125-200cc 2008 CR144 Linkage Bearing Question

I was in the shop yesterday all set to replace the swingarm/linkage bearings in my CR144 and ran into a problem. Like always (never on a husky though) I went to the arbor press and started to remove the old bearings. When I tried to press the bearings out through the bottom, the top bearing was crushed. After a bunch trouble I got the bearings out but there was some damage in the bore where the bearings were pressed out of. It looked like there was a spacer or shoulder between the two bearings in the linkage.

Is the bearing outer diameter straight through the linkage or is there a shoulder in the centre of the linkage that the bearings butt up against? If the bore diameter does not go straight through the linkage, is there a special bearing puller that I need to buy or make to finish the job?

I have replaced hundreds of suspension bearings and have never run into this before.

Yes, there is a shoulder in there. And the newer Hondas have one also.

You're supposed to use a inner, or blind bearing puller to remove them. I've been able to get them out with a drift in the past.

My buddy thought it was a dumb idea on his Honda, so I bored the shoulder out for him, so he can drive them straight threw.

just recently done this too . I bought a puller but there seemed to be flex in the claws and I ended up removing the hard-as pin casings and cutting through the outer bearing casing using an air driven porting tool
http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/trick-to-linkage-bearing-install.33994/

Great, thanks for the info. I'm glad that I'm not the only one that ran into this trouble. I think I will Just set all the links up on the mill and clear out the shoulder.

Can the swingarm bearings be pressed right through, or do I need a blind puller for it as well?

Thanks again for the great response

Swingarm will press through.