a bike question for EastCoastMojo

my trail bike is a 2004 Specialized FSR-XC Pro (unfortunately equipped with rim brakes). I've had a squeak in the rear suspension for a while, so last night i disassembled the rear and found that one of the bearings in the, well, the part of the suspension that would be seat-stays if it was a hard-tail, is completely fubar and must be R&R'd. It's one of the two bearings where this component attaches to the rear shock linkage. the part number on the bearing seal is 688-2RS, which appears to be a pretty commonly used bearing.

my question is, how the hell do i remove the outer race? that's all that's left of the bearing, as it fell apart when i removed the bolt. is this a common service item, to where a LBS will have a puller to extract the outer race from the "seat-stay"?

if i was in MI, i would post pix. but alas, i do not have a digital camera here in SC.

I think Park makes a tool for that. If not they should have the LBS should have a tool. Those bearings going bad is fairly common.

nothing wrong with rim brakes..

The shop where I work just got a Specialized FSR Bearing Tool Kit, which is basically a metal suitcase filled various bearing presses sized perfectly for SBC full suspension bikes. A big Specialized dealer may have one, but they aren't cheap, so I can't imagine many small bike shops having one.

Without the fancy-pants tool kit, the typical approach is the same as any bearing. Use various sockets, rods, bits or leftover round stock, and failing that, something round from the scrap metal bin until you find something just big enough to catch the race and press it out, but not so big as to not fit in the opening in the frame. If you can't press it, we would pull it, using a high-quality 2-arm/3-arm inside/outside puller with a selection of arms...and if there wasn't a good surface to pull against (as is usually the case with a light aluminum frame) then it was puller attached to a slide hammer, a couple guys to stabilize the bike, and lots of penetrating oil.

Generally hammering isn't very effective, and pressing/pulling slowly (hydraulic or mechanical) works better if possible.

Hope this helps!

Well, you guys have pretty much covered it A Specialized dealer should be able to pull it easily and may even have the bearing on hand since it is not an uncommon failure.

And I agree, nothing at all wrong with rim brakes

I didn't realize we had so many bike techs on the board. Thanks to all for the responses.

In this part, the backside of the outer race is inaccessible because the internal bore behind the bearing is significantly smaller than the outer race, so it's gonna have to be pulled from the outside -- unless, of course, the removal tool has a shaft that goes through from the opposite side and threads into the expanding piece that catches the lip of the bearing, which could then be pressed from the opposite side rather than pulled with a slide-hammer type of tool.

maybe i should go into bike tool design....

We have had pretty good sucess with this one:

Bearing puller

Every case is different though.

its a pain in the ass, i had to do the same thing on my k2 lithium 4.0 last fall...it sucks

i found replacement bearings at the local RC hobby shop, and I got the old ones out by whizzing through them with a Dremel cutoff wheel. Yes, i cut a small slot in the aluminum frame member, but it's in an area that is gusseted and it's only loaded in compression so i ain't skeered. bike rides great once again.

There's all kinds of things wrong with rim brakes!

rim brakes aren't "wrong" (unless you take the bike where it gets dirty, say like mtbiking). discs are just way better.

Hey! I'm rolling a 2007 FSR-XC Pro!! great bikes, but I've been through the rear bearings too. Of course, I'm 225 in racing trim and I learned line choice from a drunk rhino... I also broke the weld on the floating suspension link where rear shock mounts.

Like everyone said, talk to the local LBS, even of they're not a Specialized shop.