Swingarm bearings...

Losttheplot

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Ok, whats the trick with getting the swingarm off the bike to check and grease the bearings?

I've removed the front sprocket, taken the 3 little bolts out of the RHS bearing cap on the outside of the frame, and unscrewed the left side as far as it will go, which is pulling the swing arm sideways from it's usual position-.

Now it gets to a point and stops, it looks like there is a nut in the way, but this is attached to one of the main bolts that goes through the frame and through the back of the engine casing. Do i have to take this out, or have a missed a trick somewhere??

:confused:

Nathan
 
Thanks for the pointer JB, i'd already found that post on adventure rider, but hadn't been able to make anymore progress from reading it than before.....

I'm going to have another crack this evening.....
 
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8955721#post8955721

Now this helps! (scroll down- there is a post with pictures in it!)

It looks like the problem i have is the big stud that screws into the frame is possibly seized into the bearing, as the stud doesn't move sideways through the swingarm as you undo it.

I'm off to give it a bloody good soak in WD40 and anything else i can lay my hands on.............
 
Pretty sure you'll have sorted this by now but for anyone else's benefit...

Losttheplot said:
I've removed the front sprocket, taken the 3 little bolts out of the RHS bearing cap on the outside of the frame,
Click to expand...
I didn't remove the sprocket. I found that the right hand cap would just about rotate with a long breaker bar and I tried a slide hammer but to no avail. In the end I made a blind puller from some 8mm threaded rod (screws in to the cap), part of a 3 legged puller and an old Husky top yoke I had lying around. Bike is dirty etc:

IMAG0168_zps01e5fbd3.jpg


Losttheplot said:
unscrewed the left side as far as it will go, which is pulling the swing arm sideways from it's usual position-.

Now it gets to a point and stops, it looks like there is a nut in the way, but this is attached to one of the main bolts that goes through the frame and through the back of the engine casing. Do i have to take this out, or have a missed a trick somewhere??
Click to expand...

On that side the cap unscrews rather than is pulled out. When the swing arm starts to come with it,just tap the arm back with a mallet.

Viv
 
dean0n0 said:
Have you disconnected the shock?
Click to expand...

Well if you're going to remove the swing arm you will have to :nenau

You need a long 10m allan to reach down the hole to get to the bottom mounting bolt ;)

The alloy 'mountings' each side of the swing arm have a thread (8mm I think) deep down inside to slide hammer/pull them out of a very tight fit in the frame.

:beerjug:
 
Micky said:
You need a long 10m allen to reach down the hole to get to the bottom mounting bolt....
Click to expand...


Do not use a ball ended allen socket.
Get yourself a long series 10mm allen key, and disc off the long end neat styleee.
Ensure the hex in the head of the shock bolt is cleaned out and enter the piece of allen key into it.
Then put a 10mm socket of the exposed end of the piece of allen key and try to undo it with a ratchet or breaker bar. Don't go too mad.....
If it doesn't move, I have used an 1/2" impact gun, as you need to disturb the white alloy oxcide that will of built up around the bolt in the swingarm casting.
Eventually it should start turning. Then put a spanner on the nut on the other end of the bolt and let it undo as you turn the bolt. When you have undone the nut, I did it back up a little and slid a shim plate behind th end of the bolt and the nut and undone it again, which gives a jacking effect on the bolt when the nut screws on to the shim, and hey-presto your bolt should move outwards.
Use plenty of plusgas or wd40 on the process, and when you come to reassemble, plenty of molyslip to help prevent the alloy furring again.
 
viv said:
Pretty sure you'll have sorted this by now but for anyone else's benefit...



Viv
Click to expand...

My original issues were caused by the bolt on the gear change side seizing into the bearing collar that slides over it. As they go into the swing arm from opposite sides, unless you part the two there is now way they are coming out. And they need to come out if you want to remove the swing arm.

Just in the process of changing the bearings in my swing arm for the second time, and i've had to go to bmw for the bearings for the rear brake side as simply bearings don't have them in stock.
 
Losttheplot said:
Just in the process of changing the bearings in my swing arm for the second time, and i've had to go to bmw for the bearings for the rear brake side as simply bearings don't have them in stock.
Click to expand...

I had the same issue with the bearing on that side as it was not shown online, so I emailed SimplyBearings about the pricing. However their price was much higher for INA bearings than these guys where I bought mine from in the end:

http://www.qualitybearingsonline.com/

Quality Bearings don't supply the seals though so somewhere like SimplyBearings is a good place for them still.

Viv
 
£17 delivered for the two swing arm bearings from QualityBearings btw.

Still need to go to BMW for the bush bearings though unless someone knows otherwise.

Viv
 
The Left hand bearing bush looks to be a standard part:

IR 25x30x30 £8 to £12 depending on where they are bought from.

Viv
 
I've just entered into this world of pain as my nearside bolt wasn't for coming out (as per Nathan's post, seemed to get stuck in the collar)


Was originally just going for a shock swap, but thought I'd grease up with swing arm bearings whilst I was down there. Wish I hadn't bothered!

So, on order, I now have

m20 x 1.5 die to clean up the threads on the bolt that was seized in, it wasn't for coming out and now has a slightly mushroomed head,

m22 x 1.5 v-coil (like heli coil) to go back in the hole in the frame. It's not on the parts fiche but I bugged the OE one that was in there.

m22 x 1.5 tap to clean up the threads before the new vcoil goes in.

Needle bearing (it was shot), from marksman industrial

2 x seals, from simply bearings.

Not arrived yet so hope I've gone for the right parts.

It was a frustrating afternoon!
 
GFJ said:
I've just entered into this world of pain as my nearside bolt wasn't for coming out (as per Nathan's post, seemed to get stuck in the collar)


Was originally just going for a shock swap, but thought I'd grease up with swing arm bearings whilst I was down there. Wish I hadn't bothered!

So, on order, I now have

m20 x 1.5 die to clean up the threads on the bolt that was seized in, it wasn't for coming out and now has a slightly mushroomed head,

m22 x 1.5 v-coil (like heli coil) to go back in the hole in the frame. It's not on the parts fiche but I bugged the OE one that was in there.

m22 x 1.5 tap to clean up the threads before the new vcoil goes in.

Needle bearing (it was shot), from marksman industrial

2 x seals, from simply bearings.

Not arrived yet so hope I've gone for the right parts.

It was a frustrating afternoon!
Click to expand...

Can you get a replacement lower frame section if the thread is beyond repair?

After the grief i went through first time round with this, i now strip and grease my swing arm bearings at least every 3-6 months, some times more often if i don't have anything better to do...
 
Losttheplot said:
Can you get a replacement lower frame section if the thread is beyond repair?
Click to expand...

According to the parts fiche on Max BMW's site, yes you can. Part Number 02 46 51 7 696 661, cost $590!!
http://www.maxbmwmotorcycles.com/fiche/DiagramsMain.aspx?vid=51546

My plan worked, in that I cleaned up the thread in the frame using a m22 x 1.5 tap, then inserted an m20 x 1.5 x 1.5 V-Coil which went in easily in place of the original one that I had chewed up (though a little long so I cut a few spirals off)

The cleaned up bolt went in fine, though there was a small amount of lateral play until it was tightened to spec.

Not that bad a job once you'd got all the bits you needed.

If anyone needs to loan the tap (M22 x 1.5) and die / die holder (M20 x 1.5) should you ever need to do this, PM me etc.

Lithium grease . . . . it's the future!
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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