Hubs

[general board]

Hi. Can anybody tell me if i can upgrade my star hubs with more modern bearings. perhaps with some machinening etc. Am rebuilding a 1963 FL pan in England.

[randall]

They make star hubs with Timkins as a retrofit.Or at least they used too. I have even see the whole wheel assembly that way all ready to go.

[dirtpandan58]

Why not just rebuild the old ones?
I am running two new complete wheels with timkin bearings only because my old ones were rusty,one bent and both needing work, so it was easier for me to just buy new ones.
So, yes you can still get the timkin bearing star hubs.
I've heard that you can machine your old hubs to fit timkins, but they say it's not realy worth the trouble.
Oh yeah, with the new hubs you also need new axle sets.

Dirt

[VintageTwin]

There's Jim Harvey that advertises in the Antique quarterly. He rebuilds your star hub with Timkens. "Prices start as low as $99." starhubs@starband.net (760) 364-2397 .That puts him out here in So. Cal within a 50 mile radius of San Diego., and visit the AMCA at http//www.antiquemotorcycle.org
I like the OE hubs myself. Makes me feel worthwhile...rolling on wheels I rebuilt.

[Cotten]

With all due respect to Jim, what makes a Timken replacement any better?
My experience is that it becomes a pain in the booty to get the endplay proper, and then a further bootyache to maintain it.
The original design was nearly bulletproof from ~'36 to~ '66 (or something like that). And a cheap shim or two keeps it sweet. What's wrong with that?
Even if the hub is a priceless stepped pre-war unit, and the bearing surface has galled, it is still easier to bore it for a race than to totally redesign it.
Been there, done that.