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Replacing Linkage Bearings - What Tools To Use?
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Posted by: MACE---------------------
OK so I'm replacing the "relay arm" and all the bearings and pivot bolts on my rear suspension. See:
http://dirtrider.net/forums3/showth...?threadid=23815
There's eight total bearings to press out/in including the swingarm. Me being Me I see this as justification to go out and buy a 20 ton press. Harbour Fright - $200.
I can make a press tool from barstock.
Any comments on this plan or advice? Do you use heat or freeze the bearings or anything else heroic?
BTW, 98 YZ250
Posted by: MACE---------------------
I'm doing this work because I found the relay arm (rocker arm) bolt broken in half. I'm still shook up to think how bad it could have been if the relay had let go in a whoop field or something. Brrrrrrr. I'm replacing everything but the swing arm so I can be confident of the integrity of my linkage.
go check you linkage
Posted by: P_Taylor---------------------
get out that smithy and turn yourself a punch the right size to drive them out , just get yourself a bolt a little oversize at the hardware store and start cutting on it
I have used my vise as a press to put them in and out also.
Posted by: KawieKX125---------------------
Just use a vice and some sockets. Works very, very well.
Posted by: Jeremy Wilkey---------------------
Mace,
Don't forget the heat... Light heat makes a nice improvement in your efforts.
Regards,
Jer
Posted by: bwalker---------------------
As does a good soak in a break free oil.
Posted by: Hogwylde---------------------
Forget the presses. You can make yourself a nifty bearing press/puller EASY. Just go down to the hardware store and get yourself a piece of "allthread". Get the biggest size that you can fit thru the middle of your 1/2 in socket set. Also get several nuts and washers. Use two nuts on one end jammed together, then find a deep well socket a little larger than the bearing you are pressing out, then find one that is about the same size. Run the allthread thru the socket, the bearing and the other socket....then screw a nut on the other end. Then take your wrenches and tighten down the nuts. The socket that is slightly smaller then the bearing will press the bearing out the other side INTO the socket that is slightly larger than the bearing. No hammering or risk of damage from hammering bearing. They just slide out. (works on putting them in also!!). Couple of bucks at the hardware store and your deep well socket set and you have a very nice, variable size bearing press that you can make yourself and works GREAT!
Posted by: MACE---------------------
Well, some very good suggestions. Thanks! I decided to practice on the relay arm I'm replacing. I first tried the allthread method. I found that with a little heat and a lot of torque I could get the bearings to move. It seemed like I was stretching the tread as it was getting harder to hand tread the nut. It seemed like a lot of work to do all the bearings that way and I'm not sure it would work for the double set of bearings I'd have to push through on the swingarm (SA) and connecting link.
So I tried the vise. The vise worked better than the allthread but I felt like I was abusing the vise reefing on it that way. I also thought the SA was going to require a lot of extra hands to hold in placewhile pressing. I actually broke a vise once using it in a similar manner(man, he's so dumb he can break an anvil). I paid $100 for my replacement vise. I got to thinking about breaking my $100 vise and how Harbor Fright had the 12 ton on sale locally for $99.99 and...
The 12 ton press works wonderfully! 
It is a joy to use the proper tool. I made a few press supports and those bearings just pop right out and right back in.
Now if my new parts would just get here!
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