I'm in the reassembly process from doing this job('94 w/ 15k). Actually
started out just to replace chain and sprockets, but thought I'd check out
the suspension while I was at it. I didn't end up actually replacing the
bearings, they all looked fine. However, the bolt that connects the shock to
the relay arm was badly grooved. The oil seals were in backwards and one of
the collars was missing, replaced with a flat washer. Grease was sparse in
most locations and completely absent where the shock attaches to the frame.
Ah, the joys of owning a used bike :(.
Removing the relay arm from the frame was a bit of a bitch. To get the space
to pull the bolt out you must remove the center stand, exhaust pipe and
catalytic converter.
To pull the bearings out of the relay arm you can make a homemade press of
sorts. This is done with sockets and a bolt. Find a socket with a slightly
smaller outside diameter than the bearing and one with a slightly larger
inside diameter. Thread a nut all the way to the end of the long bolt. Run
the bolt through the larger socket (which rests against the outside of the
relay arm), through the relay arm,bearing , through the smaller socket. Jam
a couple of nuts together at the end of the bolt(you'll want some washers as
well). Now just unscrew the nut at the big socket end of the bolt. This will
pull the smaller socket through the relay arm which will push the bearing
into the larger socket on the outside of the relay arm. I'm sure you'll
figure out how to use this setup to pull the new bearings back into the
relay arm. Just make sure they're pulling in straight (it's definitely a bit
trickier than pulling them out).
Rick
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