Is it worth putting grease nipples on linkage?

[iajim]

In the '80s most XR's, RMX's, KDX et al came with zerks. The usual proceedure was to pull out the bolts, clean them to bare metal, apply never-sieze to the bolt and grease everthing else. When you know every cavity is filled w/grease the zerks seem to work OK. On my '90 yzwr I tried to install zerks and ran into a couple of big problems. 1) there were no holes in the bearing and trying to drill thru the outside of the bearing is no easy task. 2) The hole needs to be exactly in the middle of the bearing or you'll just be pumping grease thru one side and not the other. 3)The hole thru the bearing needs to be chamfered, just like an exhaust port, otherwise the needles will resemble a used match stick! This could all be done in a machine shop on new bearings but then 4) the hole in the bearing needs to line up w/the zerk unless you have machined a channel/ relief inside the bore of the linkage. As you can guess, I just took it apart more often, used good quality grease and never did run into any problems. Zerks can be added but you'll still need to pull it all apart every now and then. Jim

[GasGas]

Originally Posted by GMP

I replaced the 7mm wide seals on the '12 with two of the same 3.5mm orings. Much tighter and fits perfect.

I did the same upgrade on my 03. Much better seal. I still have that swing arm and linkage as I will swap it out with the current bike while servicing if I do need to replace anything. This way I have no down time as we ride all but 2 months of the year most of the time. I would like to get some studded trail tires to ride the other 2 months too.

[Synergy-Seals]

Give me a call. I have the 3.5mm seals for the bushing kit.
The bonus is our bushings do not rust and fit better than needle roller bearings and have a higher dynamic load.

The orings are a much better sealing system.

Rob

[GMP]

Rob,

Are you replacing just the needle bearing with a bushing and using the stock sleeve, or both?

[Synergy-Seals]

Originally Posted by GMP

Rob,

Are you replacing just the needle bearing with a bushing and using the stock sleeve, or both?

Just the bushing and oring. Generally the sleeves are in good working condition due to them be hardened steel. The needle roller bearings wear down way before a sleeve would.

[jgas]

This is a good thread. I miss the days of XRs and DRs and such with grease zerks. I have an 82 KDX 250 that even has them. I have added zerks to newer bikes, attempting to put the zerk in a spot where the bearing will get grease, and have had to snip a little spot on either side of the bearings' seal so hopefully the grease can work its way into the bearing. (On wheels and steering heads), and just gave up trying to put zerks in linkage bearings.

I have often wondered if it would be a good idea to just drill a small hole in certain areas like linkages and swingarms, maybe even wheel bearings housings on wheels, and use the hole to use a pump style oil gun to squirt in some heavy duty 50 wt oil or even 90 wt rear end lube rather than using a grease zerk. The oil would work its way around better than grease and the excess would run out. You could just plug the hole with a small fine thread bolt or fine thread machine screw? It would be as easy as a grease fitting but you would have to do it more often.

I have been greaseing them up with good quality waterproof marine grease, (or BelRay grease), and then about twice a year pull the bolts about half way out and squirt in some heavy duty industrial quality White Lithium Grease from a can that comes out thin but gets thick when it hits air. I try to shove the little red stem from the can into the right areas as best as I can, but I have taken them apart later and found that sometimes I didn't get enough Lithium grease where it needs to go, although usually I can tell that it finds its way in. It's a lazy mans way, but most people only break those areas down maybe once per year and don't add any grease other than at rebuild time at the end of the season. I rarely have linkage or swingarm failures when I do it this way. That Lithium grease isn't waterproof, but it seems to be water resistant. It takes quite a bit of water and time for it to wash out, but it is obviously not as good as marine or waterproof thick grease. I use the Lithium stuff because I can't seem to find a can of waterproof grease that's pressurized, never found any brand or similar type canned grease other than Lithium.

I DO NOT regularly use a pressure washer however, and when I do, I usually use my waterhose at home to knock off the worst of the mud before pressure washing so I'm not pushing crud into places. I use a skinny dowl rod and a long screwdriver, and a heavy duty long handled brush to knock off some of the thick mud. I have a fairly low pressure pressure washer at home which takes more time to use but doesn't push much crud in but does knock it off the flat surfaces. It also rarely will take off stickers and graphics. I do use a good adjustable nozzle for my water hose which increases the pressure from the waterhose pretty high and actually knocks off the big mud better than most pay car wash wands do. I got the nozzle at Home Depot, it was pricey but worth it.

When the bike is realllllly muddy with stuck on clay type mud I occasionally go to a pay car wash. I try to find one with hot water, dont' use much soap, and I try to keep the pressure off of any bearing area as much as possible. I also use a whole can of cheap brand WD40 type stuff right after any pressure washing, trying to squirt it in all bearing and fitting areas, as well as levers, shifter, brake pedal, pretty much anything that moves or pivots. I even spray some on all of the electrical connections I can see without taking off the seat and tank. I spray a bunch on the plug cap area and coil area wires too. I think maybe if I'm lucky it will displace any water that gets in there.

I usually use Die-electric grease on any connections if I need to take them apart, and use it for all places that I think may get water in them, but I don't do like some and take apart every connection and use that grease everywhere unless it's an obvious spot that is likely to get water in it.

[Synergy-Seals]

Very informational, but you consider letting off the caffeine a bit....ok maybe alot...lol

[Elvis74]

The currrend linkage is sealed with o-Rings, i clean ans Grease once a Year ans kg Works for many Years

[GMP]

Exactly. No need for exotic procedures or grease fittings. Bad idea to mix greases as well, one good service with a high grade grease or moly paste. Belray is OK but by no means the best grease.

[GMP]

FYI, I just tore down my '12 linkage and swingarm, first time since replacing all seals with orings and repacking with Castrol Pyroplex Blue when the bike was new in June. Everything looks perfect like the day I did it, grease is the same color.