my head is about to explode from frustration

[QCR77]

i ordered new bearings for my swingarm and am convinced that either i dont have a 350x swinger or they didnt send me 350x bearings. if anyone has ever done this, i'd love for you to tell me how hard/easy they go in. ive already destroyed one of them (i have 2 more showing up tomorrow) and am just at a loss here. i have even been honig the pivot hole with a pipe grinding stone.......:mad:

[p26575r16]

I just did mine two weeks ago. What are you having problems with?

[p26575r16]

I took mine out with my small slidehammer and put them back in by tapping them in with the old bearings and a soft face hammer. They should go in relatively easy.

[p26575r16]

Just measured one of my old bearings for you. The outside diameter should be roughly 1.0 inch (26mm), inside diameter should be roughly .7 inch (19.85mm), and approx. 1.18 inches long (30mm).

[QCR77]

ok thanks . i measured the new bearing and its almost exactly 1 inch. the inside diameter works with the pivot rod so thats good to go. there weren't any bearings in there (or bushings) and i guess now i know why. the hole must be misshaped or something. anybody know of a good tool to use to hone the hole out easier. the little grinding stone with my drill isnt gonna cut it.

[QCR77]

I just did mine two weeks ago. What are you having problems with?

the new bearings refuse to go in the hole. i bent one bearing up by trying to use the swinger bolt to pull the bearings in. with the nut on the bolt, but outside the bearing on one end and the bolt run through the swinger and tightening the bolt with rachet. does that make sense? any way it wont go in

[riverrat]

They must go in square, if they cock even a little, they will jam going in. Be careful, I wouldn't hone it out unless you are taking measurements and know what you are doing.

[p26575r16]

the new bearings refuse to go in the hole. i bent one bearing up by trying to use the swinger bolt to pull the bearings in. with the nut on the bolt, but outside the bearing on one end and the bolt run through the swinger and tightening the bolt with rachet. does that make sense? any way it wont go in


I know you are not going to want to hear this, but if the swinger is that messed up you may want to look for a good used one. They seem to be pretty easy to find and inexpensive. If you are dead set on getting yours repaired you may want to find a 1" metal drill bit and just use that to make the hole the size you need. I think it's wierd that the holes are not the correct size though, they should be bigger if it was run without bearings. Are you sure there are not any bearings in it? In one of my older trikes the swinger bearings were so rusty and crap fiiled it appeared that they were part of the swinger. I had to drill them out because they were rusted solid into the swingarm.

[ChrisD]

,I have done this many times over the years. Do not "tap" them in. You have to press them in. Do you have a bench vice? I just put bearings in my woods bike this past winter and the bench vice works great. Put your bearings in the freezer for a couple hours to shrink them a little bit, then take them out one at a time and position the swingarm, bearing and a socket that is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the swingarm in the vice. Square it up as best as you can, and start to press the bearing in. You can use a little lube to help the bearing in if you'd like. DON'T PUSH IT IN TOO FAR!! The bearing will crush if you push it past center.

Hammering your bearings in will dent the bearing and lock it up. Use a press or bench vice.

The bearing is a tight, precision fit. You cannot simply slide it in. The outer casing of the bearing is aluminum so you cannot hammer it in like a steel bearing race.

[QCR77]

I know you are not going to want to hear this, but if the swinger is that messed up you may want to look for a good used one. They seem to be pretty easy to find and inexpensive. If you are dead set on getting yours repaired you may want to find a 1" metal drill bit and just use that to make the hole the size you need. I think it's wierd that the holes are not the correct size though, they should be bigger if it was run without bearings. Are you sure there are not any bearings in it? In one of my older trikes the swinger bearings were so rusty and crap fiiled it appeared that they were part of the swinger. I had to drill them out because they were rusted solid into the swingarm.

winner. upon further inspection i noticed that what i have been "honing" is the leftover case of the old bearings. there is no bearing or lip or anything besides the very outter shell that is rusted to the swinger. if you think i can drill the rest out with a one inch bit, i'll go get one. i just dont want it to make too big of a hole

[p26575r16]

winner. upon further inspection i noticed that what i have been "honing" is the leftover case of the old bearings. there is no bearing or lip or anything besides the very outter shell that is rusted to the swinger. if you think i can drill the rest out with a one inch bit, i'll go get one. i just dont want it to make too big of a hole

You would be better off trying to pry it out. I would not drill it unless it is a last resort. You should be able to split the bearing case or bent it up a little and it should come right out.

[riverrat]

Don't mess up the swinger! The bearing is an interference fit, it has to be perfect.
ChrisD is correct.

[QCR77]

well, no 1 inch bit at home depot and the 3/4 ones were like $20 so thats outta the question. anybody think i could melt the old stuff out assuming it was aluminum? it looks like alumium

[Dirtcrasher]

Whatever you use to pull/push it in, it has to be just a few thousandths smaller than the bearing OD. To small and it crushes the cage..............

You can use a vice/ press or 3/8 threaded rod etc etc/ Freezing them does help.......

The swingarms are almost always useable. But a small hunk of crap will screw up the new bearings.

The biggest problem is the seals outside diameter that pops into the swinger. If thats all chewed up, then more water will get in there etc etc.

Sounds like your on the right track :beer

[3wheelmecca]

I am with DC on that, you could just get allthread, nut it, lightly heat the swinger and throw the bearings in the coldbox, It would make a great press. Good idea DC!

[Dirtcrasher]

well, no 1 inch bit at home depot and the 3/4 ones were like $20 so thats outta the question. anybody think i could melt the old stuff out assuming it was aluminum? it looks like alumium

No way.............

It would shock the hell out of me to hear it is 1" OD anyway. the rest of the trike is metric............ 25mm or whatever is another story.

Bearing casings are hard as rocks and never made from aluminum.

All I ever use is something like a dremel to get cases pieces out or otherwise I can smash them out.

That bore in your swinger was never drilled like a standard drill. It was tubing that got reamed/drilled/honed to size for a perfect fit. A reg. twist drill would be useless to you........

Remove the high spots and your good. If it's egg shaped, THEN you need a new swinger.........

[aldochina]

did you try using a long drift through the opposite side to catch to edge of the race thats rusted in there and bash it out? almost always works. I have never seen an aluminum bearing race!! it is most likely steel.

[QCR77]

im not sure what my next step is. there is some kind of lip about 2 inches in, i assumed it was like a keeper so the bearing wouldnt go any further in. maybe its the edge of the old cage and i could bash it out from the other side. the hard part is that there is such a thin layer left, and it is rusted/frozen into the swinger. ive tried using tools to get under it, but because of the stuff i did before, its too smooth

[tundrawolf]

Use a torch to heat the bearing/shaft the bearings goes in.

[Dirtcrasher]

^ What help was this?? "heat the bearings/shaft"?? What shaft? heat up the swinger collar? and heat the needle bearings??

He needs to freeze his needle bearings/cages and make sure that the bore in the swinger has no high spots and is perfect. Get a Dremel if you have any high spots. Then pull/press in the bearings.

Remember, whatever you are pushing or pulling - Only be about .010 or ten thousandths smaller than the cage OD or it will pull in the side of the cage and not pivot freely...

Work fast with that stuff. it goes in quick if your good :D :lol: It cools off and or heats up fast!

[tundrawolf]

He didn't notice the old race was welded in with rust like a previous poster. If anything will help dislodge it, it will be heat.

[QCR77]

i finally got the old cage (what was left of it) outta there and the new bearings (frozen) went in ok. i finally got everything put back together. all i have to do is put the chain on but i noticed the gear shaft(with the front sprocket securely fastened to it) moves in and out of the case anout 1/8 inch. i need to find out if that is normal cause i have a big ride planned for tomorrow

thanks to all of you who offered tips and advice. it was a combo of everything that got it done for me

[Dirtcrasher]

Glad it's together! :beer

Ive used a long sharpened punch to get the outer cage to collapse in a bit, then deal with it; Or, I've had some in there so bad that I to use my dremel until they get so thin they turn blue or red from grinders heat....... Thin you can prick them out.

I guess it's the thin cage that creates the installation issue, I myself have grabbed too small a socket, thought all was well and then crushed in the cage just a bit during install; At that point they might be together, but there junk... I try to freeze every bearing I put in; Thank you Johnny Seabass for the half installed lower steering race :lol: I may knock it out, freeze it and use my tool I made to get it up in there.

[QCR77]

Glad it's together! :beer

Ive used a long sharpened punch to get the outer cage to collapse in a bit, then deal with it; Or, I've had some in there so bad that I to use my dremel until they get so thin they turn blue or red from grinders heat....... Thin you can prick them out.

I guess it's the thin cage that creates the installation issue, I myself have grabbed too small a socket, thought all was well and then crushed in the cage just a bit during install; At that point they might be together, but there junk... I try to freeze every bearing I put in; Thank you Johnny Seabass for the half installed lower steering race :lol: I may knock it out, freeze it and use my tool I made to get it up in there.

thanks alot. yeah its just stuff i gotta learn ya know. it wasnt fun, but its done right.

[Vealmonkey]

I feel your pain. All of us at one time or another have had to undo 20 plus years of neglect by previous owners or had to pay someone else to do it if we didn't have the right tools. A pain in the butt to say the least but we either make things easier on ourselves or the next lucky owner. Bearings should be good for another 20 plus years now, right? LOL