Bastard tight bush in swingarm - any tips?

[Magwych]

I'm upgrading from Wilbers to Hyperpro suspension, but have hit a problem.

The lower rear shock mount in the swing arm uses a bush on the left hand side, item #2 in the parts diargram below. It seems to be seized solid.

The total width of the Wilbers lower shock eye and bearings is 0.5mm less than the Hyperpro, so I need to move it back by at 0.5 mm or so.

I have applied heat by hot air gun, and by using boiling water, whilst trying to draw it through with a fine hread 10mm bolt and nut with suitable spacers. It has not budged.

Next step is try a silde hammer ...

Anyone else had this problem, and how did you resolve it? Is it safe to use a blow torch in this area to get a higher heat and expansion?

 

[ghiribizzo]

Spread the load from the slide hammer with a few penny washers.
Or a couple of bits of thin plywood and a bit of gentle persuasion with a prybar. Needed that putting Wilbers on an RT recently.

 

[Uncle Rob]

can you not grind the bush away?

 

[Pukmeister]

I had a very similar issue years ago with removing my Wilbers shocks on my old GS and refitting the stock shocks prior to part-ex.

IIRC I solved my problem by drawing the bush out with a threaded bar, nuts and washers with an oversized socket on the outside of the swing arm to draw the bush into. The bush was a tight interference fit in the swing arm.

In my case I needed to retap the thread inside the swingarm as I had accidentally screwed the wrong (upper) shock bolt into it and buggered up the threads before realising my mistake, the bush had to come out to allow the tap to enter the hole and recut the thread. Refitting the bush afterwards was easy.

 

[Magwych]

Thanks for the input so far ...

...a couple of bits of thin plywood and a bit of gentle persuasion with a prybar...

That was exactky how I did i when I fitted the Wilbers, but it does not shift it now.

can you not grind the bush away?

That will be my last option. I need to use the bike daily, at the moment I have a few day off to enjoy the spring sun. Getting replacement will take some time, I don't believe these are likely to be carried by dealers as stock items. If I grind it out, I can't see getting a replacement part until mid next week. My next chance to comelete the job would be the weekend after.
My workshop is the great outdoors, so If it is pissing down it would have to wait 'til the next weekend.
I could use the 690 Enduro for getting to work, but 55 miles each way takes it toll ....

IIRC I solved my problem by drawing the bush out with a threaded bar, nuts and washers with an oversized socket on the outside of the swing arm to draw the bush into. The bush was a tight interference fit in the swing arm.

That was what I was trying today. But I could not get any movement out of it at all.

I'm hoping that walking away from the Stuckness and returning to it tomorrow will help ..

 

[Bendy toy]

Use plenty of anti seize grease on the pulling threads wind it tight then hit the end with a lump hammer. Tighten some more, etc. The end-on shock should move the bush.

If Locite was used on the bush, it's housing needs to reach 150C to break the bond.

 

[ianboydsnr]

Can you not grind the excess of the bush using a grinder and metal cutting disc?

You may have expanded the unsupported area of the bush, if so then there is no easy solution!

 

[mikeyboy]

wait untill you have time to work on the bike properly ,remove the swing arm and heat the whole thing in the oven,the bush should move ok if you heat the swing arm to @120 degrees.
you may want to order some new swing arm bearings and swap them at the same time.
localised heat from a blowlamp will damage the paint finish ,and will dissipate through the arm.
it wont take long to remove the swingarm ,make sure you get the l/h pivot trunion clean and get plenty of releasing oil on it prior to starting the job.

 

[DrFarkoff]

It's damn cold out there the alloy will be as tight as a Ducks arse

You need a fan heater set up to bring the temp up over a bigger area for maybe half an hour and then do your bolt trick and pull the bush out

It'll work

 

[Magwych]

Still seized solid.

I had a spare swingarm in the shed I had forgotten about, and managed to get a bush off the shelf at Balderstons.

It's a lovely sliding fit when new isn't it.

Does anyone want a swingarm with a seized shock bush? Free to a good home, speak quick before it goes in a skip...

 

[Fanum]

Still seized solid.

I had a spare swingarm in the shed I had forgotten about, and managed to get a bush off the shelf at Balderstons.

It's a lovely sliding fit when new isn't it.

Does anyone want a swingarm with a seized shock bush? Free to a good home, speak quick before it goes in a skip...

Keep hold of it Martin.......It's the sort of thing that someone building a sidecar with 2wd onto a 1200 would rip your arm off for

Our next two sidecar builds will be on an 1150 and a K bike, but if you need the space, I'll happily stick it up on a shelf in the shed and if anyone wants it before we make use of it, they can grab it

 

[Paul Rochdale]

Dremel with a burr, then tap the damaged bush out.

 

[Magwych]

Keep hold of it Martin.......It's the sort of thing that someone building a sidecar with 2wd onto a 1200 would rip your arm off for

Our next two sidecar builds will be on an 1150 and a K bike, but if you need the space, I'll happily stick it up on a shelf in the shed and if anyone wants it before we make use of it, they can grab it

Hi Bill,

PM me your current address and I will post it on. It will be of no more use to me, I hope someone can make use of it.