opinion but this worked for me. A drift with a bit of a lip on the end is useful too. Of course only use the removal mehod described if the bearings are being replaced as hammering on the inner race ruins it. The 400/s have a RH thread.

[mattsz]

I just changed the rear wheel bearings in my '77 400 about a month ago.  I didn't have access to much of what is described above, but I do have an aluminum drift - just a piece of aluminum round stock about 3/8" diameter and about 6" long, with one end I shaped to fit at an angle into the holes in the retainer.  I drilled out the stakes and applied penetrating oil and let it rest for a day or two.  Then I used a heat gun and heated up the hub around the retainer for a number of minutes, and used the drift with a hammer.  It came off readily - although the working end of the drift got a bit mangled, the retainer survived basically unscathed.  I was able to reuse the retainer after installing the new bearings.

Ash is correct, mine was a good ol' right-hand thread.  I didn't change the front bearings, but I have some at the ready...

[AndyD]

Thanks
I'll have a go next day or two.
Saw special tools on eBay but at around £40 hoped there would be an alternative - I love buying tools but not 'single-use' ones that'll just sit in a drawer for years.
Interesting that workshop manuals don't mention the staking, just to simply unscrew the retainers!
Cheers,
Andy

[waffey]

Hi AndyD,

i've not long removed my rear wheel bearings. I made a tool of what was to hand, a flat bar and a couple of bolts. See the pictures below.

I bought new wheel bearings from RS Components.

Hope that helps.

PS. I didn't doing any staking!

[AndyD]

Thanks again,
Had a look at the wheels (have a few to choose from!) and will see which bearings need replacing.
Is the staking where holes have been punched around the edge of the retainer?
If so is that just to prevent the retainer coming loose and does anything similar / alternative need doing when new bearings are fitted?
Cheers,
Andy

[Bryanj]

Yes it is just to secure the retainer and should be re done