[okonomiyaki_oishi]

I have an Ironhorse Hollowpoint Sport. I don't know how this happened, the only thing I can think of is a little while ago I took some things apart and I must have lost this. I didn't think I took apart my rear suspension though.

After feeling a slight thump whenever my rear suspension compressed, I looked all through my bike to see what was the issue. I realized I'm missing a whole bearing where the back fork joins with the rear suspension. I'm rather new to biking so I can't describe this very well. Pictures will be best:

This is what it should be (my right side):

This is my left side. Notice how the bolt already started scraping down the frame. This is where I curse to myself #$#$. I know, I should have caught this earlier:

My only excuse is I'm still learning how to maintain my bike, I haven't been riding for very long

My question is this: Is this a standard bearing, one that I can get in this set:
https://www.enduroforkseals.com/id73.html

or is it a more customized type of bearing that I'll have to call ironhorse for?

 

[okonomiyaki_oishi]

Just called enduro and that set I linked to does come with 608 bearings which is what I need.

I haven't destroyed my frame though, have I? I think it should still be able to be pressed into their snug.

 

[KevinB]

y question is this: Is this a standard bearing, one that I can get in this set:
http://www.enduroforkseals.com/id73.html
or is it a more customized type of bearing that I'll have to call ironhorse for?

That's the right bearing set. Chris put it together when I asked if he could supply me with a set of bearings for my '04 Hollowpoint.

Was the bolt still attached? If so, how on earth did the bearing disappear?

Hmm... that bearing that you lost? Those were the most difficult bearings to remove of the lot. Putting it back in isn't too bad though. I posted a summary of how to do it a while back. Do a search. Let me know if you have trouble finding it.

 

[KevinB]

J
I haven't destroyed my frame though, have I? I think it should still be able to be pressed into their snug.

It looks okay to me from the picture you sent. (A bigger picture would help though...) My guess is that it should press in with no problem. If it's not snug when you press it in, i.e., if you can remove it with your fingers after it's pressed in, get some retaining compound to hold it in place.

I think this retaining compound would be suitable: http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.c... Aids&sc=Thread Locking&tc=&item_id=ND-530-10

Loctite 609 is equivalent to the stuff I linked above. (But it's more expensive.)

If you do wind up using a retaining compound, make sure that none of the retaining compound gets into the bearing itself.

 

[okonomiyaki_oishi]

Was the bolt still attached? If so, how on earth did the bearing disappear?

That is a question I've been trying to answer for days The bolt was still attached, I have it and the washer, but the bearing was gone. It may have been a stupid prank from someone at school last year. I can't think of the last time I removed that bolt.

Found you post describing your experiences with removing/installing bearings. That'll help a lot when my set comes in, thanks!

It looks okay to me from the picture you sent. (A bigger picture would help though...) My guess is that it should press in with no problem. If it's not snug when you press it in, i.e., if you can remove it with your fingers after it's pressed in, get some retaining compound to hold it in place.

I think this retaining compound would be suitable: https://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cg...m_id=ND-530-10

Loctite 609 is equivalent to the stuff I linked above. (But it's more expensive.)

If you do wind up using a retaining compound, make sure that none of the retaining compound gets into the bearing itself.

Interesting. would that retaining compound seal the bearing in though, making it even more impossible to get out?

Here's a bigger picture of the shaved frame:
https://members.gamedev.net/okono/images/left_big.jpg

 

[KevinB]

would that retaining compound seal the bearing in though, making it even more impossible to get out?

Good question. Wish I knew the answer. Here's my opinion:

The bearing compound will make it more difficult to remove the bearing in the future. As for whether it will be impossible to remove, that I don't know. If you're worried about it, you could grease the outside of bearing and apply the bearing compound to the bearing receptacle in the swingarm. The grease should prevent the bearing compound from adhering too securely to outer part of the bearing race, but the compound will fill any gaps making it fit more snugly.

I mentioned in the past that it was really difficult to get the bearings out of the swingarm. The reason for this is that it was difficult to maintain an even pressure on the bearing while pressing it out. The shape of the swingarm makes it difficult to construct a platform to pull against. I managed to get one of those bearings pressed out in one piece, but the other was destroyed in the process. I think some bearing compound may have been used to seat the original bearings.

Here's a bigger picture of the shaved frame:
https://members.gamedev.net/okono/images/left_big.jpg

Yeah, that's a much better picture.

I'm wondering if the bearing simply disintegrated. It looks to me like there's a piece of the race still in the swingarm. If so, you'll have to remove it before pressing in the new bearing. There should be a small lip which prevents the bearing from being pushed all the way through. I don't see that lip in that larger picture. That and the fact that there's some other uneven obstruction leads me to believe that part of the race is still in there.

When I worked on mine, I seem to remember a spacer that sat between the bearing and the surface into which the bolt is threaded. Check the other side to see if your bike is set up the same way. If a spacer is required, and you no longer have it, you might be able to find one or more washers at the hardware store of suitable thickness to take its place.

 

[okonomiyaki_oishi]

Got my bearings today from enduro, man that was fast!

I still have the spacer. Thanks for all the tips. I'll be fixing a lot on my bike and installing all these bearings tomorrow and I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[KevinB]

Got my bearings today from enduro, man that was fast!

Yeah. I've placed several orders with Enduro Fork Seals and have gotten each of them really, really fast.

 

[okonomiyaki_oishi]

Ok, I took apart everything today (with a friend's help). We had a little trouble getting the bearings out, but not much. We found a surprisingly good way to get out the bearing with the curved swingarm. Similar to how we were getting everything else out (with two different sized wrench sockets and a vice), but instead of using a larger socket to press the frame against, we put a couple boards underneath it and I held the frame while my friend pressed it out. It may have put some strain on the frame, but it was a heck of a lot easier then trying to press it out unevenly. I can't really explain how we did it with words...

Anyway, we were able to press the bearing into the damaged hole surprisingly well. Only a little part of the lip was actually shaved off. You can't see it well in the picture because of the angle, but a good part is still there. I think it should be ok.

But, after assembling everything back together, we ended up with two spacers left over. Crap. Does anyone have a good closeup shot of the bolts in the back suspension system? Honestly I haven't searched yet, I'm about to, but I figure I'd put this out here. We got everything back together, but somewhere there must be two spacers or something. There's not any give anywhere that I could tell. I dunno, maybe I am tired, or those spacers came from somewhere else.

 

[KevinB]

But, after assembling everything back together, we ended up with two spacers left over. Crap. Does anyone have a good closeup shot of the bolts in the back suspension system? Honestly I haven't searched yet, I'm about to, but I figure I'd put this out here. We got everything back together, but somewhere there must be two spacers or something. There's not any give anywhere that I could tell. I dunno, maybe I am tired, or those spacers came from somewhere else.

As I recall, there are spacers (one each) for six of the eight pivot bearings. The only pivots which don't have spacers are the ones that connect the (bottom part of the) upper link to the pivot mount mid-way up the seat tube. I'm guessing that you forgot to put in the spacers for the forward portion of the bottom link. (That's what I did when I reassembled mine.)

I looked at my frame closely this morning after my ride. I could take a picture if you'd like, but I'm not convinced that it'll show you anything useful. The spacers for the big bearings on that bottom link are really hard to see.

 

[okonomiyaki_oishi]

Oh man... you nailed it! Thanks, that's exactly what we did. that was a waste of 2 hours last night... but it was early morning hours, and we were tired