Yeah, I’ve actually had that. The race and the spacer wouldn’t move at all. Had to push the bearing back out a bit. Sadly, this wasn’t the cause for the drag.
This does bring about another question - how do you know when to stop pushing the bearing in? I thought you just bang it in until the sound changes, which is what I did, but evidently that was a bit too far.
Had no issues taking out the old bearings - all I used was a flat-bladed screwdriver and a hammer. The getting the new ones in was my issue. Going to get this tool for that (£22): https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01FSCKXP6
@Boris That’s the way to do it, do what you can or what you want to do and hand the rest over to a workshop. If I was a gambling man I’d wager 75% of what you’d pay a workshop to replace the bearings from start to finish would be for removing and refitting the wheel.
I do the same with tyre fitting. Take the loose wheel and new tyre into a my local garage where they fit, balance etc in exchange for a brown beer voucher.
So, I’m a bit confused. How tightly is the spacer tube between bearings supposed to sit?
And, if it is tight then I would assume it would be hard to turn the inner race of one of the bearings with a finger when it’s essentially attached to the spacer and the bearing on the other side? Would that be an issue? I take it when you tighten the axel this happens anyway?
Generally you drift in one wheel bearing until the outer race is fully seated, the inner race spins. Fit the distance collar (spacer tube), drift in the other wheel bearing until it’s inner race is fully seated on the distance collar. When the wheel is fitted in the swinging arm and the axel bolt nut is tightened the inner distance collar and outer wheel spacers keep the wheel bearings fully seated while allowing the inner races with the distance collar to spin freely.
But should the inner races be spinning together with the inner distance collar maintaining constant contact with it (almost as if they were all one piece)?
i use one of these to get the old bearing out
tighten it up and hit it from the opposite side & just use treaded bar and some large plates to pull the new one back in
The Haynes manual just says:
“Install the right-hand bearing first. Ensuring the bearing is fitted squarely and all the way into its seat, then turn the wheel over, install the bearing spacer, then the left-handed bearing.”
So, not exactly detailed.
Watched a couple of youtube videos but all they mention is to keep the spacer centred when putting the bearing in. Delboy says that the spacer should be touching both bearing inner races but not too tightly here:
I thought I could just push both bearings all the way in until they both sit completely on the lips of the hub. But feels like the bearings might then be hugging the spacer too tightly.
Delboy has it right, the bearings and distance tube shouldn’t be too tight although it all tightens up when you torque the axel nut. The inner distance tube holds the bearings apart, the outer wheel spacers hold the bearings in the wheel. If the inner distance collar is jambed between the bearings you may experience difficulty in inserting the axel bolt, trial fit the axel bolt before fitting the wheel to check the inner distance tube is positioned correctly.