wheel bearing question.......
 

Here I am with another question again....
(I think its time to buy a repair manual)

I put my 2005 sp ho on blocks today (getting new rubber on all 4's),
and noticed a little play in the rear wheel bearings.
Is this normal or should I tighten them ?

Maybe someone can check in their book for the recommended end play on my machine.

Thanks in advance

a little play? how much? if it's not too much and the bearings are running smooth and no grindage, maybe just fine for a while. just keep an eye on it.imo

I just went through this on my front bearings. Even a new bearing has a small amount of play. I'm talking a tiny amount. My bad bearing had 1/4" or more of slop. I agree with the above. Keep an eye on it and don't worry about it until you start having more issues.

Also, you can't really tighten them. I tried to tighten my axle nut and it can't help a bad bearing.

500 cc?

yes 500cc.

its not a lot of play but it is noticeable.
I'm not sure how long its been that way since this is the first time I've jacked it up.

A little bit is normal, but if you seeing noticeable movement in the tire id address it... bearings are not adjustable. These are pressed in wheel bearings not the old style packed wheel bearings which you adjust with the castle nut... (unfortunately)

If it is worn a lot i would go ahead and fix it... The bearing is the only thing holding the wheel on after all... A mid 90's ford escort front wheel bearing is what fits.... get it at the auto parts store (can get them as cheap as 25 but pay a little extra for a quality brand). Take off the hub and take it to a machine shop to get it pressed in.

Or you could go to polaris and pay 80 bucks for one made in china bearing probably an hour labor for another 80 bucks. your choice, but its gonna need to be addressed sooner or later if there is a lot of play so why wait.

If it is around 1/8th of an inch or less play at the outer edge of the tire then its probably ok, anymore then that id be changing it... when i bought my 05 800 i could actually see the tires bow(toe in) in when i hit the gas... very bad.. remember the bearings dont only see load from up and down but horizontally as well from acceleration... when you hit the gas they will try to squeeze in (or toe in)

POPO,

my play is just around 1/8" (maybe less ) so I not going to worry about it right now.

How did you figure out that a bearing from a ford escort fits these ?

(crazy gearheads)

lol wish i could take the credit for that but i found it somewhere either on this site or researching online when i bought my 05 800. Surprisingly there are a lot of off the shelf parts that fit these wheelers.

With less then an 1/8th inch just check it once and a while when you think about it.. bearings sometimes can go out quick when they start to go