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I'm looking to buy the swingarm, shock linkage, lower shock bearings. I gave CBR a call but they said they only have the wheel bearings.

Can anyone recommend the best of what's available. I'm guessing that PivotWorks would be the best but not sure if AllBalls are any good or if there are any other options.

Thanks for the help!!!

P.S. Don't know the condition of mine but no way I'm taking it all apart, then waiting a week to get the bearings to reinstall. I'll forget how they go back toghether!!

It's a bother...but if you have the spec of the bearings (buykawi lists the ID/OD/length) you would be better off getting them from a bearing outfit.

BJH has an inside track on bearings...

Point is that PivotWorks bearings are NOT caged/pinned. Now...that's a good thing if you look at it from the length of roller/load point of view. It kinda stinks when it comes to cleaning them. They all fall out!

But it's much easier to clean/pack them well when all the pieces come out. Just don't lose any of the `lil puckers.

Yeah..keep a close eye on those PivotWorks 'kits'. Some of the parts you would think they contain...they won't. Like..their suspension kit does not contain the lower shock bearing.

Lessee...something else that was different. Their swingarm bearings are like 2x long (compared to oem). So..you use only one each side..not two.

Sorry..I'm not 100% on that. It was SOMEthing along those lines. Something to keep in mind if you have a zerked bike. Most zerking methods need that space between the two oem bearings.

CC,
How do you order your bearings?

I got my swingarm stuff in a PivotWorks kit...from RockyMtn. That's how I know about the bearing differences.

Wheels come from CBR.

Model specific stuff (steering stem bearings until BJH came up with a X-ref) from the local dealer or RonAyers.

Bottom shock bearing? What bearing? ;) I don't need no steeenking bearing!

**edit***
None of which may answer your question? How do I order? Off the web in the case of RonAyers and RM. By walking in the front door of either a local bike shop or dealer. On the phone w/CBR.

...but, I don't think that's what you really wanted to know.

Thanks CC. That helps quite a bit acually. I know that's the way I'm doing it and just didn't want to have missed a secret tip or anything.

Anyway: Took everything apart. Of course it all looks like new after cleaning. Everything is in good shape and no sign of rust or rot on anything. I took the bearings out by heating and tapping. Is that the standard method? Starting with the swingarm bearings, I tapped on them cold with a 2 lb sledge and a socket that fit up snug. No go. Heated the swingarm and tapped, they came out pretty easy.
Any other tricks to remove or install the bearings? I saw Inda's "tools" but could not figure out how they would be utilized without a bearing being removed or installed. Any photos of that Inda?

Stupid me, I ordered a complete set of PivotWorks bearings before dissasembly and my next question is: Should I just stick the origonals back in or go ahead and put the PivotWorks in now since I have them apart?

Thanks guys!

don't forget to freeze your bearings before you stick em back in

Thanks Wibby!
I've decided to put the origonal bearings back in, there's not a thing wrong with them. Even the lower shock bearing looks great. The grease was still in the bearings but had broken down some to a consistancy of gear lube, sorta. Thinner than the grease I use anyway. No sign of moisture, wear or corrosion.
So now I will have a complete Pivot Works bearing set for the suspension and swingarm on hand.

Now, you did say freeze THE bearings or freeze MY bearings?

If the originals look and feel good i'd grease them back up and put them back in. Keep the new set on hand for when you need it next.

-Maurice

I don't remove the bearings to clean them. Yeah, removal makes cleaning easier and probably more effective.

The act of removing/installing bearings over and over in a cast aluminum piece seems like a bad idea to me. Do it often enough (too often?) and the aluminum piece is going to end up being too large a diameter to effectively hold the bearings.

Besides, on the double bearing inserts, removal of them requires pushing them both out the same side? Well, or using one to push the other out, then pushing the first one back?

Too much pushing, pressing, bearing pressure and cast aluminum deformation going on to suit me.

I don't remove the bearings to clean them either. I have never heard of anyone doing that. Basically, you already beat on them once and now you are going to beat on them again during reinstallation??

Wibby has a $40 arbor press from Harbor Freight Tools that he said worked great.

In the past, I only have had one swingarm bearing removed, and I took it to a shop to get it pressed out using a hydraulic press (they have those at Harbor Freight, too). I have beat out rear wheel bearings, but I wouldn't try to beat out swingarm or linkage bearings. That's just me, though.

Freezing the bearings is great advice. Just put the bearings in a zip-loc bag and put them in the freezer for 3 or more hours. That has helped me on rear wheel bearing installs before.

I have a new PivotWorks lower shock bearing kit, plus a set of Moose (All Balls) rear wheel bearing kit. From just looking at them, I like the PivotWorks better. I once had H model PivotWorks swingarm and linkage kits (bought 3 kits on eBay and kept only the shock bearing kit). They looked good.

It is about $20 for OEM lower shock bearing parts from ronayers.com vs. about $35 for PivotWorks.

canyncarvr wrote:I don't remove the bearings to clean them. Yeah, removal makes cleaning easier and probably more effective.

The act of removing/installing bearings over and over in a cast aluminum piece seems like a bad idea to me. Do it often enough (too often?) and the aluminum piece is going to end up being too large a diameter to effectively hold the bearings.

Besides, on the double bearing inserts, removal of them requires pushing them both out the same side? Well, or using one to push the other out, then pushing the first one back?

Too much pushing, pressing, bearing pressure and cast aluminum deformation going on to suit me.

I agree. That's why I stopped at the swing arm. The unitrack link was taken off and the bearings cleaned while still installed.

***EDIT***
Thanks Jason for that reminder. Wibby, do you still have photos of the press and the bearing removal kit? Also, do you have the harbor freight part #'s. Dang, I placed an order with Harbor just last week. Looks like I'm going to again. Cheers!

Wibby is probably hanging out in his cool shed, so here is the URL:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/D ... umber=3552

I imagine it would be good for swingarm and linkage bearings (all 4, including "lower shock bearing" which is really one of the three in the linkage "knuckle"). Isn't there a rubber bushing in the top of the 1989 and up shocks? If so, it may be good for that, too. Fortunately, the wheel bearings are not as difficult to remove as linkage, shock and swingarm bearings and bushings.

That arbor press has been on my "eventual tools to get" list for too long.

Not sure if this is the same set I have, since it is 'bout 5 bux cheaper than the set I bought

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/D ... mber=38145

Note on freezing.

If you have the choice...do use something other than a frost free appliance. Even with the bearing in a bag there will be enough moisture to cause a problem when the frost-free unit goes through a defrost cycle.

Yeah...it's going to get wet anyway...but why help that process out?

Oh...clean and regrease it before you put it in for a chill. ;)

Another -Oh-...if you're dealing with a bearing that goes on the OUTside of something (like the steering stem), put the stem in the freezer...not the bearing.

Yeah..intuitively obvious to a casual observer and all that...but there 'ya go.

IMO, anyway.

I don't have a fancy arbor press...but I use a vise as often as I can. A vise doesn't work too well for wheel bearings...and I couldn't get the swingarm quite square enough to do the job (correctly). After starting one bearing in the swingarm a bit wonky, I opted for the blocks of wood, correct socket sizes and a neanderthal weighted-swinging tool method (a big honkin' hamner). But I do t-a-p with such a tool. Just 'cuz it's a BHH don't mean you have to beat the pee-wah out of it! ;)

It's inertia that is your friend in that case...not force.

HEY! That makes sense on the lower steering stem bearing. I have never had to replace one before, but if I do, maybe I will remember your tip.

By the way, about zerking the swingarm, on an '87, the sleeve has two holes in it to allow the grease to flow into the area between the sleeve and bearing.

Are you saying you have read where pople just get it between the two OEM bearings??

More great tips. Thanks! I did pack 'em in grease first and then vacuum sealed them with my kitchen food sealer. Man that thing is handy for so many things. I carry a spare oiled air filter that way that's thinner than a pancake. Matches, etc will always stay dry in a vacuum sealed package.

Jason: Sorry. I'm missing something.

Well, if:

Jason wrote:Are you saying you have read where people just get it between the two OEM bearings??

..is even directed to me.

My comment regarding the two bearings had to do with their removal. You can place them (both already out) one at a time..but you cannot remove one without moving both. Well...I don't have the tool it would take to get inbetween the two and pull one out.

As noted earlier..the PivotWorks bearing set uses one bearing...not two..in the oem dual-bearing positions.

Can I get one'a those vacuum seal thingys to keep me dry on my street bike?

Yep, it was asked to you. Since there is an air gap between the two OEM bearings, I was wondering if people with zerks just shoot the grease into that gap. I guess so. I am just used to the one bearing / one sleeve style. On my '87, there is a zerk on each end of the swingarm bolt, which leads to the sleeve. The sleeve has two holes (180 degrees apart) that allow the grease to get to the bearing surface. I was having trouble figuring out how it worked on newer models that people installed the zerks themselves.

Thanks.

Here's a pic of my cheap bearing removal tool, no beating for me.

canyncarvr wrote:
Point is that PivotWorks bearings are NOT caged/pinned. Now...that's a good thing if you look at it from the length of roller/load point of view. It kinda stinks when it comes to cleaning them. They all fall out!

But it's much easier to clean/pack them well when all the pieces come out. Just don't lose any of the `lil puckers.

How about moose bearings, does anyone know if they are caged/pinned?