Removing the Lower Pivot Bearings

[Skint]

The Lower pivot bearings are wearing at a rate, so will need to change them soon. How easy is it to get the bearings out?? are they tapered so a tap will do or do i need to use a proper bearing puller??

[Gromit]

Bailey - our resident font of spanner-type knowledge - will probably be along shortly.

[gus]

Quite easy,remove wheel undo fixed bearing stud and remove,same on floating stud.disconnect speed sensor and block hole so oil doesnt leak.slide rear drive out.REmove UJ with acouple of screw drivers either side,it prises out.Heat up area around bearing,gently now.You can then drift out bearings.When replacing heat up area again and insert using asuitable sized socket.Check condition of pivot studs,if even slightly damaged replace.there only £20 for the pair
gus

[gus]

oh yeah,tightening torque is 160nm for fixed stud,7nm for load on floating stud and 160nm on locknut.
gus

[Jason M]

Just as Gus says - easy peasy and not too scary! I drift them in with a block of wood and didn't bother heating them up either, but then I had the whole swing arm off the bike at the time.

My one tip would be, when putting it back together, put the bolt through the torque arm/bevel box hole then get the UJ on the shaft and paralever bearing bolts in finger tight (the outer one you can do up tight) - then drop the bolt from the torque arm before you adjust up the N/S 12mm bearing adjuster. With the bottom link off it's much easier to wiggle the bevel box and detect when you've adjusted up the slack in the paralever bearings - with the bolt in I find it almost impossible to detect any play properly.

[bigblackfalco]

yeah all the above....BUT DO NOT HEAT UP!PAINT BLISTERS REAL EASY.
Very easy to perform with swingarm left intact as the outer races are held in the bevelbox and can be drifted out on a bench etc.
Bailey.

[Darth_1100S]

Hi guys - I checked the back wheel of my 'S' for play and there is a small amount present there. As I'm off on a European tour in June I'd obviously like to have the bike 100%. Does anyone know if the play likely to be coming from the pivot bearings or the back wheel bearing? It's a bit difficult to tell. Secondly, the amount of play is very small, how quick is it likely to worsen and is it worth doing before we go?

Cheers - Darth

[Darth_1100S]

Had a good look at the pivoty thing this afternoon and it's defo there where the play is coming from and it's worse than I first thought.
I suspected there was problem, because the overbandings on the road have been making the bike a bit more twitchy than normal lately. I thought it was my rear tyre getting a bit squared off, but it's not that bad.

I'm going to have to do it sooner rather than later tho 'cos the MOT is due in a couple of weeks and it won't pass like that. Strange really - the bikes only done 13k !

Anyone know how much the bits will cost me, I need the 2 needle roller bearings and the 2 pins - I may even go mad and get a new collar nut.
I've had a look in the workshop manual and it looks a simple enough job, should only take a couple of hours - if the bearings come out ok!

Yeah I know - kiss of death!

Darth.

[gus]

Bearings are about £25 the pair,studs were an amazing £20 the pair.All from BMW dealer.You should be able to adjust yours though and i wouldnt change the pins unless they are shagged,grooved or pitted.A good greasing and adjustment is most likely all is needed at 13k.Mine gave up the ghost at 30k odd.You will need a 12mm allen head and a torque wrench that can set to 7nm (floating pin)and one that can go to 160nm fixed pin and locknut.
gus

[gus]

Locknut is 30mm,get an impact one.Halfords sell these and 12mm hex head with a 1/2 inch drive.Essential as they bloody tight!
gus

[Darth_1100S]

Thanks for that Gus. I ordered the parts today so even if it just needs adjustment no big deal as they will need replacing at some point (i don't intend getting rid of the S for quite some time) I wasn't actually aware they were an adjustable bearing...we live and learn eh?

Cheers for the info
Dave.

[Darth_1100S]

I was at Southport Supershite..... er sorry, Superbikes today looking at the new 1200GS thing. While I was there I took myself off for a sneak around the secondhand bikes outside (not very pleasant - it was pissin' down). I had a little shake of a few back wheels - 2 GS1150s and 1 R1150R. The 2 quite low mileage ones - 11k and 13k - out of the 3, had substantial play in the back wheel. The other one with 28K, was fine but it looked like the pins had been replaced sometime recently, they were quite clean compared to the rest of the bike.

Seems there's a bit of a problem here!

Dave