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How to replace swing arm bearings

56K views 26 replies 11 participants last post by  Jeepwm69 
#1 ·
This coveres pretty much all swing arm bearings in utility atv's, I can't speak for sport atv's ?..maybe they are the same ?. here is a run down on how to go about replacing swing arm bearings. tapered bearings..or any swing arm bearings for that matter are pressed in the swing arm. as for after market tapered bearings ?..they are a 2 piece bearing..they have an outter race..and the inner race where the bearing rollers are. you will need to get the old bearing race or bearing out ..depends on what is in there now ?. once they are out..then you put the backing plate in..then the outter race..then the inner roller race..then the dust seal. unless you have a blind bearing puller ??..it's not gonna be easy to get the old races out..this is for sure !..lol. and this blind bearing puller tool is very high dollar to purchase !!. soooo..lets do this the easy way..( my cheaper way ). remove the swing arm, pry out the dust seals. remove whatever is left in the swing arm that you can get out. i'm almost sure your old races will still be in there !. most service manuals will not tell you how to remove them..other than the tool way they want you to do ?..sooo....try doing it my way..tonssssssssss cheaper..lol. ok..first off..some swing arms have it set up..where you can access both swing arm bearings from both sides..and some do not..because Honda was stupid enough to make it hard on us self mech's !..lol. they welded the swing arm solid..so you can not get to the other side completely through one of the bearing sides ?..if they did ?..then you could hammer the other side bearing race out from the opposite side !, butttttttttt..seeing how they welded the swing arms solid on a lot of models now ??. it's very hard to do it this way. soooooooooo..this is how I do it ----> as I said..remove the swing arm..and anything that can be removed..now your looking at the race and the grease tin plate behind the race ( if it's still in there ? ). some after market kits come with everything you need...including the tin grease cap. sooo..your first task is to remove the outter race..this is where you will need that tool Honda wants you to buy ?..orrrrrrr , you do it my way..which requires a dremel with the re-enforced cut-off wheel. now your thinking..how the heck am I gonna get that wheel to go straight across the race while its inside the swing arm ...right ???..lol. very simple...YOUR NOT !!..LOL. first..you have the cut-off wheel sticking out as far as you can have it in the dremel ?..then you angle the cut-off wheel so you can slice through the race..you may or may not cut alittle deep...and cut into the swing arm a tad ??..but it won't hurt it..you won't cut that much from the cut-off wheel to weaken it !!!. ok..now you got a cut in the outter race..now what ??..well..you can go about this two ways..either make another cut right next to where you made the first cut about 1/4 inch away..and hammer and chisel the sliced piece out..this will make the rest of it pry out easier. orrrr..you can just try heating it with a propane torch...and then hammering it out in pieces..PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU WEAR SAFTEY GLASSES AND LONG SLEAVED SHIRTS !!!!..THESE BEARING RACES ARE VERY HARD..AND VERY...VERY SHARP WEN THEY SHATTER !!!!!!. once the races are out..tap in the new grease tin seal, grease the bearing hole up in the swing arm..drive the new outter race down into the swing arm with a hammer and socket about the same size as the outter race...MAKE SURE WHEN YOU GO TO HAMMER THE RACE DOWN EVEN ALL AROUND THE SIDES..OR YOU WILL GET IT IN A BIND..AND IT WILL BE MESSED UP TRYING TO GET IT STRAIGHT DOWN IN FROM THERE !..LOL. once the outter race is hammered down in..grease the inner race up real good..lay it in the swing arm..then more grease..then tap the dust seal in, all done.
 
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#4 ·
thanks !. some are easier to get out ?, others..well..they are like some ex's I know !!..lmfaoo. it's a lot easier if the swing arm is not solid side to side ?, then you just take a long bar, hammer them out from the other side through the swing arm. if ya ever run into a solid swing arm ?, you can take a 1/2 inch drill bit, poke the bit through the hole where the solid side is ( where your bearing will be ), drill through the swing arm, now you got a 1/2 hole to poke your bar through, to reach the inside of the other side !.
 
#5 ·
Not everyone has a welder but if you weld a bead on the race in a few spot it will loosen it up enough to get it out with a blind bearing puller of slide hammer

sent from MOOSE mobile
 
#8 ·
Or a slide hammer but honestly welding a few beads on the race will make it practically fall out

sent from MOOSE mobile
 
#10 ·
I made a tool out of junk I found in the garage, just a bolt and socket that fits. 18 rata-rata-tata's and it can be pressed in or out

ummmmmmm..how does that work on a swing arm for a utility model ?. what I am getting at is, most all utility models have a enclosed swing arm from one side on newer atvs. older models you can access the bearings from both sides after the tin it punched out ?. but on newer models, some swing arms have the left side solid ?, soooo. you can't access behind the bearing races, unless you drop the swing arm all the way off the frame, and get to the inner race from the drive shaft area ?. anyway, with your tool here, how do you get the washer, or whatever you call it on your tool, in behind the inner bearing race to press it out ?. trying to figure this out in my head ?, but from what I am looking at here ?, I am not seeing how this will work on a utility model ?. or is this for a sport swing arm ?.
 
#11 · (Edited)
I'm not familiar with utility, so you certain know better than me!

In the pic I'm installing the bearing, to remove I used a couple sockets from the inside out and used a larger socket that sat on the outside of the arm so the bearing could pop into it.

It's tough to explain my madness lol but it worked on my 400ex. Again you are a better authority in untility models, just thought a longer bolt setup might work, or at least give someone another idea.
 
#12 ·
I'm. It familiar with utility, so you certain know better than me!

In the pic I'm installing the bearing, to remove I used a couple sockets from the inside out and used a larger socket that sat on the outside of the arm so the bearing could pop into it.

It's tough to explain my madness lol but it worked on my 400ex. Again you are a better authority in untility models, just thought a longer bolt setup might work, or at least give someone another idea.
I thought that looked like a sport swing arm ?..lol. all good bro ! :). yeah, utility swing arms a tad different !. you don't have access to the other side like you do on sport swing arms.
 
#14 ·
the dust seals go inside the swing arm, not the frame on the inside between the frame and swing arm., sooo..starting from scratch, inside tin race seal ( these don't have to go in if you don't want them in there ? ), then outer race, then grease, then inner race, then dust seal. both sides are installed the same way.
 
#17 ·
Good right up.. Changed mine today. I'll add that the most difficult part was undoing the castle lock but from the Allen pin/bearing locator. The rest was pretty straight forward I thought.
 
#18 ·
It's "write", not right.:icon_ nono: Sorry but once a dad always a dad :D
 
#24 ·
After 30 years of doing it it just becomes second nature. lol Suppose I should just let him get on with it now, if he doesn't know by now he never will :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
 
#25 ·
Question...anyone use blue Loctite on the swingarm pivot bolts? I am currently having to do a full frame swap because the swingarm bolts backed out and ruined the threads in my frame.

I put new bearings in the swingarm and attached it to the frame this morning, but while I was doing it I was thinking "Am I getting these tight enough to keep them from backing out again?" and wondered if blue Loctite might be a good idea. Anyone do that? Any reason not to?
 
#27 ·
The blue is the "no heat, but a little torque required" stuff, and I am hoping I don't have to remove these swingarm bolts again for several years!

I've replaced swingarm bearings in several machines without any trouble. I've just gotten the bolts "good and tight". That said, having to swap out a whole dang frame has me wondering how to avoid the whole bolt backing out thing again.

I guess I can just periodically check the bolts and make sure they're tight. After this one screwed up I went around and checked the other machines to make sure they weren't loose! LOL
 
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