Front hub zerk feeler

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Fastback68

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Hey folks, I just finished replacing my front wheel bearings and installed zerks in the front hubs for the same reason we all do to the rears...

Just feeling out whether or not anyone would be interested in a step by step....

Cheers
 
OK so here goes...

Not to sound like a service manual but please read the whole thread before you start and ask questions if you don't understand. I don't know what anyone's mechanical ability is other than my own....

After removing your wheels, calipers and hubs, remove the seals with a screwdriver or small prybar, they're not in there that tight.

Drive out your old bearings with a hammer and punch by sliding the internal bearing spacer to one side, then alternate sides with the punch.

We want the hole for the zerk to be behind the outer bearing as well as behind the bearing stop (the ridge the bearing stops against when driving it back in).

Take a small steel ruler and measure to the inner edge of the bearing stop ridge, about 1 1/16 or so.

Transfer this measurement to the outside of the hub where you need to center punch:
Hub1.jpg


Chuck your drill bit long so as much as possible and safe is showing. I used a 7/32 but double check against your own zerks in case they're different. Too big of a hole and you've got trouble, too small and the zerk may break off in the hole...more trouble.

Center punch far enough behind the line you scribed above for the hole you drill to be completely behind that line. It will be off center so the drill chuck and bit will clear the wheel stud. Drill slowly in the aluminum, you'll see nice curls of metal from the bit at the right speed. Here's what mine looked like:

Hub3.jpg


Hub2.jpg


I used 45 degree zerks so I had to take the straight zerk out of the 45 degree adapter. A grease zerk is an odd thread, I used a spare straight zerk to cut some starter threads into the hub since my tap and die set had nothing close. Grease it's threads and go slow and straight! If it feels sketchy, back out and start over. After getting some threads started in the hole, install the adapter into the hub. You don't have to install the adapter flush to the hub, as long as it's tight and pointing where you want it let 'er ride:
Hub4.jpg

Hub6.jpg


Install the zerk into the adapter and give everything a good cleaning in solvent to remove any possible debris.

Here's an inside shot showing the hole behind the bearing wall:
Hub7.jpg


Now you've got to remove the seals from the bearings to allow the grease in and out. Use a pocket screwdriver or small pick to remove the seals. Here's how much grease was behind my seals, pitiful to think that's supposed to be a lifetime's supply:
Hub8.jpg


After removing all the seals from the bearings, reinstall all bearings and spacers into your hubs. Before installing the grease seals, pump the hubs with waterproof grease until you see it from both bearings:

Hub9.jpg


Install your grease seals and reassemble the hubs onto your bike. I cleaned and lightly greased the spindles as they are not bathed in grease and will rust just like the rear axle spacer tube does to the axle.

Be easy greasing these hubs, the first one I installed the seals and put the hub on the spindle before filling with grease and it blew out the inner seal because I couldn't tell it was full.

That's it folks...hope I wasn't too vague, please ask questions
 
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