Linkage Bearings and Swingarm.

[Kyleb15]

Hey guys, my rear suspension has always felt really stiff. I have had recomendations from the board to check the bearings. And so I did. What I found was that the bearings were shot. The needles literally felt out on all the linkage part. I have just a few questions.
1. Are there outer races that have to come out of the linkage? Are they pressed in?
2. When hammering out the seals, i broke things on the inside of the linkage that almost looked like C clips, but the dont have a notch, they are a complete O. What are these?
3. I am going to get the shock rebulit while at it, and at mxtechs site it says 89.99, does anyone know if that include parts, and labor?
4. There seems to be no bearing or bushing in the engine, where the swingarm bolt is supposed to go thru, is there supposed to be?
Thanks, and it is a 2000 YZ 125

 

[wornknobby]

well i do know there isn;t supposed to be a bearing in the engine hole, and i don't believe there are any outer races, just bearings and collars

 

[Kyleb15]

Thanks, anyone else?

 

[Zenith]

The bearings are in a shell which needs to be driven out of the linkage before new ones can be fitted. It is normal for the needles to fall out; the bearings are 'full-complement' meaning there is no cage holding the needles in.
Not sure what those complete Os are, possibly something broken off the bearing shells?
No there is no bearing in the engine where the swingarm pivot bolt goes through.
It's rare for those prices to include parts for shock rebuilds. Maybe oil but that will be it. If you need seals or anything you will pay extra.

Your best bet for the linkage bearings is to buy the Pivot Works kits. These come with the bearings (proper full-complement ones which are VERY hard to come buy from normal bearing specialists), seals and bushes and anything else you need. Just putting new bearings in there without seals and bushes would be a waste of time and money, they'll be shot in no time (learned this from experience too many times).
You will need a linkage and shock kit. If the swingarm bearings are also shot, you will need a swingarm kit as well...

 

[Kyleb15]

Well do you have any suggestions as to how to get the shells out. They look to be only about 1/16 thick if that. Can it be done without a press? I am going to get a set of pivot works from ****. Thanks

 

[Zenith]

Yep it can definitely be done without a press, I've never used one.
Well the shell is usually a U shape (as in it has edges that come up), but if those rings you were talking about are actually the sides of the shell broken off that will make it more difficult. With the shell intact I'd usually find a couple of washers just a bit smaller then the outside of the shell, bolt them together and use them and a hammer to drive the shells out. You will need to heat the linkage around the bearing with a blow torch before you start using the hammer. They should pop out. If you have a load of different washers, nuts and bolts you can also make up a puller to pull the shell out by tightening the nuts. This is hard to explain but it should be obvious what I'm getting at.
Now if the edges are gone off the shells so you're just left with the thin piece of metal it will be more difficult. I doubt you'll find a washer the exact right size to get behind this. The only way I could do it before was to use a hacksaw to cut the shell. You need to be VERY careful not to damage the linkage itself, but as soon as you cut through the shell it will pop out easily...

 

[Kyleb15]

Thanks, I really appreciate the info. I should be able to do it now. When you say heat it up, do you mean the outside of the linkage? Obviously that is the only place, but i am just making sure. Does the heat hurt the linkage at all? Thanks

 

[Zenith]

Yes the outside of the aluminium linkage in the general vacinity of the shells you are taking out. This will cause the aluminium linkage to expand more then the shell, allowing the shell come out easier. When putting the new bearings in if you freeze the bearings over night and heat the linkage before installing them you'll make it MUCH easier (frozen bearings shrink, heated linkage expands and voila!).
Excessive heating of the linkage will damage it, but it takes quite a bit of heat to do this. I usually heat it for about a minute on a fairly strong flame from a small butane torch. I was told before one way to make sure you don't heat it too much is hold a piece of wood against the aluminium, if it starts smoking don't heat it anymore. Not sure how accurate that is though :)...

 

[Kyleb15]

Well I have tried making a pull, that didn't move the race, at all. I tried the hack saw, it didn't even touch the race. And I heated it up too. I think my last options are the bandsaw, or my friend got his out with some kind of an air hammer, I might let him do it. Not sure what else to do.

 

[WaltCMoto]

What about an air grinder or dremel with a 1/8 mounted tip. grind through the shell 90 % and it will become weakened so you can wrestle it out somehow.

 

[mtk]

They're a lot easier to get in and out with a hydraulic press.

 

[phranticness]

another thought, when you heat the linkage, spray penitrating lube at the race/linkage seam (not with flame present, but when hot enough to make the lube smoke), the heat will draw the lube between the two and make things easier.

 

[Zenith]

Kyleb15 - Bit more persistence with the hacksaw will do it, just get some new blades. I've done it this way before and it does work...