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I need some help. I've been going thru a 96 kdx 200, something wasn't right with the rear suspension so I took it apart.

the shock was half full of oil so I rebuilt that and it's working smoothly.

the rear linkage is completely fubar, the bearings are all rusted solid. The worst part is the front most bearing, bolt, and knuckle are all rusted together. I've tried all day with a torch, tons of penetrating oil, hammering on it with a punch, and nothing works. The nut is off of the bolt. The bolt doesn't allow direct access on either side because of the frame spars though. The shaft of the bolt is rusted solid to the bearings.

I'm pretty experienced at wrenching and I don't think this is gonna come out. After a full day of working on it the bolt and link will at least pivot together. I'm thinking of putting the shock back in, leaving the nut off and riding it through some bumps. Really not sure what else to do and looking for ideas.

Even if I could get a grinder in and cut the head of the bolt off it would still be hanging on the frame, I can't reach a drill bit in there to drill it out. It's at the worst possible angle and I've already busted a uni-joint on my socket wrench. Pounding on a wrench with a 10lb BFH just rotates the link and bolt together, very slowly.

Can you take the linkage out and have it pressed out?

Can you take the linkage out and have it pressed out?

The whole point of taking the bolt out is to get the linkage out. The bolt he's talking about is the bolt holding the link in the frame.

OP, I had the same problem getting that bolt out of a KX frame on a hybrid I'm building. I used a coarse SAE bolt and a "connector nut" (basically a long nut) from the hardware store, screwed them together until short enough to just fit between the frame spar and the threaded end of the stuck bolt, with the SAE bolt head toward the frame spar, and a large hardened washer between the bolt head and the frame spar to spread the load on the frame spar.

Then I unscrewed the connector nut to press on stuck bolt. The connector nut was small enough to fit in the link hole as the stuck bolt was pushed out. It was still a lot of work! But with some penetrating oil to help it along, I got the stuck bolt out. It buggered the stuck bolt end, but I expected that.

Hope that helps!

great idea, I will give it a shot tomorrow!

I had a similar situation on a forum member's linkage piece. I used an air cut off wheel to cut into and through the linkage piece, then he bought a used one and I rebuilt it. It was a nightmare to say the least.

Here is a picture of the swingarm.

If you can get in there and cut the bolt on either side of the linkage, just inside the frame ears, you can get the linkage piece out and press the rest of the bolt out on the bench.

They can get really bad. I had a swingarm bolt give me a really hard time

And if you cant get it out either a machine shop or local auto mechanic will be able to press it out some auto shops are not always willing to do that stuff but most will

I can't even get the link off the bike at this point because of that bolt. If I cut both ends off the bolt it would still be hung up between the frame tabs as I could only get it flush..


You can see in the pic both frame spars are blocking access so I can't hammer it directly. I tried the nut/bolt to wedge it out and got maybe 1mm in 3 hours. I really wanted to be riding this weekend and don't want to be waiting for parts. Do you think I should light up my tig torch on the end of this bolt and get it red hot?

CUT IT and GUT IT!!

Just buy another used linkage piece and bolt.

Should be able to get a sawsall in there

+1 on the saws all

Yeah, at this point take a cutoff wheel and cut through the bolt on the inside of the ears ( basically cut through the dust seals) and then replace the linkage. Odds are that if it is that rusted then the bearing seats inside the linkage are shot even if you do get the old ones pressed out. Have said it more times than I can remember on this forum....most neglected area of these bikes and will cause huge headaches (isn't that right RBates? lol)

hey bud....i was reading some of the comments posted regarding your problem....i dealt with a similar situation, completely shot linkage bearings. At this point thru all your efforts, its probably time to cut the bolt out. A sawzall, like others suggested may work if you have no cutting torches....a machine shop would probably do that very cheap....as far as the linkage itself, i went to ebay and found an entire assembly off a 98 in almost brand new condition...it was about $60 but still better than dealing with trying to get gaulded bearings/races out. I agree with you....these things seem to have the ability to freeze to the point of rendering the entire assembly useless

thanks, I cut the dam thing out. seized solid to the sleeve, just for fun I stuck in in the vise after and wailed on it with the 10lb BFH and it still did not budge.

Need some acetylene

Sorry for your troubles, but sometimes that is what it takes.

Let that be a lesson for us all.

KDXohio wrote: Need some acetylene

yea that's what I thought, I lit up my tig torch on the bolt until it was red hot then doused it with penetrating oil and it still wouldn't budge, I should have cut the thing out right off the bat. New bearings are in the mail and I'm looking forward to seeing how this bike rides with the rear suspension working properly.

pne wrote:

KDXohio wrote: Need some acetylene

yea that's what I thought, I lit up my tig torch on the bolt until it was red hot then doused it with penetrating oil and it still wouldn't budge, I should have cut the thing out right off the bat. New bearings are in the mail and I'm looking forward to seeing how this bike rides with the rear suspension working properly.

Alot better!

well i had a feeling cutting this bolt would come back to bite me in the ass. Took it down to the local nut and bolt shop and they didn't have anything close. called all the local kawi dealers and it is backordered in japan until july.

I need some other ideas. I am thinking of buying a straight metric bolt that has no smooth portion, IE threaded throughout and maybe JB welding over the threads? So that there is a smooth part for the bearing sleeve to ride on.

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