2005 final drive 19 ball

[roadcrave]

I just ordered a 2005 rear diff off of a trike conversion bike, FYI for you guys that think its been changed out by 2005, guess what surprise, I think its like tossed dice on what you really got for a bearing, Im currently rebuilding my 2003 rear drive with the 17 ball bearings, i purchaced this for our club members, so no down time when one goes out, now I got two to rebuild....Matthew

[roy]

I just ordered a 2005 rear diff off of a trike conversion bike, FYI for you guys that think its been changed out by 2005, guess what surprise, I think its like tossed dice on what you really got for a bearing, Im currently rebuilding my 2003 rear drive with the 17 ball bearings, i purchaced this for our club members, so no down time when one goes out, now I got two to rebuild....Matthew

Matthew,
according to experts on the LT site the 17 ball bearing no longer exists. BMW has switched back to the 19 ball version. I suspect that the bearing preload is a bigger factor than the number of balls in the bearing.

Roy

[roadcrave]

Roy what experts, give me a contact, the bearing 17 ball, according to BMW Parts is the correct and only part recommended as of 4-10-07, matthew

Matthew,
according to experts on the LT site the 17 ball bearing no longer exists. BMW has switched back to the 19 ball version. I suspect that the bearing preload is a bigger factor than the number of balls in the bearing.

[roy]

Roy what experts, give me a contact, the bearing 17 ball, according to BMW Parts is the correct and only part recommended as of 4-10-07, matthew

www.BMWLT.com

I think if you do a search on 17 ball bearing you will find several posts about the bearing going from 19 to 17 & back to 19 balls and the BMW part number never changed.

Roy

[TourDawg]

Roy, you are correct. Anecdotal in my case but when I did the R & R of my crown wheel bearing last fall the 17 ball was gone and the 19 ball was back in the supply all with the same part number. From the oem of 19 ball FAG to a 17 ball SKF to a 19 ball FAG but hopefully not like the earlier oem.
Didn't the Allies bomb the living s---- out Schweinfurt ball bearing factory in WW2? Seems like we missed a few. That bearing with its non-acknowledged overload on the K1200LT certainly has caused a lot of trouble and money loss. The side axial load is really for the tapered roller bearing on that shaft but regardless it is the minuscule but required containment load provided by that blasted 120 mm dia. ball bearing. It can be done but that axial load can be jigged up but you better have excess time on your hands.

[roadcrave]

The best thing would be to see what is currentyly available and the info your giving me does not match with BMW parts dept, the only bearing im told available is the 17 Ball, so someone does not have there facts straight...matthew

[roy]

The best thing would be to see what is currentyly available and the info your giving me does not match with BMW parts dept, the only bearing im told available is the 17 Ball, so someone does not have there facts straight...matthew

Matthew,
have you physically gone to your dealers and looked at what they have on the shelf? Depending on the age of there inventory it could be either a 17 or 19 ball version. Which do you want?

They both fit in the same place and do the same job. This bearing has been in use for years. My 85K100 has the same bearing as my 02 K1200LT. Some last 20K miles and lots more last 50K +. Reports state that around 4% of these bearings have a premature death yet they get 96% of the attention since people tend to complain more about defects than praise what is working.

Roy

[roadcrave]

Dealor says QUOTE; ((17 BALL IS THE ONLY BEARING AVAILABLE)) , NO OTHER BEARING HAS REPLACED IT or superceded it, AS OF 4/10/07 this is current info for this bearing...matthew

[Polarbear]

17 or 19 balls will make absolutely NO difference in the life of the bearing in a m/c rear end application, IF the things were manufactured correctly from the beginning! The process of building bearings and heat treating the metals is so vital to their life and this is almost always the reason for failure, when the metals are not properly set for their heat loads in life. I think you'll find the torque load of both 17 and 19 ball bearings to be way sufficient for any load from BMW motorcycles. Engineering these for applicable machinery is usually never a close call for failure rates, so its my opinion from experience that the bearings failed due to the above reason I mentioned. BMW has probably found, from their own research that the supplier made a bad batch, with questionable results and this happens in many steel manufacturing facilities, without enough dilligence in testing the end product. We're human and things are bad sometimes; This surely does not make us feel better. We grin and bear it! I've had one fail, too in my KLT:(:(

[roadcrave]

Ive come to the conclusion that after a year or so of debat on this topic to order a second rear drive which I did, as a spare, thus no down time in prime riding conditions...cost 300$ peace of mind priceless----matthew

[Polarbear]

Mine was a bearing failure in AZ on a cross country trip. I trucked it home, via U Haul, self drive kind of thing. The second time, it was found by my dealer, as I was having tires changed out. My dealer did the first rebuild, so I had him do a look see when tire time came and he found it loose again, before a side of the road breakdown could occur again. Rebuilt again and no reoccurance in 50000 miles so far:). All was covered by BMW, but the cost is 750$ for the job of rebuild here in CA, if one were to pay out of pocket. This was only bearings,etc, as my gear set was unscathed...Good luck with yours,Randy13233

[IAMBOB]

Mine was a bearing failure in AZ on a cross country trip. I trucked it home, via U Haul, self drive kind of thing. The second time, it was found by my dealer, as I was having tires changed out. My dealer did the first rebuild, so I had him do a look see when tire time came and he found it loose again, before a side of the road breakdown could occur again. Rebuilt again and no reoccurance in 50000 miles so far:). All was covered by BMW, but the cost is 750$ for the job of rebuild here in CA, if one were to pay out of pocket. This was only bearings,etc, as my gear set was unscathed...Good luck with yours,Randy13233

I'm having issues (hopefully passed but...) how do you check for "looseness"?

[roy]

I'm having issues (hopefully passed but...) how do you check for "looseness"?

With the bike on the center stand grab the rear wheel at 6 & 12 o'clock. and try to wiggle it. Do the same at 3 & 9 O'clock. There should be no movement of the wheel in relation to the final drive.