Don't bother with greasing the shock lower bearing

Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum

Help Support Yamaha FJR Motorcycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Constant Mesh

Well-known member
FJR Supporter
Joined
Jul 11, 2005
Messages
1,802
Reaction score
65
Location
Tenn
The connection between the rear suspension relay arm and the shock has a bearing. But it doesn't offer any value. Nothing rotates in the bearing assembly. The bearing sleeve/inner race makes no contact with the shock. The connection bolt can slide from side to side in the bearing sleeve. Nothing forces the bearing sleeve to rotate. They could have left out the bearing and just installed a steel insert in the aluminum alloy relay arm.

 
Then again, if you've gone to the trouble to remove the center stand, drive shaft U joint, swing arm & relay arm, to grease those bearings & splines, why not grease the shock bearing in the relay arm. If nothing else, it'll keep it from rusting. All mine were O K, but some have found theirs had almost no grease & were already corroding. Now I know they are O K for the lifetime cause the seals will keep the grease in...Later,,, De :)

 
So, we have a bearing in there because Yamaha is using a part which is also used on other model bikes where the bearing does come into play?

Otherwise, I can't see why they spent the money to develop and manufacture the bearing into the assembly unless it does serve some purpose.

 
It rotates, even though ever so slightly, but still rotates! Bearing means less friction, greased bearing means even less! Suspension can't work properly if it's binding! That why the bearing and grease. Have someone sit on it and you watch the movement. You'll understand then.

 
Don't think the inner race (bearing sleeve) is rotating. The bolt passes through the sleeve but the ends of the sleeve aren't being sandwiched by anything. You can grab the end of the shock and push it from side to side sliding the bolt back-and-forth in the sleeve. If the ends of the sleeve were pinched by the shock mounting bracket the sleeve would have to rotate with the movement of the shock. But, as it is, the sleeve only makes contact with the bolt. Maybe over time the bolt may wear a groove in the sleeve and as a result the sleeve may move on the rollers.

Seems like to work properly the sleeve would need to be sandwiched(compressed) by the shock bracket. The sleeve would then rotate when the shock bracket rotated -- they would move as one.

That suspension linkage looks to be a 'Reuben Lucius Goldberg' contraption. Somehow I don't believe it's state of the art.

 
Don't think the inner race (bearing sleeve) is rotating. The bolt passes through the sleeve but the ends of the sleeve aren't being sandwiched by anything. You can grab the end of the shock and push it from side to side sliding the bolt back-and-forth in the sleeve. If the ends of the sleeve were pinched by the shock mounting bracket the sleeve would have to rotate with the movement of the shock. But, as it is, the sleeve only makes contact with the bolt. Maybe over time the bolt may wear a groove in the sleeve and as a result the sleeve may move on the rollers.
Seems like to work properly the sleeve would need to be sandwiched(compressed) by the shock bracket. The sleeve would then rotate when the shock bracket rotated -- they would move as one.

That suspension linkage looks to be a 'Reuben Lucius Goldberg' contraption. Somehow I don't believe it's state of the art.
Sounds as if the shock clevis isn't tightened properly. Should be no slack!

 
Just guessing, but I think that under load the bearing would rotate rather than the bolt rotating inside the sleeve. Whether that's true or not, I think it calls for fresh grease. The old grease collects grit and can wash out if it gets wet often enough.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I just did the maintenance on the rear suspension. I found the bearing and the collar on the frame to relay arm was scored and needed replacing. The collar and bearing on the relay arm to shock were OK but I replaced both bearings and collars just for GP.

The two collars in the relay arm are not interchangable. One is longer than the other. The bolt that holds the shock to the relay arm does clamp the collar and there is no play or movement.

Are we talking about the same thing? You might want to check the placement of the collars. The front (frame) collar is Part # 90387-102R4-00 and the relay arm to shock Part # is 90387-127W0-00.

My two cents. <_<

Jack of all trades, master of none.

 

Latest posts

Top