All 2st Lower Shock Bearing Options

Just some info:

The stock lower shock bearing (the one that always wears out) is a needle roller bearing, 26 mm OD x 20 mm ID x 20 mm wide. There is a hollow cylinder (gudgeon pin) that functions as the bearing's inner race.

The OEM bearing for this location (8000 A4430) is currently about $10 at Hall's, and the pin (8000 A4431) is currently about $15.

There is an All-Balls kit that replaces the whole assembly, I believe with a ball-in-socket swivel bearing. Synergy Seals makes a solid bushing insert, it is about $20.

There are also a few commercially available alternatives:

A direct replacement for that bearing should be McMaster Carr part number 5005K99 ($15). Note that this requires a smooth, unworn gudgeon.

You can also use a solid bushing, in either SAE 660 bronze (7811K46, $4) or Rulon (7763K46, $14).

I haven't run either or these solid bushing options yet, but they are next on my list.

Thanks for that information, I recently changed the linkage bearings and used a moose racing / allballs kit that came with that ball-in-socket bearing. It seems stronger than the needle bearing but I also suppose that it may have more friction...

I think KTM is using that kind of bearing in the PDS shocks...


The bad thing in my case is that I also bought an lowering pin for that bearing and cannot use it without buying first the needle bearing.
I'm thinking in perforate a little hole in the outer path of the bearing and insert another ZERK to easily lube that bearing also.

I had a conversation once with a friend who work's as a mechanic and he said that they tried the bronce bearing back in the years in some TRIAL bikes and that it didn't last very long, wears out very fast...


Regards.

If there's room, you can also get needle rollers with seals on either side. I did this on my KDX on the bearing that always wears out, and it lasted the 3 years I owned the bike.

I've been running the all balls spherical for about a year and half now and it's a hug improvement over the needle bearings that have came in my WR or my KX's.

Yep I had to rebuild my rear so went with all ballz ( upper and lower kits) and had no problems since. keep them lubed and keep the pressure cleaner away from linkage..