Replacing the bearings using  Orange’s service kit. The axle will only move with the drift a few millimetres either way. Cleaned and soaked in penetrating oil the bearings and axle. Any ideas?

Support from dealer now owned by a major single brand is non-existent. Orange have offered to help but need to ship back to them. So before I hunt for a box, thought I’d see if anyone has had the same problem.

Have you removed the rear wheel, and unbolted the shock from the swingarm?
If not, do this, and then move the swingarm through its travel while hitting the drift, and give it a bit of a wiggle and try and take the weight of the swingarm off the bolt. If frame/swingarm is not perfectly aligned/bearings have play in them then the friction can stop pivot bolts coming out.

Yes it’s all stripped down ready to remove the swingarm to make it easier to use the bearing press. There is a small amount of lateral movement due to the axle moving a few millimetres in one bearing. It moves freely with the frame. Bearings only have a small amount of play but now have all the grease stripped out due to the penetrating oil.

If the axle is moving freely in the frame then it is stuck in the opposite bearing. Are you supporting the opposite side when hitting the drift? If you can, have someone hold a large block of wood against the opposite side of the swing arm against the where the bearing sits while hitting the axle drift. If you don’t the effort of the hammer will dissipate through the flex in the swing arm not through the axle to free it.

Oh, and douse in boiling water (carefully!) first to get some heat in it.

Done all of the above bar the boiling water. Think about that one. Tradeoff again cracking the frame.

Thanks for the responses.

Might be worth trying some of this
https://www.screwfix.com/p/arctic-products-crack-it-shock-release-spray-400ml/83415?tc=LC2&ds_kid=92700055281954514&ds_rl=1249404&gclid=CjwKCAjwxqX4BRBhEiwAYtJX7SHI6-PfT7Ke2LHN3TLEv6bN3O2vSQjWD14s2WFBDF5YzjZ1c77o6RoCOP0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

A follow up on my earlier post. The frame was returned to Orange who offered to replace the bearings for me, after trying multiple attempts to drift out the axle.

Short story is I now have a brand new Five Evo frame as a replacement. Long story a bit more complicated but I’d asked Tom at Orange customer support to check on a small crack in the paint near the rear mech hanger. Few days later Tom offered the new frame as this turned out to be a crack in the swingarm. Normally just a replacement swingarm under warranty but Four swingarm not available

Hence the offer of a Five or Five Evo frameset including shock. Chose the latter as closer to the Four and front fork would be a better fit.

Absolutely brilliant service from Orange. A reminder to register your bike to get the full 5 year warranty on the frame.

I’ll think twice about ever buying a bike from another brand. They have earnt my loyalty.

Brilliant, Evo looks like a great bike.

Result ! what a good do

Great news. The Five Evo does look like a nice bike. I have a 3 yo Four that has been crack free. I do have some paint bubbling though where my dropper cable enters the frame, but can’t imagine that will be a warranty issue.