Wheel hub gasket

Wheels, hubs and tires
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PanRider
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Wheel hub gasket

#1

Post by PanRider »

I'm taking my wheel hubs apart, cleaning them up and repacking with grease. I've taken the front hub apart and noticed there was no gasket. The local HD Dealer here in Fargo doesn't carry any older parts. Hub is from 62 pan. I read on the reviews In J&P Cycle parts that the gaskets from them are quite thick. The review said one would need to put more shims in to compensate for the thicker gasket. I read in the manual how to check for clearance but don't really understand how one does that. So my question is, where would the best place to buy a gasket for the hub and more shims if needed? How will I know if I need more shims? And why didn't my assembly have a gasket in the first place? Just want to do it right. Thanks.
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Re: Wheel hub gasket

#2

Post by cdndewey »

Have a read through the post that Tom (Bigincher) put on the CAIMag forum. He did an excellent job and it should be able to get you through the process... http://www.caimag.com/wordpress/2009/11 ... wheel-hub/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Wheel hub gasket

#3

Post by old.wrench »

Panrider,
The cork gasket under the star cover is there to prevent grease (most of it anyhow) from migrating out of the hub assembly. When you check and set the endplay, you are really setting the lateral play of the thrust bearing sleeve, and you do so "dry", without having the cork gasket (or grease) in place. After you have your endplay set up properly (with the correct amount of shims), then you add your cork gasket and grease. It's important to set the endplay without the cork gasket in place, because when it's in place, it sort of "takes up" that endplay, and you can't really get true and accurate reading on the endplay.
There is also the thin paper gasket (star-shaped) that goes between the inner thrust cover and the wheel hub on that end as well. That one should be in place when determining the endplay. The factory repair manual calls out .005" - .007" free end play. The procedure isn't explained very clearly in the repair manual; I hope this makes it a little clearer :) .

Geo.
PanRider
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Re: Wheel hub gasket

#4

Post by PanRider »

Both posts are quite helpful. The site listed has pictures! That's always good. The math on the website was over my head but my bearings aren't pitted at all and look really good so I'm not going to worry about checking for needing oversized bearings. I will check for end play though. I appreciate the help.
Kim
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Re: Wheel hub gasket

#5

Post by 1951 adam »

PanRider wrote:Both posts are quite helpful. The site listed has pictures! That's always good. The math on the website was over my head but my bearings aren't pitted at all and look really good so I'm not going to worry about checking for needing oversized bearings. I will check for end play though. I appreciate the help.
Kim
Kim, those gaskets are generic, probably the same manufacturer . I think colony has them with the cork and screws.
Adam
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Re: Wheel hub gasket

#6

Post by Omarine »

If its on an assembled wheel, use the magnetic base dial indicator and place it on rim with wheel laying flat. With no star side seal, push thrust washer down till it bottoms out. Then push the sleeve up from the brake side. The sligght movement up and down needs to be betwees .005-.007". I do the first one with no shims. Then take that readiing and subtract .006" ( midway from .005-.007"). Then i place the needed shims to take up that slack. Comes out perfect in one try.

Shims can be had at flatlandmotorcycle.com. Theyre great and you can buy individual pieces.

If hub is alone, u can do the saame with dial indicator and placing the hub in a vice brake side down and only a little pressure to keep hub from moving. Big inchers article is huge help!

Cheers!
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Re: Wheel hub gasket

#7

Post by 58flh »

All GREAT info---I to have not converted to timkens & do mine Every winter.One thing to try to avoid is using shims that are thin!-(.004-etc.)-Its better to take a worn beefier shim out & take-up the play like that.The thin ones just heat-up & disintegrate just to make matters worse.Just one mans opinion!---Respectfully-----RICHIE
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Re: Wheel hub gasket

#8

Post by Bigincher »

Panrider, if you pull annual maintenance on the wheel, chances are you don't need oversized rollers. By "annual maintenance", I mean you take the hub apart every winter, clean everything up good, then put it back together with plenty of grease packed into the roller cages, and on all thrust surfaces. And the most important thing, pump the hub full of grease until it starts to ooze out. Not on the outside, but on the inside; when I do it, I watch inside the hub inner sleeve as I'm pumping, until it just starts to ooze out between the thrust bearing sleeve and thrust washers. If you wait until it oozes out around the cork seal, it's too much and you'll be cleaning grease off the rim for awhile. And your pant leg. And everything else on that side of the bike.

If you did want to check your roller fitment using the 'plug fit' method., you'd have to invest in several sizes of rollers.
Another way to check it, is this- after you've cleaned everything up, set the end play with shims, then BEFORE you add grease, completely re-install the wheel.
Grab the wheel at 3:00 and 9:00 (or on as nearly opposite sides as possible) and see if you detect any 'torsional' play. Not sure if that's the right word, but I think you know what I mean....
Don't worry about the thickness of the shims, thin ones will NOT disintegrate. The factory starts with 5 shims at .002" thickness. Aftermarket shims are available in .007" and even .015" thickness, which can come in handy in certain situations. But even if you have a stack of ten or more shims at .002", there won't be any issues, as long as everything is properly lubed.

Do not waste your money on the star paper gaskets from V-Twin or JP-Junk. They won't fit, and you'll tear them trying to make them fit. It's not a thickness issue, the bolt holes are all wrong. Not all gaskets are the same, and I've seen several different examples. I use James gaskets, but the ones from 45-Parts fit nicely, as well. Both of those offerings are thin, at about .008" thick. I also use only the James corks.

I wrote that rebuild blurb several years ago, and I think I need to re-do it. I don't know if I made it clear that all the fitting is done with clean and dry components.
I also use a wheel stand (since I have one now) to set the end play; my technique is much like Omarine's. So I may try to do a new and easier-to-understand version of the old "How To".
In the meantime, there's plenty of help here; Omarine builds lots of hubs, has probably seen it all.
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Re: Wheel hub gasket

#9

Post by PanRider »

Great information. I called Deluxe HD Restoration to buy some James gaskets. They told me they have better luck with those from Colony. So I bought them. We'll see. I'm hoping to get to the wheel this weekend and I'll see whether I need more shims or not. I did order some just in case. I have one bad one to replace.
I appreciate all the response. Thanks,
Kim
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Re: Wheel hub gasket

#10

Post by PanPal »

Great timing on this thread. I serviced my front wheel last night however I would like to replace the Dimpled thrust washers. Where would I be able to get good quality replacements from?
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Re: Wheel hub gasket

#11

Post by Omarine »

Panpal!
Theres always oem ones on ebay. I dont care for the vtwin kits at all. I do like the ones that flatland sells and they can be bought individually.
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Re: Wheel hub gasket

#12

Post by Bigincher »

PanPal wrote:Great timing on this thread. I serviced my front wheel last night however I would like to replace the Dimpled thrust washers. Where would I be able to get good quality replacements from?
PanPal, what do you mean by "dimpled" ..? Do you mean the ones with the 'tits' ?
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Re: Wheel hub gasket

#13

Post by PanPal »

Yes. The outer thrust washers with tits. I found on OEM set on e bay. Will probably go that route.. one of mine is grooved badly. Even flipped, I don't like it against the shims.
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Re: Wheel hub gasket

#14

Post by Bigincher »

PanPal wrote:Yes. The outer thrust washers with tits. I found on OEM set on e bay. Will probably go that route.. one of mine is grooved badly. Even flipped, I don't like it against the shims.
You only need one? Send me a PM with a mailing address and I'll send you one. I recently bought up all the old stock from a Harley dealership somewhere in the Midwest, I don't remember where.
But I would like you to please measure the thickness of yours with a micrometer, if you have one.
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Re: Wheel hub gasket

#15

Post by Bigincher »

You must've bought the one on eBay, huh.....?
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