KDXRIDER.NET

hi, well i have just a few questions. I have decided to save for a raod bike. Well this is not gonna help my kdx fund. So im trying to only get the items i need for this bike. Right now i need a new top end at least. everything else i got. Well, I have some bearings for my bike and i was wondering how i can tell if they need replacing. Some are kinda seized up from rust and/or from lack of grease. I was wondering instead of paying $85 for a moose bearing kit if i can just regrease them and get them moving good again. That is my question. If it is a yes, how can i tell if they are worn down and need replacing anyway? I am one my first monoshock bike so i dont know what it feels like when the beaings for the swingarm/linkage/and shock are worn down. Please help. thanks

Put the bike on a stand so the rear wheel and linkage is off the ground. Grab the rear wheel and see if you can move it up or down without the suspension/bike moving. If you can the bottom shock bearing is most likely toasted and/or the bottom linkage hole is out of round. Grab the rear wheel at the top and see if you can rock it side to side. If you can the wheel bearings are most likely shot.

Depending on where you live you might be able to make your KDX street legal. If your wish to ride on the road is limited to the occasional ride around town that would most likely work out fine.

is there a way to tell if they are worn when the bike is apart??

If you can clean them up and grease them with waterproof grease, then re-install and try m0rie's method of determining too much slop, then you are going to know if they are still serviceable. I've revived mine that way and while I have a complete set of bearings, I've only needed to replace one to date.

Are they dry, red and rusty, with some red dusty powder on them? If so, then it is time to replace them. I recently bought a dirt bike, and the swingarm bearings and lower shock bearing were dry, red and dusty-rusty.

my shock bearing is dry dusty and red, well i guess i will replace, CAn i do it myself with the right size socket for banging em and in??

Yes but a press does a better job. Wibby got a nice little set from Harbor Freight at one time I seem to recall.

TEN DOLLAR!! I FINALLY bought one myself after he told me, ummmm, maybe 2 years ago about it.

Yes, you can do it yourself but a bearing driver set is quite handy.

I don't think "banging" and "driving" are the same thing. Do you have a vise? Maybe try some penetrating oil to try to help loosen it first.

Harbor Freight has some arbor presses that could do the trick. wibby has one of those and said it worked well.

We have a large 20 ton hydraulic press that works dandy for driving bearings in and out. Just choose the appropriate sized socket and goto town. I'm going to give it a whirl to drive the KDX stem out of the clamp when I get to that point.

ya ill go pick me up one of them 20 presses it cant cost too much. by the way what was ten dollars???

kdx220freak wrote:ya ill go pick me up one of them 20 presses it cant cost too much. by the way what was ten dollars???

A 20 ton press runs substantially more than $10. For $20 your looking at a little manual crank arbor press like this one:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/D ... umber=3551

They handle stuff like driving bearings out very well.

If you only need the lower shock mount needle bearing (16 ID x 22 OD x 12 W), you can pick it up at a bearing supply house, or order it from some place like mcmaster.com, catalog# 5905K76. They are the weakest link in the rear suspension bearing chain. You can bang it out and carefully drive it in, but a vise works nice.

How much force are we talking about to remove these bearings or the KDX stem, would a drill press work, or a vice like mentioned above?

The $10 thing was a seal driver kit.

KDX220Phil - I don't think the bearings take much force, but I don't think a drill press or vice would work on a stem.

Jason-You get my PM??
Jack

Hi. Yes, I was writing while you were sending.