Hello

I am getting stuck in my recent project, to replace one or both my front wheel bearings on my Z6. I cannot get the steering knuckle to come off the three ball joints...?! All the bolts are removed, the shock is loose, and I imagined that the joints would just slip off, but they don't. I have tried to position the knuckle in every possible position to "release" any friction from the joints, but no success.

Do I need to use hard force and a pry bar to break them loose, and if so, how do I get them back again?

Thanks for any suggesstions.

/Tomas

[2015 Z Force 800 53/Trail EPS]

Ball joints...and some tie rod ends are a tapered fit into their receivers (the holes). The release then it takes either a pickle fork, or a separator.. or most often it can be done with a tap to the receiver-side at or on the side of that tapered hole. You will have to place a jack in two different positions to let gravity help you. This vid will help.

 

Aaaahh, thank you! Success, did have to whack the steering rod from above, but on the bolt and not the threaded shaft. .

I guess getting them back in is by using the bolts, but that will be a problem for next week, since I haven't gotten the actual bearing yet.. Or figured out how to remove the old one or getting a new on in without a press...  :-) 

Thanks again!

/Tomas

[2015 Z Force 800 53/Trail EPS]

They are not a press-fit but interference-fit which means if you heat up the outside of the knuckle with the retainers out you should be able to drive the bearing straight out. And if you keep the new bearing in the freezer and heat the knuckle up just before installing, it will slip right in. Use the torque specs on the ball joints and tie rod end.

Thank you! So much fun to learn new things from experienced, good people!

Well, we are on the wheels again after a successful job. A few things I found out during the process:
1. The big socket that I used for the wheel-axle nut was perfect to use when I pressed out the old bearing.
2. I did manage to move the old bearing quite a but by heating up the knuckle and tap on the aforementioned socket, but the final solution to this was to use a big vice. I had to manufacture a few "spacers" from wood blocks but removal was a breeze.
3. And since I got out the old bearing in one piece, I could use that as a tool when I pushed in the new one with the vice. Sure, it got stuck in that process but I could wiggle it out with minimal effort.

Everything is now back together, and I managed to find use for all the bolts that I had removed :-)

[2015 Z Force 800 53/Trail EPS]

Good..congrats. Did you go back with CFM bearings or did you find something else?

My mailorder supplier here in Sweden gave me a quote on a CFM "original" that was twice as costly as their "normal" bearing product from some company called Moose. I know you should not be getting cheap when it comes to parts, but I went with the Moose thing, and it looks identical to the one I removed. We'll see how many easy miles me, the wife and our dog get out of this bearing, it will not be pushed to any limits, that's for sure.

/tomas

[2015 Z Force 800 53/Trail EPS]

My mailorder supplier here in Sweden gave me a quote on a CFM "original" that was twice as costly as their "normal" bearing product from some company called Moose. I know you should not be getting cheap when it comes to parts, but I went with the Moose thing, and it looks identical to the one I removed. We'll see how many easy miles me, the wife and our dog get out of this bearing, it will not be pushed to any limits, that's for sure.

/tomas

Moose is a trusted supplier of quality parts here..I would not hesitate to go Moose, even though on some of their bearings they use another company called Allballs and repackage it...still good quality. Got a part number?

I can find three numbers on the label: 0215-0153, 25-1496 and XZI4-14D. The first two numbers leads to bearing stuff if I google them. Apparently, this particular size is used on a vast number of different products and brands.

/tomas

[2015 Z Force 800 53/Trail EPS]

Thanks.