IMS center bolt

[Citgot]

When I inserted the new IMS bearing the center bolt came loose and fell into the shaft.

 

I don’t want to extract the bearing again so I need to find the best method to get the bolt back into the bearing. I used a magnet and got in back in but not all the way. The bolt get stuck the last mm so it isn’t seated properly. I tried pressing it back in with the IMS flange and the nut but it looks like it will need more torque than the threads can handle.

 

I thought about using a glide hammer but I don’t want to damage the bearing races or balls. The thread on the new 10 mm stronger center bolt also seem to have a strange thread format not conform with European M-threads so no glide hammer adapters fits. The IMS bearing puller I have don’t fit the new bolt either.

 

So, do anyone have any tips on how the get the bolt seated all the way inside the bearing without damaging the bearing itself or the bolt?

[JFP in PA]

7 hours ago, Citgot said:

 

When I inserted the new IMS bearing the center bolt came loose and fell into the shaft.

 

I don’t want to extract the bearing again so I need to find the best method to get the bolt back into the bearing. I used a magnet and got in back in but not all the way. The bolt get stuck the last mm so it isn’t seated properly. I tried pressing it back in with the IMS flange and the nut but it looks like it will need more torque than the threads can handle.

 

I thought about using a glide hammer but I don’t want to damage the bearing races or balls. The thread on the new 10 mm stronger center bolt also seem to have a strange thread format not conform with European M-threads so no glide hammer adapters fits. The IMS bearing puller I have don’t fit the new bolt either.

 

So, do anyone have any tips on how the get the bolt seated all the way inside the bearing without damaging the bearing itself or the bolt?

 

Whose retrofit kit are you using?

[Citgot]

No kit, but the bolt is said to be the same as in 9products’ kit. Same bolt and same 12-point nut.

[JFP in PA]

3 minutes ago, Citgot said:

No kit, but the bolt is said to be the same as in 9products’ kit. Same bolt and same 12-point nut.

 

Unfortunately, I know nothing about that brand retrofit, as they are not available in North America.  Perhaps someone in Europe can chime in.......

[Citgot]

Looks the same as every other bolt in retrofit kits. As do the nut so that is strange that it won’t fit the bearing puller or slide hammer.

But maybe someone know the best way to get the bolt back into the bearing if I can fit the bolt with a puller or slide hammer. Is there any other good way?

I guess leaving it as is with 1mm left to go in isn’t a good alternative.

[JFP in PA]

12 minutes ago, Citgot said:

Looks the same as every other bolt in retrofit kits. As do the nut so that is strange that it won’t fit the bearing puller or slide hammer.

But maybe someone know the best way to get the bolt back into the bearing if I can fit the bolt with a puller or slide hammer. Is there any other good way?

I guess leaving it as is with 1mm left to go in isn’t a good alternative.

 

The moment you employ a slide hammer on that bolt, the retrofit bearing is trash.  One of the major issues early on with retrofits were with people trying to extract (read pull on the center bolt) that had cocked or not installed correctly.  Because the center bolt pulls ONLY on the center race, doing so twits the ball bearing cages, damaging them and the races, and often even damaging the ball bearings themselves.  The result was typically premature failure of the bearing assembly after it was reinstalled.

 

If you visit LN Engineering's website (LN in conjunction with Jake Raby of Flatsix Innovations developed the concept of IMS bearing retrofits and invented to tooling to do it, and have the largest base of successful installations, some 25,000+), they specifically state that any bearing subjected to pulling on the center bolt should be discarded and replaced rather than reused due to the high probability of subsequent premature failures.

[Citgot]

Yeah, that is my conclusion as well. So my only option seems to be a puller that uses the inner race as the point of resistance. Then it will be no force on the balls or inside of the races.

[JFP in PA]

1 hour ago, Citgot said:

Yeah, that is my conclusion as well. So my only option seems to be a puller that uses the inner race as the point of resistance. Then it will be no force on the balls or inside of the races.

 

I've never seen a tool that would fit through the center bolt opening and grab the bearing by the outer race to prevent loading the bearings and cage assemblies; I don't think such a thing exists.  Every tool grabs the inner race, which is the problem.

[Citgot]

I knocked it back out again and reseated the bolt and got it better. Measured, and it looks like it is seated correctly or at the most 0,3mm from perfect. Tight on space and hard to measure accurately, but looks like I solved it without too much force applied to the bearing.

Thanks

[JFP in PA]

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