Can't find Cx500 swingarm bearings!!

Hey everyone, it's been awhile! Anyway despite having practically no money myself I've been able to start a new project bike! Well I'm building it with/for my dad so he's the one paying for everything . It's a 1980 CX500 deluxe, we bought it and 3/4 of a 1979 cx500 custom in parts. So got some extras and also missing a few things. Which brings me to the problem. I cannot find swing arm bearings that fit the bike properly! Now I'm pretty sure this isn't my lack of ability to fit a bearing in and rather it's the fact that they don't fit... but I suppose that anything is possible. Now to clarify the problem: i had a bearing kit and I have bought a bearing kit for this bike neither fit. That's not true entirely because the bearing did fit the one side (the right side if looking from behind the bike) but there was no way it was gonna fit the other side (left side). Now to be completely honest I don't really have a clue when it comes to bearings sizing, I do know that there is some sort of sizing system and theoretically I could just figure out the correct size and then go (to a bearing shop? Is that even a thing??) and buy the correct size bearing. Please help me I am very annoyed that the smallest thing has got me stumped.

-thanks

Should be the three dimensions stamped onto the end face of the outer cage,outer diameter,inner diameter and width.There can be other codes aswell for seals etc.

If nothing is present,measure the bore of the swing arm,diameter of the shaft and width of the bearing, any good bearing shop should be able to help.

The bearing sizes are normally in round numbers.

dont know where you are but I have used these before for a random gearbox bearing on a Nissan Sylvia

http://premierbearing.co.uk/

http://www.wemoto.com/bikes/honda/cx_500_a/79-80/picture/swinging_arm_pivot_bearing_kit_slinky_glide/

http://www.wemoto.com//index.dyn?flag=17&find=cx500

The casing of the bearing isnt still in the arm is it ?

Photos of swing arm bearing area may help

http://www.wemoto.com/bikes/honda/cx_500_a/79-80/picture/swinging_arm_pivot_bearing_kit_slinky_glide/

http://www.wemoto.com//index.dyn?flag=17&find=cx500

Beat me to it!http://i.imgur.com/DU9iuAB.png

This bloke didn't have a problem!http://i.imgur.com/oyuIhgX.png

The casing of the bearing isnt still in the arm is it ?

Photos of swing arm bearing area may help

If I understand correctly the casing is the outside part of the bearing so under that assumption I knocked the the casing out of the right side. here's a bunch of pics. See the bearing goes inside the frame on the right side and it goes inside the swingarm on the left side. I think the casing is still inside the swingarm but as I tried to show in my pictures there is way the new bearing casing would fit. Also I wanted to show how the bearings don't fit snugly on the inside either, there is some room to wiggle them around and this only furthers my opinion that these bearings don't work. Ps don't blame me for the crap paint job in the swingarm blame the guys we bought the bike from.

Have you checked model fitments a few years either side of your bike? You might have a crossover year or something.

Otherwise, have you got a bearing place local to you? The best thing would be to take the parts along to a bearing supplier to get the fit right.

Failing that, good measurements of the old one will allow you to order them on-line. Bearings direct in Norwich are pretty good.

good source of spares https://www.davidsilverspares.co.uk/ they specialize in honda parts mainly genuine parts as well

Seems you may have a bitsa

Someone may have swapped swing arm for another model .

I would do a search on eBay etc for your models swingarm and compare features to check .

https://www.cmsnl.com/honda-cx500-1981-b-england_model16473/partslist/F24.html#results

Microfiches

https://www.cmsnl.com/honda-cx500_model232/

Looking at microfiches for that model they use the same bearing both sides ... i would go for wrong swingarm

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://coodie.com/cx/CX500%2520Service%2520Manual%2520-%2520Ch14%2520-%2520Rear%2520Wheel,%2520Brake,%2520Final%2520Drive,%2520Suspension.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwiYrZbr56nUAhXHalAKHbpvC7A4ChAWCDIwCQ&usg=AFQjCNE7pBESsNVMV2m6q-rEDM9-nmesJg&sig2=62oP1AAcunxDglEDBA2xhQ

Have a look to see if the rebuild method is same as what you are trying as it seems different rebuild as normal swingarm to me

The correct size bearing is 30202 which is ID 15mm, OD 35mm, width 11mm. They are tapered roller bearings. Any decent beating supplier should be able to supply then at about £5/bearing.

The All Balls set I'm sure has been mentioned as being incorrect before, I think the kit they supply is for mono shock models but still lists the others as compatible when they are not. This might be why you have two different size bearings if you bought their kit.

The bearing is the same size on both sides for twin shock models. Obviously the old bearing races (or bearing case as you described it) need to be removed prior to putting new ones in. The originals are difficult to remove. I cut them out but you need to be careful not to damage the housing. The cup that holds the right hand bearing - be very careful not to lose our damage that. You'll need to reuse it and they are very hard to find now. I only found 2 sources, both with a limited supply and it cost me about £50 when I damaged mine.

It's been awhile! But I'm back now, from vacations to a week of 110+ weather and my own lazy self I haven't done anything until today! So I have some pictures cuz they say more than words. I doubt I can get them in any specific order so I'll just give a description of what I did. So first off yes the bearings are the wrong size, so that was problem number one. Problem number 2 was I didn't remove part of the old bearings out of the swingarm and the frame thingy. So at this point I had it all figured out but that was the start of problem number 3, well how do I get these bearings out? I welded a long piece of metal to the old bearing and then I pull and twisted and then the weld would break then I would re weld the piece of metal and it would break again and multiply that a bunch of times and I finally got them out! Also It appears I didn't damage anything so yay! And as I believe was mentioned before the correct bearing size is 30202? That's what the old bearings said when I pulled them out. So now I just got to get new bearings and get back to building! Also when I get further along in my build I plan to make a post about the entire build process!

So that thing in the last four pictures that looks like a dish ? It's not a bearing so why did you need to remove it? Where are you going to get a replacement? I'm not saying you don't know what you are doing , I'm just curious.

Right, I've got it , its part number 8, bearing holder. Still can't see why you needed to remove it yet.http://i.imgur.com/EgskISO.png

Only 2 left ! More curious now , haven't you had this thing out in the original set of pictures? http://i.imgur.com/9X04Mkq.png

Only 2 left ! More curious now , haven't you had this thing out in the original set of pictures? http://i.imgur.com/9X04Mkq.png

Ok to clarify what I think your asking. That part number '8' dish thingy goes into the frame that was easy to get out (couple knocks from rubber hammer). The bearings outer race which was stuck inside part number '8' was hard to get out. As far as part number '8' is concerned I'm just gonna reuse it and put a new bearing in it and then put it back in the frame as I didn't damage it in anyway. I also had to take the bearing race out of the swing arm but the is no part number 8 on that side in fact the swing arm is the same size internally as part number 8 hence why the replacement bearing kit wouldn't fit because it was made to fit directly into the frame completely removing the need for part number 8 however that's an issue when the swing arm isn't the size of the frame! Hope that makes sense

With bearings there is an inner and outer race, a set of rolling elements and usually a cage. You will buy a bearing as a complete unit and fit it as such. I wouldn't recommend mixing parts from an old bearing unit.

Ah ha! got it , I thought you were going to all that trouble to get part 8 out ! Well done by the way , other than the way you did it how does Honda describe extracting the outer race ? When you put it all back together have you considered putting the bearing in the freezer and heating the bearing holder? Might make things easier. Good luck with the rest of the project.

Ah ha! got it , I thought you were going to all that trouble to get part 8 out ! Well done by the way , other than the way you did it how does Honda describe extracting the outer race ? When you put it all back together have you considered putting the bearing in the freezer and heating the bearing holder? Might make things easier. Good luck with the rest of the project.

I don't think Honda provides a correct way to remove the outer race as far as I know. I had read on some different forums about the welding trick to get the old race out. Only other way I have heard of is by cutting it out with a dremmel type tool.

With bearings there is an inner and outer race, a set of rolling elements and usually a cage. You will buy a bearing as a complete unit and fit it as such. I wouldn't recommend mixing parts from an old bearing unit.

I'm not going to mix parts from the old bearings. Only reusing part number 8 which is not in any way a bearing. Clearly I can't reuse the old race because I welded it lol.

Ah ha! got it , I thought you were going to all that trouble to get part 8 out ! Well done by the way , other than the way you did it how does Honda describe extracting the outer race ? When you put it all back together have you considered putting the bearing in the freezer and heating the bearing holder? Might make things easier. Good luck with the rest of the project.

Also thanks for the tip I've heard about that before but I've never tried it, so I might give it a shot.