Any experience with JL Paralever bushings?

[BubbaZanetti]

i'm thinking of putting them in the new final drive i'm getting this weekend instead of the standard bearings. although i didn't have a catastrophic bearing failure the fact that they basically disintegrated when i pulled the final drive out of the swingarm makes me think they weren't the best though out concept. (note: my lack of an inch/lb torque wrench may have contributed to theire demise in the last 6000 miles as well)

supposedly these are lifetime replacement

more info here (http://www.rubberchickenracinggarage.com/upgrades.htm)

[Kwazimoto]

I`m putting them on my 97 RT.At 63k,the bearings are shot. Everything I`ve read says the bushings are better-the kind of loads that are put on them are better suited to the bushings.

[PGlaves]

I think the bushings are perfect for this application, and a much better solution than the needle roller bearings originally installed. This is a very low velocity back and forth type joint. The load spread widely over a bronze bushing works well.

I have removed a final drive from a swing arm a couple of dozen times. Almost every time one or the other or both of the needle roller bearings was bad. The OEM configuration just doesn't hold up.

I have the bushings in one bike, and have two more sets ready to go when I next have the final drives off our other two oilhead bikes.

[GregFeeler]

I think the bushings are perfect for this application, and a much better solution than the needle roller bearings originally installed. This is a very low velocity back and forth type joint. The load spread widely over a bronze bushing works well.

I have removed a final drive from a swing arm a couple of dozen times. Almost every time one or the other or both of the needle roller bearings was bad. The OEM configuration just doesn't hold up.

I have the bushings in one bike, and have two more sets ready to go when I next have the final drives off our other two oilhead bikes.

Good enough for me, Paul. :thumb

[guitardad]

Wish I'd seen this a few days ago. I just bought a set of OEM FD pivot bearings to put into my '94 R1100RS. My Haynes manual has no instructions for removing the bearings. Is it just heat, and drive them out with a socket sized to bear against the outer race? And would installation be easier if I freeze the bearing and heat the swingarm?

[BubbaZanetti]

My Haynes manual has no instructions for removing the bearings. Is it just heat, and drive them out with a socket sized to bear against the outer race? And would installation be easier if I freeze the bearing and heat the swingarm?

this is pretty much my plan.

[RiverRat280]

I had a puller to get mine out but yes if you heat the swingarm(not too much to damage the paint) and freeze the bearing(chest freezer better then your fridge,colder) they'll drop right in.

[PGlaves]

When dealing with these bearings - outer races in the final drive - I remove the driveshaft rear part and U joint from the FD input shaft. This allows the insertion of an old (beat on already) 6" 3/8" drive extension through from one side. Then a correctly sized socket on the end of the extension drives against the outer race of the bearing on the opposite side of the FD. I don't remember off hand the socket size, and that depends both on the nominal size and wall thickness in any event - so fit up by hand.

To install the new outer races I have a tool built up from a threaded rod, a couple of large thick washers, and a couple of nuts. I insert the rod through and tighten the nuts to pull the races into place. First one - then the other. Be careful not to mar either race with the threaded rod.

When either removing or installing the bearing races I heat the housing where the race inserts with a heat gun. Freezing the bearing to insert would also ease the process but isn't really necessary. Heat expands the case enough to get the old bearing out - and it also expands the case enough to draw the new one in.

[Andy VH]

In the 115,000 miles on my 94 RS, I have had the rear drive hub and swing arm off about four times for tranny and clutch work. Each time I have taken out the swingarm pivots, cleaned and regreased them, reinstalled them and torqued the fasteners as spec'd.

But, I have no specs on the pivots, so I'm not sure if they're past their wear limits and need of replacement. Could be though. Cause as I stated in my "I got the Shudders" post my bike is not quite as sure through the turns as it was years before.

[PGlaves]

Just to clarify things a bit, we seem to be talking about two different sets of bearings in this thread. One set is the pivot bearings where the final drive attaches to the rear of the swingarm. The other set is the swingarm bearings where the swingarm attaches at the rear of the transmission housing.

These bearings are two different sizes.

The smaller bearings where the FD connects to the swingarm seem to fail early and often.

The swingarm bearings at the back of the transmission are more robust and usually seem to last forever.

The aftermarket bronze bushings are for where the FD connects at the back of the swingarm.

[guitardad]

In my case, it's the pivot bearings at the FD. Once the drive housing was off, there was no play back-and-forth at all in the swingarm itself. When I took the FD housing off, the inner races of the bearings stayed on the pins. Is that normal?

Anyway, baked the FD at 200F for 15 minutes, and the outer races drove out easily with a 21mm socket. I'm letting the new bearings freeze, and the housing continue to bake a little, until I'm ready to press the new ones in.

Andy, the play was pretty obvious in my rear wheel. I could feel it rock back and forth last time I "T-CLOCS'd" the bike. If that was your problem, I'd expect you could feel it, too.

[Andy VH]

I am going to check that out for sure.
For quite some time I have noticed a change in sound from the rear drive when I lean or go through corners. I can easily hear a different "hum" and I'd bet its the FD housing moving on the bearings. On a straight wide road, I can weave broadly and hear the "hum" change as I weave back and forth. I first thought it might be the rear wheel bearings, but those checked out ok.

Now I suspect I have shot FD bearings.

Hopefully, since the drive gear and driven gear are in the same housing I hope to not have noticeable gear tooth face wear due to deflection of the drive housing.

[PGlaves]

In my case, it's the pivot bearings at the FD. Once the drive housing was off, there was no play back-and-forth at all in the swingarm itself. When I took the FD housing off, the inner races of the bearings stayed on the pins. Is that normal?

Well, I wouldn't call it normal because roller bearings aren't supposed to fall apart - but do they usually do that on the paralever final drive? Yes!

[guitardad]

Well, I wouldn't call it normal because roller bearings aren't supposed to fall apart - but do they usually do that on the paralever final drive? Yes!
OK, I'll take that as "not unexpected." ;) Bearings are in - between heating the housing, freezing the bearings, and using a long bolt with some large washers to "squeeze" them in, the whole task was fairly straightforward. Ride report tomorrow!

[Andy VH]

Well, based on what everyone here has said, and that my RS has 115,000 miles on the original rear drive bearings its a fair guess mine are shot. So I just ordered my replacement bushings.

[Andy VH]

I got the JL bushings installed in the paralever this past week. Seems to make a difference in cornering.

In the past, when leaned over through a turn I could hear a "humming" sound from the back of the bike that quit as soon as I had the bike straightened up. Now, with the new bushings installed I no longer hear the sound, and the back of the bike seems more planted while cornering. The original needle bearings felt notchy and one came apart as I drove it out.

The new bushing weren't difficult to install, but you do need to have some large sockets and allen wrenches, and a good torque wrench to get the outboard pivot pin set at 110 ft-lbs.

I did notice the inboard pivot pin had some brinnelling on it and an area where the needle bearing had worn a very slight groove/edge, of perhaps a few thousandths, enough that I could see and feel it. So I plan to replace that pivot pin as well. The outboard pin looked real good. The outboard bore for the bushing had a slight edge built up in it, at about mid-depth, and less than 1/2 of the circumference. I dressed that out with my die grinder. The new bushing outer race pressed straight in and everything went together.