Final Drive Bearing Beginning to Fail?

MIKE R · Nov 24, 2011

My final drive bearing gave up at 36k on my 1150. Professionally replaced, but gave up again at 43k resulting in oil pouring out of the rear dif and a telephone call for Recovery.

The same BMW trained mechanic replaced the bearing again (I did hope vainly for a discount on the labour but he claimed faulty bearing and BMW claimed faulty workmanship by an Independent).

I am now concerned that the bearing might be going again at 52k! There is no sideways movement on the rear wheel, but when it is spun the wheel sounds like (very difficult to describe a sound!) a chain going around a sprocket. The noise remains even when the rear caliper is removed.

Am I being paranoid or is another problem developing?

Mike

warmshed · Nov 24, 2011

I wonder if they reshimmed the bearing or just changed without checking?

Timolgra · Nov 24, 2011

warmshed said:
I wonder if they reshimmed the bearing or just changed without checking?

Explain to me why anyone would re shim the bearing unless it was wrong in the first place.

MattW · Nov 24, 2011

Timolgra said:
Explain to me why anyone would re shim the bearing unless it was wrong in the first place.

If it failed at 36k perhaps it might have been shimmed wrong in the first place?

I have read that the BMW factory shimming wasn't (isn't?) that consistent and you could get a 'bad one' that had been shimmed poorly from the factory (this applies to gearboxes and FD's). I guess if you got a bad one, replacing the bearing with the original shimming would just make another bad one :nenau

Ugly Cow · Nov 24, 2011

If it failed at 36k perhaps it might have been shimmed wrong in the first place?

Absolutley,

. It needs shimming properly

warmshed · Nov 24, 2011

Timolgra said:
Explain to me why anyone would re shim the bearing unless it was wrong in the first place.

As I said "was it checked", bit of a no brainer to take apart and replace without checking its correct.

Timolgra · Nov 25, 2011

MattW said:
If it failed at 36k perhaps it might have been shimmed wrong in the first place?

I have read that the BMW factory shimming wasn't (isn't?) that consistent and you could get a 'bad one' that had been shimmed poorly from the factory (this applies to gearboxes and FD's). I guess if you got a bad one, replacing the bearing with the original shimming would just make another bad one

Well that's what I'm getting at, there's no consistency with the life of bearings on different bikes, but those which do fail early seem to fail more frequently

MIKE R · Nov 25, 2011

I think that shimming is probably the issue, so I'm playing it safe and taking the bevel down to Steve Scriminger's to have it rebuilt.

MattW · Nov 25, 2011

MIKE R said:
I think that shimming is probably the issue, so I'm playing it safe and taking the bevel down to Steve Scriminger's to have it rebuilt.

Good move

MIKE R · Dec 7, 2011

Update

Jono at Adventure Bike Warehouse has removed the final drive for me. I did not feel confident in doing this myself and gave the task to a professional. Glad I did as the Pinion Pin was a real B*$!*$D and had to be drilled out.

Jono has confirmed that the bearing was on it's way out again. The rear bevel is now being posted to Steve Scriminger's.

Mike

Final Drive Bearing Beginning to Fail?

MIKE R

Well-known member

warmshed

Registered user

Timolgra

reformed

MattW

Well-known member

Ugly Cow

Registered user

warmshed

Registered user

Timolgra

reformed

MIKE R

Well-known member

MattW

Well-known member

MIKE R

Well-known member

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