Linkage bearing question

[JWW]

I took apart my rear swingarm this week. Tonight I started to clean and lube the bearings. When I got into the first bearing it looked like cooked grease in between the individual needles. So I started to push the stuff out. Then the individual needles fell out.

In a needle bearing is there a plastic liner of some sort that holds in the individual bearings or is this actually grease that has gone bad?

If it helps its the small link on 01 WR250.

Thanks
Jeff

 

[MilkJuGGz]

Jeff,

I just recently tore down my linkage and swingarm. Yamaha has been using needle bearings without cages for things like the dogbone.. The stuff that crumbled out was probably grease and dirt that's seen way better days.

After cleaning all the needles and the linkage, smear a liberal amount of grease inside the linkage holes so you can just "stick" the needles to the inner wall. Then smear even more grease in there. We like lots of grease!

Should be just like new :-)

Btw, if you tear down the whole swingarm, the big pivot should be an actual caged bearing.... at least it is on my 96 WR.

~JuGGz

 

[jmics19067]

I have heard < read this in the suspension forum>that the newer yamahas have nylon cages in them now and atleast one person removes the nylon completely and just packs them with grease <as stated earlier>at clean up time. Take it as hearsay though since I am not sure if iether is true or if it works but I think I would try it.

 

[biglou]

I have removed that nylon "cage" on one bike (the Hurricane) with no issues. Just remove all your bearings, clean the needles and the race as clean as humanly possible, slather the race with grease and then stick the needles in place. The grease will hold them. Then add more grease, just like mentioned above. :thumb:

 

[JWW]

I really wish I would have listened to everybodys advice. These bearings are DRY. I dont really see how I could pack the bearing with the nylon cage in place. It will go in the trash tonight.

Thanks for the help
Jeff

 

[bclapham]

jeff, pull out all of that yellow lube impregnated polymer and the needles clean out with solvent and then repack with blue bellray grease. each shell has 28 needles in full.

 

[JWW]

Thanks Bruce

 

[a454elk]

My needle bearings are the same way, found out the hard way when I went to clean them out, oops, popped one out, crap, now I gotta take them out and re-align them. Worth it though, they were pretty dry. Don't forget to grease the swing arm bolt that goes through the frame, they get dried out and corroded with water and stuff.;)

 

[biglou]

I like to take a wire wheel to the linkage bolts if you can. Makes cleaning those up a snap. Makes reassembly a bit easier as well.