Rear wheel fitment - help ??
 

just received my 1991 851 rear wheel back from a dealer, after having new cush drive rubbers fitted. Due to a communication fault, the dealer first changed the rear wheel bearings in the rear wheel (how you can confuse changing the bearings with the cush drive is beyond me, 'specially when the new cush drive rubbers were in deloivered in a bag with the wheel.......). On offering the wheel up to the swinging arm and bolting it in, the wheel now locks up solid and will not rotate !! The wheel was free to rotate before it went away. On examination it appears to be the aluminium rear brake caliper bracket that is binding on the rear wheel hub - specifically the RHS bearing housing. All the spacers are in place as they should be. What i'm thinking is that they have driven the bearings too far in the hub thereby preventing the necessary spacers etc from contacting on each other when assembled ?? Any advice will be greatly appreciated as i now have shiny new chain and sprockets on, but am unable to rotate the wheel when it is tightend up.

The bearings sit up against a spacer that runs in between them. Make sure this isn't trapped.
Also check the spacer on the left hand side is the correct way round, taper inwards.

Two pictures to show position of bearings in rear wheel

On my 888 there is no spacer on the LHS. I noticed this when Fordie and me changed the rear sprocket. I was expecting there to be a spacer just like the one on my ST, but there wasn't one. I was certain that nothing dropped off when we changed the sprocket but, just in case, we spent about 10 minutes looking all over the garage floor then decided that it didn't have a spacer in the first place.

When the wheel is back in place there is only about 2mm clearance between the sprocket bolts and the swingarm. However, I've asked loads of 888 owners and ex owners and this tiny clearance is normal (I still don't like it mind you).

Obviously, the sprocket bolts are seated in the cush drive. Could it be that the cush rubbers are seated a bit proud (or maybe the wrong ones) and the bolts are now fouling the swingarm - wouldn't take much to take up that 2mm or so clearance....only 2mm or so in fact.

You can't drive the bearings in too far - there is a shoulder in the wheel.

The bearings aren't sitting proud of the wheel are they, as you can get 17mm ID bearings in 12 and 14mm widths........?

Tell us where you are jonesey, and there might be someone near that can take a look or let you look at their bike.

Do not leave the spacer between the swing arm and sprocket carrier out. It transfers the clamping load from the swingarm to the inner race of the sprocket carrier bearing. Without it the clamping load is going straight to the inner race of the wheel bearing. In other words without the spacer the sprocket is being held in line purely by the interference fit of the sprocket bearing.

Thanks for the replies guys. The spacer on the LHS is in place, taper facing in towards sprocket carrier. The long spacer between the two bearings is in place. On Douglas 851 pictures, the bearing is shown flush with the end of the hub. Comparing that to mine (see pictures) my bearings are approx. 4mm in the hub ?! Douglas851 - can you see the number on the bearings and let me know ? The bearings i have in are marked 6203 which is 40mm OD, 17mm ID and 12mm thick. However, a 62203 bearing is 40mm OD, 17mm ID and 16mm thick !! I'm assuming the dealer has read the nos. incorrectly and put a thinner bearing in, which causes the wheel to lock up. I've contacted the dealer to see if he still has the old bearings in the rubbish bin so i can check the numbers.........

Just had a quick look in the 888 manual I downloaded the other day; it mentions a spacer between the bearings but, I can only see a sleeve - looks very similar to my 900ss setup - I had this problem myself and has Nelly mentions it was becase I had the tapered spacer the wrong way around.

I'll try and add some screen shots

Frank

You have the wrong bearing in. Take it back to the dealer and tell him to fix it. Then ask him where the hell his mechanics got there trade papers! Off the back of a Cornflakes box I'd say.

Griff

oops - didnt see your pictures.

I agree with Griff - the picture tells its own story - I can see where the bearing housing has been rubbing against the swing arm / calliper carrier....obviously wrong even to a muppet like me !

Jeez....how can any mechanic not look at that and think summat's wrong.

Now about this spacer, my ST has a conical spacer that fits big diameter to the swingarn, small diameter on the inner race of the bearing. I expected to see the same on my 888 when I took the wheel off fo the first time, but there wasn't one :eek:

It came from the dealer like that and there hasn't been one in place for 3000 miles...sounds like I've led a charmed life. Anybody got a part number ???

The dealer is adamant it's nothing he's done and there must have been a problem before ! W*nker ! I've got hold of a part number 71410371A which should be the correct bearing. Can anyone confirm that this part number is a 62203 bearing ? 'Cos i can get them free through work, which is obviously cheaper than getting them through a ducati dealer.....

can't confirm the number but a friendly reminder for re-assembly, the left and right gold end caps are different, the lhs one has been machined to clear the sprocket nuts.
note, ignore me if you knew this already!!
cheers,
paul.

Had what could be the same issue with mine - If you buy bearings from any Duc dealer now for your 851 or T8, either front or rear, there should also be a spacer which is placed into each side of the wheel before the bearing is pushed home. This as the bearings are now thinner.
The dealer up here didn't order up the spacer kits, which are just zinc plated steel rings, when I installed the 1st bearing I noted it was 3-4mm sub flush and would have caused the wheel to lock if I'd installed the other bearing and re-fitted the wheel. Dealer got me the spacer rings and a new bearing and the thing was right as rain.
If you can get hold of the old bearings get yourself down to the local bearing traders and they'll sort you out with the correct width bearing and it'll be a damned site cheaper than the Duc option.
cheers

Neil

Cheers for the reply Niel / Paul
funny you mention the thing about a spacer kit. Just ordered 2 new rear wheel bearings and 2 new bearings for the sprocket carrier from an authorised UK dealer. Was told that the bearings in the sprocket carrier had been superseded many times and that there was now 2 damping pads sold as part of the bearing replacement kit. Guy didn't know what they were until they arrived. Hoping for some form of instructions on where the 'damping pads' go. I'll make a note of the bearing numbers when i receive them for future reference.

paul, you're right about the LHS & RHS gold caps on the swinging arm. Typical Ducati - make 2 parts when one will do !!

Got my 'revised spacer' kit from ducati. 2 thin rings that go under the bearings before you put them in the ub (13 quid......each...) plus a new lengthened spacer that fit in the hub between the bearings (25 quid......). Poxy bearings only cost a fiver each. So ducati ebaring upgrade costs 61 quid !! Must be the most expensive bearings on the planet. The advice is to note the number on the original bearings and just pop down to your local bearing dealer. The only reason i can think of why they have changed the bearing type is that the new bearings are standard fitment in more models than the original 851 ones.