The pics are a combination of Funn, Atomlab Aircorp and mk1 Crank Bros Mallets. The Aircorps felt great but the bearings lasted five minutes the pedals were so thin, and the Funns weren't the best feeling but lasted a while. I do have some Atomlab Trailkings but they're earmarked for the M1. I'm also a predominantly clipless rider these days though and have been for a long time so the Mallets will likely go on this when I get around to riding it.
I had a pair, killed them (bent both axles), and had them replaced under warranty with the later style in the pics above (which I then sold). Two bad decisions, the originals were amazing pedals both in grip and looks/manufacturing. The issue they did have was the axles were too thin at the end and unsupported so they'd break quite easily. The later ones had undersized bearings so they'd explode on a regular basis. The Trailkings were a much tougher pedal but were narrower and not so stable. Then again I saw the light and moved to clipless for most stuff, and Burgtec for anything flat related. Then again I sold my first set of Penthouse Flats years ago and still kick myself for that too!
Let me check but all the bearing recesses were a bit over tight on these frames IMO, exacerbated by how much metal is around them so there's zero give. I'd knock that out and make sure you're not digging into the aluminium and burring it up as that won't be helping you. It's also possible that the bearing itself isn't the best tolerance if it was cheap. I'm absolutely sure that's the correct bearing you've got there though so I'd be inclined to warm the swingarm, bung the bearing in the freezer, and use a little grease before you press the bearings in. You do need to slug them in a little though, and that's easier with a block of wood under it so you can properly hit it without damaging the swingarm. .
