Removing rear wheel bearings

[svgarage]

They do make bike specific kits for both RD350 and RD400. I too had an extra bearing when doing the RD400. I have an unused RD350 kit sitting on my desk.

[NYSingh]

You can try this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dzf1SJgcvBg

[triple1972]

Watched that video and did everything the same way. My rim was a stock RD400 rim and when the all thread(threaded rod) hit bottom the opposite side of the wheel/hub is not flat and kicks your rod at an angle. Also it didn't pull the entire Cush out only the inner part and some of the old rubber Cush. I ended up using drummeltool and chisel to finish the job. If you look at that video the crushes he took out looked new. Not the rusty ones I took out.

[Organicjedi]

The trick is to heat the aluminum hub fast enough so it expands without letting the bushings get too hot.

It's harder to heat the mag wheel hub this way vs the spoked hub that the guy has in the video. There's so much more metal there.

I used this technique on my mags and it worked pretty good. There was one that I had to cut out because just like yours the rubber got soft and ripped out while leaving the outer metal ring stuck in the wheel

[rd400canuck]

Great, I came here wondering why I only pulled one bearing out with a longer center race. I assumed it was the wrong bearing because of the nonsense I have been finding on this bike.

I pushed the second bearing in 3/4 of the before I thought Id better check to be sure. Hopefully I can knock it out without ruining the first one that went in.

Why include 3 bearings when it only takes 2?

[m in sc]

its the same kit for the bikes with the removable sprocket carriers which have the 3rd bearing. 

[Dvsrd]

mig welder? tack weld a nut to the inner race and tap it out from the other side. this is a good use for crappy hardware you should have thrown out already, and the heat helps as well. 

I do that on some of theses small engines where a bearing is in a blind hole like a TZ250 waterpump bearing, then screw in my slide hammer.
Pops right out.

Chuck & Mark,
I have another welding trick, for those occasions where the outer race only is stuck in a blind hole. Just run a bead or two of weld on the inside of the bearing race, and let it cool down naturally. This crimps the bearing enough to fall out or being pulled out by hand. I mostly use 2.5 mm welding rods, but TIG or MIG works just as well. Last week I showed this to my 57 year old colleague gun mechanic/ fitter/ marine engineer, and he was well impressed :)

[m in sc]

clever. ill have to try that next time, makes sense

[Plasticman]

I'll let someone else tell you how to remove them because I just smash them out with a punch from the other side. Don't forget to remove the spacer sleeve from one of the bearings, the kit doesn't come with it and you need it.

Ditto.  One lesson's learned from doing this - use a mallet instead of a hammer.  A mallet won't damage the rim if you miss the top of the punch, a hammer will.  Neither feel very good hitting your hand.

Rob

[SUPERTUNE]

Back when I had the automotive machine shop with my Dad...he taught me to use a stick welder and weld around a bunch of times inside when needing to take out an old sleeve in a block. Shrinks it and just falls out.
Godspeed Dad.

[Alain2]

Are OEM wheel bearings worth the extra cost?

I installed AB on some of my bikes, but I am thinking I should switch to OEM for safety/longevity reason. 

[m in sc]

here's my take on it.

Yamaha didnt make bearings, they bought them. get the best aftermarket ones you can get. INA, f.a.g, etc.

[triple1972]

Hi Just did front wheel bearing on RD400. The spacer between the two bearings has a hole in it. I just ground down the tipon a hex wrench and used the spacer to knock out the bearing. The other one is then very easy. The Clymer manual actually tell you to make a tool to do this. I could have done this on the rear instead of trying to push the spacer to the side. I'm sure this isn't new news to a lot of guys.

[Alain2]

here's my take on it.

Yamaha didnt make bearings, they bought them. get the best aftermarket ones you can get. INA, f.a.g, etc.

Sounds right, thanks