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Reinstalling swing arm

  • Thread starter Thread starter mortation
  • Start date Start date
M

mortation

Guest
So i wanted to finally put SOMETHING back ON the bike vs taking stuff off.

So I installed the drive shaft, couldnt get the torq wrench in so just made the 4 bolts tight. Put on the new boot slid the swing arm on and started tightening the two swing arm bolts and realized something.

Its not a snug fit, I can slide the swing arm slightly left or right depending on which bolt I tighten more. So the question is, am I going to need to do some sort of alignment? Or just center it by eye ball and tighten it down?
 
mortation said:
So i wanted to finally put SOMETHING back ON the bike vs taking stuff off.
Click to expand...

i know the feeling!
boff.gif
 
mortation said:
So i wanted to finally put SOMETHING back ON the bike vs taking stuff off.

So I installed the drive shaft, couldnt get the torq wrench in so just made the 4 bolts tight. Put on the new boot slid the swing arm on and started tightening the two swing arm bolts and realized something.

Its not a snug fit, I can slide the swing arm slightly left or right depending on which bolt I tighten more. So the question is, am I going to need to do some sort of alignment? Or just center it by eye ball and tighten it down?
Click to expand...

I'd stop before you go much further. Were there any shim washers/bushings between the frame and swingarm that were removed that have been forgotten?
Is the swingarm the same one you took off? It's not likely that a final assembly would have bolts that are not clamping the pivot bearings but are putting the frame tubing into shear (what you're doing by tightening as you've described) - this makes driving that frame, hitting bumps etc - dangerous.

Take another look at your manual or parts drawings......or check out the pretty good ones at BikeBandit.com

The alignment issue is the lesser of the above until this is resolved - hope this makes sense ;)
 
SPARKSS said:
I'd stop before you go much further. Were there any shim washers/bushings between the frame and swingarm that were removed that have been forgotten?
Click to expand...

Nope:

2145_58.gif




SPARKSS said:
Is the swingarm the same one you took off?
Click to expand...

Its the same one, just cleaned and painted.

SPARKSS said:
It's not likely that a final assembly would have bolts that are not clamping the pivot bearings but are putting the frame tubing into shear (what you're doing by tightening as you've described) - this makes driving that frame, hitting bumps etc - dangerous.

Take another look at your manual or parts drawings......or check out the pretty good ones at BikeBandit.com

The alignment issue is the lesser of the above until this is resolved - hope this makes sense ;)
Click to expand...

Not really lol. I installed it the same way I took it off and in order of the above diagram. I can just slide it slightly left or right (Untill I tighten the bolts all the way). My question was more of tightening the bolts to make sure the Swing arm is aligned properly.
 
Just looked in my Clymer manual, page 186:

12. Installation is the reverse of these steps. Keep the following points in mind:
a. Grease bearings and races with a good grade of grease such as waterproof boat trailer wheel bearing grease.
b. Carefully slide swing arm over drive shaft into frame.
c. Secure swing arm with pivot shafts. [#3 in your diagram above] Tighten pivot shafts finger-tight and check that spacing between swing arm and frame is the same on both sides. If spacing is not equal, move pivot shafts in or out until spacing is correct. Torque pivot shafts to 0.35-0.45 mkg (2.5-3.0 ft.-lb.). Recheck spacing. Loosen and readjust pivot shafts if necessary.
d. Hold pivot shafts with an Allen wrench and tighten pivot shaft locking nuts to 11.0-13.0 mkg (80-95 ft.-lb.).

I belive the part that I have highlighted in red is the answer to your question. 8-[

Same information is in the Haynes manual on page 116, and in the Suzuki manual on pages 11-43 and 11-44.

You have to forgive these guys that have chains that drive the rear wheel. They have a swingarm axle that goes all the way through. They might not understand that our "axle" is split to allow for the drive shaft to pass through the same area.

.
 
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DUH! RTFM, got it lol. Exactly what I needed to know. Thanks. Good thing I greased everything :)
 
ah shafties.... the bummer of no swingarm mods to allow a wider rear wheel is balanced by the fact I walk right past the chin lube in the MC store.
 
doctorgonzo said:
ah shafties.... the bummer of no swingarm mods to allow a wider rear wheel is balanced by the fact I walk right past the chin lube in the MC store.
Click to expand...

I hear there bud. Only downside to the shafty is I am stuck with the rim I got :P
 
Steve said:
and do you need "chin" lube because you are drooling on the new bikes? :-\"

.
Click to expand...

heh... sometimes, but I am SO FREAKING SICK of Harley's and Harley clone "Metric Cruisers". Yeah, they were damn cool, until every other bike you saw on the road was one! Seriously, I look at bikes I pass on the road now and think "Oh, nevermind, it's just a Harley".
 
doctorgonzo said:
heh... sometimes, but I am SO FREAKING SICK of Harley's and Harley clone "Metric Cruisers". Yeah, they were damn cool, until every other bike you saw on the road was one! Seriously, I look at bikes I pass on the road now and think "Oh, nevermind, it's just a Harley".
Click to expand...

Ah see I love looking at harleys and clones :) Choppers (REAL choppers, not OCC crap bought from a catalog and assembled) too!
 
mortation said:
Ah see I love looking at harleys and clones :) Choppers (REAL choppers, not OCC crap bought from a catalog and assembled) too!
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Alright, I did speak quickly. An old school harley that some guy has built, welded, skinned his knuckles making into a badass ride, cool as hell. Yet another chromed out one driven by an accountant who plunked down his 15K and rode off, yawn....
 
doctorgonzo said:
Yet another chromed out one driven by an accountant who plunked down his 15K and rode off, yawn....
Click to expand...

Yea, I agree there. Makes me mad as hell when people do that, maybe I am just jealous I don't have a spare 15k :P
 
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