"premature" rear wheel bearing issues

[yorkshire_spam]

Hi All,
I've just stripped down my NSR axle and found the larger outer bearing (GHB117/LJ1/RLS a bit "notchy"
It's also clear form the grease (colour and smell!) that it's been getting hot.
Plenty of grease in the assembly and no obvious signs of muck getting in or anything like that.
Obviously I'll replace the bearings, but I'm wondering why it's got like this, any ideas?
It's a good quality RHP bearing that's done about 8K miles.

Have I hit a pot-hole too hard? Could suspension/upright wear be an issue? Something with the diff amiss? Or "just one of those things" ?

Thoughts?
Cheers, Sam

[thebrookster]

Sam,

I can't recall the exact figure, but a surprising number of bearings fail from new. So it would not be beyond the realms of possibilities that it was a duff bearing?

Cheers,

Phil

[Velocita Rosso]

Quoted from yorkshire_spam

Hi All,
I've just stripped down my NSR axle and found the larger outer bearing (GHB117/LJ1/RLS a bit "notchy"
It's also clear form the grease (colour and smell!) that it's been getting hot.
Plenty of grease in the assembly and no obvious signs of muck getting in or anything like that.
Obviously I'll replace the bearings, but I'm wondering why it's got like this, any ideas?
It's a good quality RHP bearing that's done about 8K miles.

Have I hit a pot-hole too hard? Could suspension/upright wear be an issue? Something with the diff amiss? Or "just one of those things" ?

Thoughts?
Cheers, Sam

Four/rear wheel alignment......not running square/off track?
Will be in touch today

[yorkshire_spam]

Quoted from Velocita Rosso

Four/rear wheel alignment......not running square/off track?
Will be in touch today

Thanks Mike

[stevesspit16]

Are you running factory wheels or aftermarket with a different offset?

Changing offset will present a slightly different load on the bearings.  I'm running with ET38 vice the 22 on the factory steelies and haven't had any issues, but the mileage isn't that high yet.

[yorkshire_spam]

I'm running 5.5J x 13" JBW Minilight so they are wider than most standard, but the offset should be similar. I'm going to crack open the OS and see what they are like. If both sides are not right then I suspect it's not a "one off bad bearing".

Don't get me wrong, the estimated 8K miles haven't been all easy pottering around, that's 2x10CR and an RBRR on those bearings. I just wouldn't expect RHP bearings to fail in that time without some outside influence.