PIVOTWORKS - In 1999, Curt was looking through a magazine and noticed an ad for swing arm bearings. He called his friend Jim Hickman (owner of Hickman Racing) and asked about the viability of selling a bearing, seal, and pin kit. Jim said, "It's a great idea, but you might as well make a linkage kit, they wear out twice as fast." Curt combined all the parts into the world's first complete kit and Pivot Works was born!
Since that time Pivot Works has grown into the largest and most recognized brand in the motorsports industry with over 500 kits and over 7000 individual applications. Pivot Works did this by being the first to market complete bearing and seal kits. By duplicating and improving upon the OEM design and quality Pivot Works has earned the reputation of being the #1 choice when it comes to replacing these components.
What does each kit include?
Each kit contains all the necessary components (bearings, seals, pins, spacers, collars, thrust washers, thrust bearings) needed to rebuild each system or component.
Are Pivot Works Bearing kits as good as the OEM?
Yes. In ALL applications, these kits meet OEM standards for quality, durability, and fit. In most cases, these kits are of a higher standard. Where the OEM may use caged needle bearings, in most applications Pivot Works kits use Full Compliment bearings which are known to wear better, spread the load better, and function better. Our wheel bearings use a double sealed design where as the OEM may be a single sealed bearing.
Is the lower shock bearing included in the linkage kit?
No. To completely rebuild the rear suspension of any ATV or dirt bike it will usually take three (3) kits, Swing arm kit, Linkage kit, and Shock kit. Pivot Works offers the kits separately because not all items wear at the same rate. In some rare instances there are no component replacement parts available for some ATVs and dirt bikes, only assembly replacement is available from the OEM.
What is the best way to remove the OEM bearings and bushings?
Driving the bearing out from the opposite side it best. If you can’t do that, here is another alternative. In most cases, roller or needle bearing cages are case hardened. While this is good for wear resistance it tends to leave the bearing cage somewhat brittle and this makes them easy to break with impact. The best way is to try to fold the bearing cage in on itself using a good punch and hammer. This method will USUALLY break the cage and make the bearing cage easier to extract from its cavity. Be sure to wear protective clothing and safety glasses when performing this procedure. With Roller Ball Bearings, extracting them is usually a little less challenging, especially when they are whole. Be sure to remove any snap rings, retainer clips, or bearing retainers that are used to hold the bearings in place before attempting to remove them. Look for lips on the surfaces around the outer or inner edges of the bearing that could cause resistance to the extraction of the bearing. Hitting the inner race of a ball bearing will not matter since you are going to be replacing the bearing, so it’s OK to remove the bearing by pushing or impacting the inner race. Again, be safety conscious and always wear the appropriate safety gear.
What is the best way to install the new Pivot Works bearings?
As with any bearing, pressing is always the best way. It ensures that the bearing is being installed smoothly and straight in, more than likely it will be fully seated when installed. Pressing the bearing keeps impact out of the equation and is less likely to damage the bearing. Remember when installing a Full Compliment bearing (no inner cage for the needles to ride in) leaving the needles and plastic retainer in place helps spread the load of installing the bearing throughout the cage as opposed to placing all the pressure on one lip of the cage. With Roller Ball Bearings, NEVER push or impact the inner race! This will damage the races and the balls resulting in less bearing life and noisy operation. On top of that, getting the bearing to seat properly is almost impossible and will result in side loading of the bearing when assembled which also means shortened life expectancy from the bearing. ALWAYS push the bearing into place using the outside race of the bearing. Being sure that the bearing is fully seated is as important as the way it was installed. Side loading of a Roller Ball Bearing will result in rapid wear, resistance to movement, high temperature operation, and the assured failure of the bearing.
Will I need to “pack” the bearings with grease after installing them?
In the case of sealed Roller Ball Bearings, they come fully lubricated so, there is no reason to “pack” them. With Full Compliment and Caged Needle Bearings, it’s important to work some high quality, low temperature grease into the needles of the bearings. With Pivot Works Spherical Bearings, if the sphere of the bearing is chrome, it is not necessary to lubricate this bearing. If it is black in color, use a high quality, low temperature grease and work the bearing, turning the inner race in every direction, to fully coat the metal surface of the bearing.
What do I need to do to maintain my new Pivot Works bearings?
As with any item that holds its own lubrication, it depends a lot on the conditions that it is being operated in. The more harsh the conditions (be it high ambient temperatures, very cold ambient temperatures, dusty or wet conditions), the more they should be serviced. If the vehicle is being raced, as in the case of a motocross bike, the owner’s manual usually has a maintenance schedule in it. It is our suggestion that you follow those instructions. If the vehicle is not being raced, we suggest inspecting and lubricating every 20 hours of operation, again depending on the conditions.
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