Swingarm Troubles

[jay66]

I noticed some play in the swingarm on my 81 GS 1100E so I took it off today prepared to install the new bearings I ordered last week. Well I get the swingarm off after a bit of cussing and look at the old bearings. Much to my suprise the old ones look in very good shape and the spacers are nice and tight in them. So I start looking at the bolt that goes through the swingarm. Here the bolt is worn and rusty looking. worn smaller where the spacers ride on it. It looks to me that at one time or another battery acid leaked down on the swingarm and ate away the bolt because the swingarm and bolt are all discolored, it must have sat in there and ate away on the bolt, this is definatly where the slop in the swingarm is coming from. So I greased everything up and put it back together for now till I can get my hands on a bolt. Nothing like wrenching on something for hours and getting nowhere.

I just found out that the battery was left in the bike one winter and it froze and broke. Goes to show take em out every winter, especially if you live in the colder neck of the woods.