alternate bearings

[79-GS550-L]

Ok I have 1 bearing in my suspension that's still smooth - that's for the sprocket. I need 4 wheel bearings and the swingarm bearings. All together, they cost about $70 + shipping from flatout. Are there any cheaper ones out there, or is that what I should expect to pay? I already got steering head ones from all balls.

Also, my swingarm bearings are completely rusted in. I managed to twist and pull out the inner cage and get the rollers out, but the race is still jammed in there. I've tried hammering them with a metal pipe, they're not budging. I heard welding a bead to it works, but I won't have access to a welder for another week or so.

 

[Steve]

Haven't done it to swingarm bearings, but when I had to change the steering head bearings on the 650 last month, I used my Dremel with a cut-off wheel to make a couple of cuts and take a section of the race out. Once the section is out, the rest will practically fall out.

Here is the cut:

Here is why I changed the bearings:

With dents like those in the races, the steering had a definite propensity to return to center, if you could get it to leave center in the first place.


.

 

[79-GS550-L]

WOW those were bad! Thanks for the tip, I don't know why I didn't think of that, I use my dremel for practically everything else...

 

[Big T]

If you're in a city with a bearing supply store, just take the wheel bearings by and they will get you fresh ones for cheap. Be sure to ask for quality.

I don't know if that will work for the swingarm bearings, since you've had to destroy them. Take tha axle and swing arm along, maybe they can measure it and spec the bearings

 

[cleonard]

If you don't have a local source for the wheel bearings, you can get them online. I have purchased from www.vxb.com and they have worked well for me and the price is not too bad at about $5 a bearing.

In general many other bearings, like the steering head or swingarm, are more specialized and you have to go OEM or a aftermarket supplier like All Balls or Pivot Works. I don't yet know about the GS, but a few bikes actually use standard car type roller bearings on the steering head.

 

[tone]

A good bearing supplier will be able to get you most bearings for your bike he will be able to do this from either the part number or from accurate measurements (od, id & depth) they'll be cheaper too :-D

example gsxr headstock bearing kit from suzi dealer ?47...... from bearing supplier ?20 off the shelf & typically top quality ngk or timken bearings at that :-D

 

[79-GS550-L]

that vxb site is pretty cool. Would something like this be suitable for wheel bearings? http://www.vxb.com/Merchant2/mercha...=bearings&Product_Code=Kit7567&Category_Code=

Those are the same measurements as the front wheel bearings. They have some more expensive ones but to me that kind of defeats the purpose of buying alternate ones. Also some of their bearings have max speeds quoted, but not these. Is that a bad sign? :-s

As for the rear wheel, the bearings are 17X47X14 but they have different part numbers for the left and right sides (and different prices too :shock. vxb has this that will fit that size: http://www.vxb.com/Merchant2/mercha...=bearings&Product_Code=Kit7568&Category_Code=

They also have these: http://www.vxb.com/Merchant2/mercha...e=bearings&Product_Code=Kit314&Category_Code=
Which list their top speed as 7k rpm. I guess I'll have to do a bit of math to find out how fast that is.

 

[cleonard]

I think that those ZZ bearings are for electric motors where they get too hot for the plastic/rubber seals. As heat is not a problem in a wheel, I have always used the 2RS type.

The 4 digit number specs the size of the bearing and the suffix is the sealing.

 

[79-GS550-L]

Got a problem. I tried dremelling out my swingarm bearing races - they're not going ANYWHERE. I can cut into the top part but can't really reach the bottom. I've torn it up pretty good with a punch. I tried filing it but my metal file won't even scratch it. I tried penetrating oil. I'm starting to get worried that I'm damaging the metal tubing behind the race. So far I have a few dremel marks and some punch marks.

This is driving me nuts. Any advice?

Here's what it looks like:

 

[trippivot]

STANDARD BEARING is everywhere why pay 18~25 bucks when you can buy a timken at 6.50??

 

[79-GS550-L]

Hmm, haven't found a place to get timkens. I got all the wheel bearings from vxb - very cheap. Ended up buying the swingarm bearings from flatout, I found a couple other places with that size bearing but they weren't any cheaper. Now if I can just get my old swingarm bearings out!

 

[jetta90]

Be patient it'll come out, keep at it.
Hard to tell from your pic. When you say you tore it up pretty good with a punch.......................are you coming in to the bearing from the opposite side of the swing arm? In other words, long puch or other item, punching from the rear of the bearing pushing it out.
They can be a bit stubborn to get out but they'll come out.

 

[jknappsax]

Kano Kroil

Kano Kroil

Have you saturated the frozen race with a good penetrating oil like Kroil? Let it sit a day and try driving it out from the back. Also, once you've let the Kroil seep in, if it still doesn't want to unfreeze, GENTLY play a propane torch around the area where the race is frozen (AFTER wiping the Kroil off the surfaces), not too much, but often the combination of the penetrating oil soak, the taps from the rear of the race, and a LITTLE heat might free it up.

 

[bwringer]

You need to punch the swingarm bearing out from the opposite side.

 

[Griffin]

Any large industrial bearing supply store can supply you the proper size bearings. Use either Timken or F.A.G.G. (I ain't kidding, they're German, and excellent). Both can be had for twice the price of cheapo Chinese generibearings, but are far superior in tolerance and durability.

 

[PAULYBOY]

what about spraying the bearing with a good dose of freon?

 

[79-GS550-L]

Thanks for the tips guys. I finally got them out. I cut as many grooves as I could with the dremel, arches going back & forth across each other, until I got completely bored. That heated the metal until it was smoking. Then I doused it with penetrating oil, which cooled it off quickly. Finally I was able to pound them out from the other side. I don't know if it was the heating and cooling, or the weakening from the grooves, or a combination of both that did it.

I have a few grooves & pits in the swingarm tube now. Should I smooth them out before putting in the new bearings? I don't want the grooves to accumulate rust and make the new ones impossible to get out years from now, but I also don't want to make the tube oval and have loose bearings!