top hat

[Zombie Master]

What are the chances of removing the bearing seal without destroying it?

[melville]

Zero chance. They're an affordable part and you'll want a fresh seal running on your fresh top hat.

[gspd]

What are the chances of removing the bearing seal without destroying it?

If it's a metal outer edge seal, zero
If it's not, almost zero

[Zombie Master]

Well the local dealer has seals in stock! Find me another company that will have parts in stock for a 1984 motorcyle!

My question today is about wheel alignment. I would have checked the wheel alignment when I shimmed the wheel over, so if I replace the current (wheeled shimmed over to allow the fatter tire) back to the stock top hat shim, will I need to realign the wheels? Just trying to decide If should bother changing the shim and seal. I guess there will be some uneven wear on the rear brake hub as well to consider.

Your thoughts

Thanx!

[barryh]

The only aspect of wheel alignment that will be changed by the wider spacer is the offset and not by much, only 1.5mm. When the wider spacer was introduced BMW advised dealers to measure the offset and adjust if necessary to a maximum of 4mm. I'm not sure how much adjustment is possible given there is only so much scope using the swinging arm bearings. Sounds odd that you would move the rear wheels over to one side of the bikes centre line but then airheads are already odd and isn't the engine mounted offset from the centre line of the frame. I suspect the majority of people that fitted a bigger spacer didn't worry about 1.5mm or moving it back again when the normal spacer was used.

[gspd]

...will I need to realign the wheels?

I doubt you'll notice a difference, but I would do it on principle.
Pretty sure some bikes are made with the wheels not perfectly in line with each other.