Help removing bearings from shock linkage on hooped monsters

[Nibor]

You know that big knuckle joint the shock and the hoop and the frame connect to on the old style monsters?

Well in my wisdom of avoiding future problems, I decided to replace heaps of bearings and bits during my build, these included. Not necessarily gone on the original part, more to replace now and avoid doing it 20k later.

However, I can't seem to remove these! It's 4 sets of needle roller bearings two pairs both seep rated with a long spacer down the guts. We've tried pressing them out but didn't have the right tooling and subsequently marred the mating surface on the linkage, and just made a bit of a mess of a bearing.

I've also tried ( started to) cutting them open and collapsing them, but hoping there is a less time consuming way that doesn't risk me slipping and grinding into the inner surface of the linkage.

And cooking them out in the oven didn't work either, worked a treat for my alternator cover bearing though (much less tolerance it I think).

Any tips? How does the shop do this? May have a mate to can machine some tooling bits to press it out better, but again hoping there's some stupid easy method that I've missed.

Or am I digging my own grave, I should just leave it and only replace when properly worn out?

Thanks in advance

[koko64]

Iirc, the hoop bearings in my old M900 were a very high quality type so I lubed them thoroughly and reassembled. Less kms than your bike but I guess yours are no good now after the attempt to remove them?

[Howie]

I never removed the bearings from that linkage, since you now have to replace them my suggestion is get the linkage to a shop with a hydraulic press.  Seems, as Koko said, lube them whenever things are apart they last forever. 

[Speeddog]

Kids these days.     

Not likely any method short of cut and collapse to get them out.

Slight marking of the top half of the bore the bearing goes in is OK,  vicinity of the top web on the rocker.

Try not to mark the bottom half of the bore the bearing goes in.

[Nibor]

I knew there was a reason I bought a 900 

Think I'll just clean and lube the 900 unit and use it instead. And have some good looking bearing paperweights

[monsta]

cant remember how I got em out, (I had plenty of tooling available) but what I do remember is that they were really hard to find new ones.
Maybe a bit late for you, but  for others... dont remove unless you have the newies in hand...

[Nibor]

cant remember how I got em out, (I had plenty of tooling available) but what I do remember is that they were really hard to find new ones.
Maybe a bit late for you, but  for others... dont remove unless you have the newies in hand...

Just saw this!

I had already sourced the bearings to drop in, bought them online from somewhere I think.
However, I ended up buying a NOS complete unit. Masked off and painted, then regreased the virgin bearings.

Now I have two paperweights