I have a problem that hopefully someone will be able to help me out.
I had a indy shop remove the tires, bearings and sleeve from my Fat Bob wheels before I sent them to the powder coater. When I picked them up I noticed that the front and rear bearing spacer sleeve's were not the same length and they were not labeled which one went where. I got the part numbers and went to my local dealer and measured a new one. I returned home and labeled them so the shop wouldn't mix em up.
Today I went to install the wheels and I could not center the front wheel which made it impossible to center the rotors in the calipers. I checked and double checked that I had the right wheels spacers and that they were installed correctly.
I do remember that the shorter of the two bearing spacer sleeve's was for the front wheel.
Another thing, dropping the rear wheel off my bench to the ground I heard the sleeve rattle in the hub.
I'm I correct thinking that they screwed up and got the sleeves reversed?

 

Maybe the bearings aren't seated fully into the hub. Take a large socket and hammer and go around the outer edge of the bearing tapping on them to make sure they are seated completely. The bad thing about sealed bearings is if you pull them you are not supposed to reuse them because of how they are removed with a blind hole bearing puller which consists of a slide hammer. So I would try to avoid pulling them. If the bearings are seated all the way and the proper inner spacer is in place you should not hear the inner spacer rattling around....... Just my thoughts.

 

I just did mine last week. Pressed the bearings myself. If your sleeve is rattling the bearings are not pressed flush. When you are pressing you have to make sure the sleeve is lined up. It can get cocked and hang inside the rim. If that happens as it did to me, I backed the bearing out slightly and readjusted the sleeve. Then when I pressed it flush in the base of the rim it (the bearings) holds the sleeve in place.

 

I would make sure I put new bearings in, do not re-use. They are to cheap to take chances. I used a large socket that would fit on the outside of the bearing sleeve to drive it all the way in, if you tap around the outside of the sleeve it will not drive in evenly. If you use anything on the inner sleeve of the bearing it will seperate and ruin the bearings.

 

The bearings also need to be pressed in a certain order. The bearing will bottom out on one side and "float" on the axle spacer on the other. If the wrong bearing was pressed in first that would cause your wheel to not be centered.

 

Thx for your response's guy's,
I'm going to bring the wheel back to the shop that did the install tomorrow. And btw, they told me the bearings that they removed would be fine, I said no way, install new bearings please (I brought them the new bearings). And I'm familiar with the order they need to be installed, I hope they are. I hope they didn't reverse the bearing spacers cause I have the back wheel all buttoned up.
Hey, anyone with a Fat Bob can you do me a favor and take a look at your front wheel. I have just about a 1/8th" from the outside edge of the hub to the outside edge of the bearing on both sides. Both bearings are fully seated to the bearing spacer so if someone tells me that they have more then an 1/8th" I no they have the wrong spacer in the wheel. I'd sure apprecaite it...............Rich

 

Rich, I can't vouch for the FB but on my 09' SB the bearings are recessed almost 1/4".

 

I'm going to venture it should be the same on the FB. Can any Fat Bob'ers confirm?

 

I just pulled the rear wheel. I'm just about 100% sure that they have the bearing spacers reversed. The longer spacer should be in the rear and the shorter spacer in the front. By having the longer spacer in the front, that is why I can not center the wheel in the forks. The only logical reason. This is why I hate anyone other then me touchin my s-it. Guess I'll need to invest in a tire and balance machine, ouch........Rich

 

The shop installed the bearings wrong. They centered the bearings in the hub instead of bottoming out the left bearing and pressing the bearing into the sleeve on the right...What a waste of frickin' time......