Removing linkage bearing seals?

[andybaggies]

As the rear wheel is out to replace it's bearings I decided to look at the suspension linkage at the same time. The bearings are in good working order, I greased them before the winter, but one of them in the dog bone did have a little rust inside and it's seal didn't look the best.

So I've got a full set of new seals but am dithering over removing the old ones. I've had a little ferret about with a screwdriver but am wary of going in too hard and buggering up a seal that then proves to be seized in place - it looks like the seal outer ring has a metal to metal contact with the inside of the hole. Any tips?

Do I just need to be brave or wait until I replace the bearings and they can be pressed out?

Cheers,

Andy B

[snapdragon]

Can't say for sure but I recall some of the raptor bearings do come out the opposite way than you'd think - may be worth a poke?

[pod]

I have done mine a couple of times, dont recall any real difficulty, if they are a bit stuck , heat will help, dunk in boiling water then press the seals out, dont pry, get a socket that fits neatly as the pusher and a big socket as the receiver, stick in vice and tighten , swap over for each side. this will move the bearing about as well but if its hot it should go easily. Use the same set up to fit the new seals. I have found that the lower triangle set , not the dog bone set , seems to suffer the most, its a pish set up up using needles for an item that only rocks about, needle rollers like a full rotation.

[andybaggies]

In the end I managed to source a second hand dog bone which had greases nipple fitted and what looked to be new bearings. The seals prised out real easy and & I replaced them with new before using it with the shock swap.

Although I'm not entirely sure I put the seals in the right way round They were flat on one side with a sprung ring in a groove on the other, so which side faces outwards?

[pod]

Where there is pressure the spring goes towards it, not too critical in this application, I would put flat side out, spring side in.

[andybaggies]

Where there is pressure the spring goes towards it, not too critical in this application, I would put flat side out, spring side in.

Thanks, that's good info, and thats the way I installed them but as you say it's not really critical in this instance.

What confused was the seals on the original dog bone didn't have the sprung ring but did have the groove - which was facing outward.