Shock top bearing

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JD
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Shock top bearing

Post by JD »

Is there an easy way, or at least some trick, to getting the top shock bearing assembly apart? I went to repack the linkage bearings and sure enough, the bottom bearing was toast.

I'm replacing both bearings while I have the thing apart. Or I intend to if I can get at that top one!
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Post by KDXGarage »

Are you talking about the bushing in the top of the shock??
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Post by JD »

Yes. I assumed it was a bearing because I ordered a bearing kit for it that included top and bottom "bearings". Do you just press the bushing out?
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Post by KDXGarage »

As best I know it is just pressed out/in. Is yours wore out?? That would be odd on a 2004 model.

If you don't mind me asking, what brand of bearing kit did you get? I have never heard of one that came with the upper shock bushing. That is interesting.

Thanks.
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Post by skipro3 »

BTW, the KX rear shock uses a bearing on it's top mount. I tried to get a KX shock to fit my KDX. It won't work because it's longer overall length. There's probably some way to shorten the stroke on the KX shock. I bet Jason could figure it out, no problem. Then it would fit a KDX. I stopped trying because the KDX rear shock works so well and the top bushing seems to last just fine.
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Post by JD »

Pivotworks is the brand I believe. I was repacking the bearings for a ride on Thursday when I noticed the bottom bearing was completely toast. I sent a panicked IM to my parts guy that night (Tuesday) and he ordered the parts that night so I would have them Thurs afternoon.

Looking in Dennis Kirk I see that it is Pivot Works that offer the shock bearing kits. It says it comes with two bearings. Maybe I'm getting a top bearing instead of a bushing. :grin:
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Post by KDXGarage »

Thanks for the information. The info on the DK site looks generic and not specific to a KDX, but looking on the PW site makes me think it vomes with the rubber bushing. I have one of those shock bearing kits, but I think it doesn't come with the upper bushing. Either I am wrong, or they changed the contents as some point.

Thanks again for the information.
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Post by JD »

They didn't change the contents, still comes with a bushing for the top mount :sad:

Oh, well. I didn't bother to change it because the old one still looked good.

Just a word of warning to anybody else out there replacing their shock bottom bearing - it comes with a little plastic insert in the bearing. Leave that in while you are pressing the bearing into the linkage! It keeps the needle bearings in the race. I almost chucked it, but luckily left it in because I would have had the needles all over the floor and I would have been outrageously pissed off at myself! I discovered this after I had it in and was gooing it up extra good with some grease and found a bunch of the needles sticking to the gob of grease on my finger.
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Post by skipro3 »

Good reminder JD; the pivot works bearings are not caged. Use caution!!!

Looking at my KX shock and my KDX shock, I'd say a KX top shock bearing would fit the KX shock just fine. It's a true needle bearing just like the bottom. FWIW and all that.
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Post by KDXGarage »

ski, that got me curious, so I looked on PivotWorks. The KDX bushing is 10 x 28 x 27. The KDX lower/KX upper/KX lower bearing is 16 x 22 x 12. The bearing is the samePivotWorks part number in each kit.
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Post by skipro3 »

So, the KX uppper and lower bearing is the same part and is also the same part as the KDX lower bearing. But also looking, the seals are different from top to bottom. What's with that? I must admit, I don't know how to read the #'s for the bearing/bushing, or the seals.
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Post by Indawoods »

After seeing the differences between a KX and a KDX I believe Kawasaki set out to build an inexpensive entry level dirt bike. Totally as a marketing tool to entice people to get into the sport hoping that they would see how dependable and easy to ride a dirt bike can be and then they would buy a KX next.
Kawasaki skimped on certain areas that were not critical to the operation and with frequent service would last. I don't think they realized that there are a lot of people who don't hit the MX track and just enjoy riding woods. They started a legend without even knowing it. I think the problem now is (and is quite common in business) that the business is going in a different direction. Too focused on one area. They need to split up the business into units like KTM did and develop around a solid frame and suspension. That's why KTM has taken the market by storm.

That said... I still love my KDX even though it might be a dinosaur! But now I am eyeing the KTM 400EXC as a second bike... unless Kawasaki get's it's head out of it's butt! :wink:
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Post by KDXGarage »

The KDX used to be advertised as an off-road racing bike. They may have changed their focus in the late '90's, but compared to the changes since summer of 1994, there were a good bit of changes between the '80's models. There are more changes between and '83 and an '85 or an '86 and an '88 than there are between a '95 and an '06. Anyway, it used to not be like it is now. They didn't have any competition as a Japanese off-road racing bike, so maybe they got stale. Yamaha and Suzuki were no match, and just like the XR250 is to a KDX200 now, the XR200R was nice but not quite a match for a KDX.

Every bike, no matter how cheap or expensive, is designed to meet a price point. Before the Japanese economy started catching on, and maybe excluding Reagan signing a bill to put tariffs on Japanese bikes to save Harley-Davidson's poorly run company, Japanese bikes were a good bit cheaper than the European bikes. Heck, an '87 KDX200 was introduce at MSRP of $1,959.

There used to be a lot more "trickle down" technology from the previous couple of years KX's to the KDX's. For example, the 1986 - 1988 KDX frame is based on the 1985 KX125 frame. The 1989 - 1994 frame was based on the 1988 KX125 frame. Maybe they were hoping for the KDX250 to catch on, as it had a perimeter frame one year after the KX as well as USD forks one year after the KDX.

It seems as a whole, the Kawasaki racing effort has been reduced tremendously. They used to have a strong group back in the very late '90's developing off-road related stuff, such as a wide ratio transmission kit for the '88 or '89 KX250, plus big name riders like Larry Roeseler and **** Burleson. I was rewatching the Las Vegas SX earlier and when Stewart sprained his thumb in a heat race, Team Kawasaki was packing up and had the lights off since Byrne was still injured. WOW!! Two whole factory riders. That is terrific. OK, I will get out of my time warp when Yamaha and Suzuki couldn't beat their way out of a wet paper bag, with Kawasaki and Honda ruling. :grin:

Wait, did you say bearings?? :mrgreen:
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Post by Indawoods »

Bearing reference was the "spin" I put on the topic!~ :lol:
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Post by canyncarvr »

JD:
You will find the bottom bearing to be toast more often than not.

Well, unless you live in the blessed euphoric land of the Ski..his is never bad!

I've replaced it 1/2dz. times at least.

As Ski inferred (PW bearings are not caged)...not on other suspension components (Unitrack) either! Look on the bright side.. makes 'em easy to clean!!

Keep that in mind when it comes to putting the sleeve in. It's not too hard to get one/some of the rollers out of place in the race and the sleeve will bind on install. If you can't easily push it in with your pinky..something is wrong!

I've got about 500 miles on my double sealed bottom shock bearing..and it's still good!

Maybe I'm a step closer to ski-land euphoria!! :roll:

YEEhaw!!

Oh..PW has advertised '...includes top/bottom shock bearings...' forever. Somewhere in the parts description used to be a '..where applicable..' advisory.

Buy their 'Suspension Kit' ...and you don't GET the bottom shock bearing!

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Post by KDXGarage »

I went and checked my kit. It DOES have the top bushing. :supz: WOO-HOO! Thank you JD and canyncarvr for bringing it to my attention. For the record, the other package contents are a needle bearing, sleeve and two seals.
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