Swingarm Bearing Removal - Help?

[Rare Scottish Tree Badger]

OK, so my swingarm bearings have been shot out for a while. I pick up a new pair tomorrow, so I thought right, get the old ones out tonight. ... I've just pulled the swingarm out and the rollers just about fell out on their own. Many of them did!

 

So now I'm left with the outer shells but I'm struggling to get these out. What's left of the outer edge of the bearing just breaks away when I try to fold it in with a punch. ..... Are there any tricks here? The Yamaha manual doesn't make out they are a problem to remove. .... "remove" is about all they say and then it moves on to "inspect".

 

Are we talking 'heat' here, or a small chisel to cut them. Anyone got the answer?

 

Rare.

[banshee boy 98]

if you can get a screw driver behind the race you can twist it and they will just peal right out.

good luck some times they can be a real PAIN.

if the bearings were that bad concider your self lucky you got the bolt out. usualy it is stuck and has to be cut.

[J-Madd]

I had exactly the same problem. I used my dremel and ground the races until they were real thin, then used the cutting wheel to try to demolish them. I heated the swingarm and dropped a socket (17mm, I think) inside. (I had my swingarm off and on its side with the axle still in place.) The socket would barely catch a piece of the race, and I would hit it with a piece of pipe. I would pass through the race, and I would do it again about 50 times. Keep grinding on it also, it weakens it (the race). OH YEAH......heat the swingarm...that helps too.

 

Hope this helps. It's a B.i.t.c.h.

Edited March 18, 2005 by J-Madd

[J-Madd]

if you can get a screw driver behind the race you can twist it and they will just peal right out.

good luck some times they can be a real PAIN.

if the bearings were that bad concider your self lucky you got the bolt out. usualy it is stuck and has to be cut.

340884[/snapback]

 

I used a 20 pound sledge hammer to get my bolt out!

[Rare Scottish Tree Badger]

I used a 20 pound sledge hammer to get my bolt out!

340890[/snapback]

 

The bolt wasn't too bad. I'd taken it out just before christmas when I did a stripdown to powdercoat the frame. It was then that I realised one of the bearings needed done. Even then I only had to use a ball pein hammer and a bit of backwards and forwards bashing!

 

I've only done a few hours since then 'cos by bike was stolen on 1st Jan. Luckily we recovered it a fortnight ago minus a load of stuff.... Plastics, seat, grips etc. Luckily the motor is fine.

 

Thanks for the advice. .... I've tried the screwdriver trick, but just can't get a gap to start. I even used the grinder to sharpen an old broken punch: I got a gap to start then, but it just broke away. I'll go and put some heat on the swingarm and try the ground down punch again. I must get myself a set of small chisels, I'm sure that'll get the buggers!

 

Aye, it's a B.I.T.C.H. !!

 

Rare.

[Rare Scottish Tree Badger]

Wey Hey!!!! That did it! Amazing what a bit of heat can do.

 

I only had a hot air gun, but I strapped it to a broom handle with a cable tie and left it there firing at the edge of the swingarm for five minuits. .... Re-sharpened the makeshift chissel and away it went. The heat must have been enough to soften the outer shell so as to stop it shattering. ... It folded in pretty easily once I'd managed to start a gap.

 

The collar's in a real mess! I'll get that on a lathe tomorrow and try and get away with taking a thou or two off it. I should have ordered a full replacement kit, but this'll do untill I get one.

 

Thanks guys!

 

Rare.