It isn't what it is...they got ya brainwashed....

 

When it rains it poors! Went to pull my rear tire and my axle was froze in the wheel. Had to beat it out along with using a heal bar. Split the dam thing right down the center. Dont worry. Its only $76!

 

Whazza heal bar? Never heard of splitting an axle; wasn't 07 when Harley started putting a bunch of chinese stuff in the bikes... You're gonna change the bearings now, ain't ya? Pry a seal up on new bearings, don't want any with plastic ball cages; think I mighta mentioned that new wheel I bought last year had bearings in it with plastic cages. They never made it on a bike, played with my bearing puller instead. At least you got it out, I'm not gonna frustrate myself with the swingarm pivot bolt till after Mom's funeral. I just hope it's froze in the swingarm, not in the cases, can put the swingarm inna press. Guess I could put the eng/trans/cases inna press, too, if I had 3 or 4 guys your size helping me.

 

Imold. I did the bearing re grease trick when I installed them 8 months ago. They are new bearings. We had issues last time removing the axle. Was punching it out and it split about 1 1/2 down the axle. Now I have to see if the dealer has one. If not I wont see one till next week sometime.

Heel bars: https://www.google.com/search?q=heel...w=1108&bih=622

 

Wus in the van today, car ahead stopped at stop sign, and just sat there. I finally squeezed beside it - young woman had her head down, double thumbing a phone. Never looked up and saw me. Just drove on down the road a ways, looked back and she's still there blocking traffic. Better than smashing a motorcycle, I guess.

 

I just wonder if pounding the axle out put any stress on the bearings - to be that tight, it was rusted/stuck in the center spacer, and that would been transferring the shock to the bearing's inner race on the side the axle was coming out. Don't want any tiny dimples in a bearing race, and those bearings are just too important to take chances with. I'd like to hear what KR and Twizted think of that. While you're getting that axle might price a new center spacer, must be rusted/pitted pretty good. I have gotten away with mildly corroded center spacers just running a wire brush through till the axle would slide in and out easy. I used to grease them good before putting together, but have been using anti seize for some years, and think it seems to work better (rust prevention, not where it's being used as lube). I can't fault Harley for rusting rear axles, found them on a bunch of metrics, too. Wait, yes I can, they put them in dry at the factory! Just like the metrics do...

 

That sucks. Never heard the heal bar thing either. Always just called'em a pry bar. Hear that again & I will know.

 

Me, too.

 

That looks sooo much better than a soap bottle.

 

Not too worried. All the force was on the inner races and the spacers and with changing my rear tire every 3 months or so I get to check the bearings. I got 120k out of the first set.