How do you replace the axle bearings on a 02 400EX?

[Yeller EX]

I have never pulled apart the swingarm and carrier on my 02 400EX and I have just recently noticed a noise coming from the rear axle and it has play from front to back when you grab the wheels and try to move them, the play is about a 1/2 inch. So could someone help me and tell me how to pull it apart so I can replace my bearings. And do I just need bearings and seals?

[deathman53]

buy bearing and seal, they can be found on ebay or most dealers/catalogs. Put the new bearings in the freezer. Remove the wheel hubs, axle lock nut(loosen it, then remove the axle clip on the axle and finally slide it off), brake caliper, loosen the carrier and take the chain off the sprocket. Now you should just have the axle in the carrier. Get a small piece of wood ~4" x ~4", put that on the brake caliper side of the axle(end of the axle, 18mm 1.5mm pitch threads) and have a friend hit that wood with a sledge hammer, that should slide the axle from the carrier. Remove the bolt from the bottom of the swingarm(carrier limiting turn bolt), use a pair of circlip pliers to remove the circlip holding the brake stay on the carrier. Now, get a 2 x3, ~12" and tap the carrier out with that.

Now to rebuild the carrier. Remove the seals. Use a propare torch and heat the center of the carrier, NOT THE END(the heat can/will distort bearing carrier ends). Or you can put the carrier on a hot plate. Get it good and hot, now take a hammer and a punch and hit out the bearings, by hitting on the edges(not the center), you may have to hit it on either side for it to come out. A few good hits on either side will knock them out. The center sleeve should fall out. Rememeber the bearings you put in the freezer??? Reheat the carrier if it cooled down, now run to the freezer and get the bearings, they should drop right in, put one side in, then the center sleeve and then the other bearing. You may need to hold them on either side with a pipe or something to keep them in place. Wait till every gets to room temperature and the seals should push in. WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT HIT THE NEW BEARINGS. Re-install everything in the reverse order you took it apart.

Its alot easier than it sounds. Remember to tighten the axle ends nuts with a 27mm socket, it has to be something like 100ft/lb's. You don't want to tighten the axle lock nut tight, tighten it untill is hand tight, plus 1/4 turn. The inside nut get tighten to something like 100 lb/ft against the outer, it takes 2 big wrenches to do this. Ride the bike for a short distance, more than likely the axle nut will loosen(compressing the bearings in and axle nut setting in place), retighten axle nut. Once you do it the first time, you can do it almost blind-folded.

[Yeller EX]

Thanks ALOT for all the info deathman53