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Swingarm pivot popped right out!

Pulled it out with one hand

Same pivot bolt that all the "know it all's" over at drn told me was trashed seven or so years ago!

Pivot bearings were kinda dry though

All the rest seem pretty smooth

well kinda

I decided to check the suspension bearings after reading this thread and found all but one frozen. I picked this bike up in August, now I wish I had known then what I know now, lots of issues.

Going to pick up my new bearings tomorrow and put them in. Thanks for all the insights to the installation process.

Freeze your bearings huh...its been sooo COLD here they ought to slide right in.Im thinking of rolling my bike in the house to work on it. I didnt get the swingarm kit..i couldnt afford it yet..do those bearings generally last a little longer than the linkage ones..do i have to take the swing arm off to do the unilink?

The swingarm bearings do last longer than the linkage ones.
You don't have to take the swingarm off to do the linkage bearings.

The point of bringing up this old post was to point out that a year goes by pretty quick. I'd be happier if I could get motivated to do this type service at 3 month intervals.....

Thanks KarlP...hey you ever ride "the ridge" near Birmingham?

sthutch wrote:I decided to check the suspension bearings after reading this thread and found all but one frozen. I picked this bike up in August, now I wish I had known then what I know now, lots of issues.

Going to pick up my new bearings tomorrow and put them in. Thanks for all the insights to the installation process.

Check the swingarm when you can.

..and the steering head bearings.

The whole shebang..steering, swingarm, linkage, wheel bearings..they 'go away'. It should be part of a normal maintenance routine to service them fairly regularly.

Part of the fun (and the black hole of $$) that is a dirtbike.

KarlP...hey you ever ride "the ridge" near Birmingham?

I have.
Last summer we took a camping and motorcycling vacation with a Blazer pulling a little trailer loaded to the gills. We looked like Gypsies headed to the fleamarket.
I would love to go back with some riding buddies, not again with the wife and kid.
Some of those trails were pretty hairy to be riding alone..........

WHEW! just finished the linkage bearings..they were frozen up and the lower shock bearing was completely trashed..to the point where my uni-link needed a little quick-steel to patch up a rough spot.I used the all balls kit which had everything i needed.A six inch C-clamp and a long socket did the trick for pressing them in.I will definately watch that shock bearing cause its the first to go! Got rid of my slop!

Re: 'Got rid of my slop!'

Easy enough to tell when it's bad..lever the back end off the ground (kickstand works) and just touch the back wheel. Put a finger on the lower shock joint and you will feel slop before you see it. If you catch it soon enough doing that, it will still be serviceable.

It goes away quick.



You will feel quite a difference in your shock performance with a linkage that isn't wallered out.

Wonder if any "E" riders ever had a shock bearing go bad?

I've not seen an 'E' linkage. I don't know how much the Unitrack is similar...OR different.

Maybe it's more protected on the 'E' bike. On the 'H' it hangs well below the pull rods..just achin' to get pounded full of crud.

I'm new to the KDX but I believe mine is an "E" model (93 KDX250).
I just dissassembled my linkage last night and the lower shock bearing had been destroyed long ago and the linkage itself was now completely shot (ovaled badly). Luckily I have a parts bike that had been maintained much better and was able to use that linkage. I've ordered a new lower shock bearing and the others were serviceable. I'd say that the "E" bikes suffer from exactly the same problem if my bike is any indication.

exbee wrote:I'm new to the KDX but I believe mine is an "E" model (93 KDX250).

Nope, sorry, you gotta "D" series

Ok, when were the "E" series built?

E's are 89 - 94 200's

You gotta 250? It aint an E

Gotcha.
Well the "D" series certainly chew up linkage bearings then! I'm sure that's common knowledge around here though.
I'm more thankful for my parts bike everyday. Every time I remove something from the "good" bike I find it's shot and I need to take a part from the "parts" bike. KDX 250's aren't for sale on every corner so I was lucky to get my rolling chasis for $250.

That was a smart move!

Yep, I use MAPP gas and a blind bearing puller to remove them, then freeze the new ones overnight before installing them into a heated case (or whatever you are installing them into).

James

actually I was quite surprised to hear all the nightmares,till I realized most of you have the newer series.In all the years I've had my 93 e series(bought it as a leftover in 94 or 95) I greased the linkage maybe every 2 years and the oe bearings are all good still except for 1.Now swing arm bearings for me was another story.The one failure I have now I figured was from sitting for 4-5 years.