Anyone take one apart

[73 Cat guy]

I want to take this rear bogie wheel apart, off my 71' Panther but I don't want to ruin the rubber ( o ring or what ever it is) that surrounds the metal center. Is there a way to get the metal center piece out so I can clean and re grease it without messing up the rubber surrounding it ?

[Vintagesleds.com]

[JLOpower]

Well, you can remove all those rivets and separate the side plates from the bearing and the tire.

However,

I believe the factory assembled them hot and that provided a better bond between the rubber and the plates. Not sure if I would try it. Why can't you spray cleaner into the bearing from the side and replace the grease afterwards? Brake clean won't harm the rubber.

[73 Cat guy]

Well, you can remove all those rivets and separate the side plates from the bearing and the tire.

However,

I believe the factory assembled them hot and that provided a better bond between the rubber and the plates. Not sure if I would try it. Why can't you spray cleaner into the bearing from the side and replace the grease afterwards? Brake clean won't harm the rubber.

I thought brake cleaner would eat at the rubber.

[Vics stuff]

 I have some of these wheels also. I plan on drilling out the rivets and replacing the inner bearings on mine then rebucking new rivets back in.Just need to mark both halves to make sure that they are indext the same. The inner rubber behind the aluminum  halves is sandwiched and can easily be re sandwiched back between the two halves.
 Vic

[73 Cat guy]

Well, you can remove all those rivets and separate the side plates from the bearing and the tire.

However,

I believe the factory assembled them hot and that provided a better bond between the rubber and the plates. Not sure if I would try it. Why can't you spray cleaner into the bearing from the side and replace the grease afterwards? Brake clean won't harm the rubber.

I read the back of a can of CRC Brakleen and it said to protect rubber parts. I think that CRC may have a Synthetic brake cleaner and that one would be ok, synthetic's will be compatible with rubber.

[polaris-case]

I have found " Auto Values " brake clean to be the best. It doesn't have that harsh smell doesn't harm rubber and I can use on my vehicles upholstery to clean a grease spot. Dale

[JLOpower]

Brake clean will swell soft rubber parts like brake cylinder boots and cups with prolonged exposure but a couple of minutes of contact on the hard rubber won't hurt anything.