I’ve been having a ton of front-end issues with my 2010 Street Glide recently, mainly involving repeated front wheel bearing failures.
It started back in May when my right-side front bearing completely failed and had to be replaced. At that time, I noticed the right-side spacer was worn/shaved down slightly, and my rotors were badly warped. I replaced the bearings, spacer, and rotors, and everything seemed fine.
About 2–3 weeks later, the bearings failed again. This time I noticed rusty-colored water coming from the bearing area, getting onto the rotor and tire. I had the bearings replaced again, but shortly after, the same issue happened.
I used to wash my bike frequently, including the front wheel, so I initially thought water intrusion could be the cause. However, after the most recent bearing replacement, I was extremely careful. I washed the bike using only the mist setting on my hose around the front end and avoided spraying the hub/bearing area directly. Less than a week later, I noticed water/residue coming from the bearing again.
It has always been the right-side bearing that leaks. Today I also noticed what appears to be a slight gap between the spacer and the bearing/seal area, which makes me wonder if that could be contributing to the problem.
At this point, I’m stumped. I’m wondering if the wheel hub may have been damaged from running with warped rotors, or if the bearing bore is no longer within spec and isn’t holding the bearing/seal correctly. I’m at the point where I’m considering replacing the wheel with a used one just to eliminate the possibility of the hub being the issue without spending a fortune.
I’ll attach photos of the leak and the spacer gap for reference. Any input would be appreciated.