Swinging Arm Removal

ian640 · Apr 25, 2020

Hi,

I need to remove the swinging arm on my XChallenge not least to lubricate the bearings. I've had the bike from new and (perhaps shamefully) the swinging arm has never been removed.

Any tips on preparation before attempting the task? E.g. is it worth applying a little heat before removing the pins either side?

Thanks,

Ian.

nicholsonj2252 · Apr 25, 2020

ian640 said:
Hi,

I need to remove the swinging arm on my XChallenge not least to lubricate the bearings. I've had the bike from new and (perhaps shamefully) the swinging arm has never been removed.

Any tips on preparation before attempting the task? E.g. is it worth applying a little heat before removing the pins either side?

Thanks,

Ian.

Just pre soak it with lots of WD40 or GT85 . Don’t use heat as the LH pin has plastic spacer washers and both the bearings have seals fitted which will melt or at least distort if you apply heat . You may need to use a slide hammer to remove the RH pin , there is a threaded hole inside the pin to facilitate this . If the swinging arm has never been removed you’ll likely find the bearings are shot and you will need new bearings and seals which you can get from somewhere like Simply Bearings . Hopefully the pins are OK . Let us know how you get on , any problems drop me a PM and I can talk you through it having removed numerous swinging arms some of which have been a real PITA . Here is what I found when I removed a swinging arm that had not been previously serviced or removed....

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ian640 · Apr 25, 2020

nicholsonj2252 said:
Just pre soak it with lots of WD40 or GT85 . Don’t use heat as the LH pin has plastic spacer washers and both the bearings have seals fitted which will melt or at least distort if you apply heat . You may need to use a slide hammer to remove the RH pin , there is a threaded hole inside the pin to facilitate this . If the swinging arm has never been removed you’ll likely find the bearings are shot and you will need new bearings and seals which you can get from somewhere like Simply Bearings . Hopefully the pins are OK . Let us know how you get on , any problems drop me a PM and I can talk you through it having removed numerous swinging arms some of which have been a real PITA . Here is what I found when I removed a swinging arm that had not been previously serviced or removed....

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks John, really helpful :thumb2

I will no doubt be in touch in due course.

GFJ · Apr 25, 2020

It will either work for you, or it won't!

Pain if it doesn't. Link below to some details. Good luck!

https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/235492-Swingarm-bearings

ian640 · Apr 26, 2020

GFJ said:
It will either work for you, or it won't!

Pain if it doesn't. Link below to some details. Good luck!

https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/235492-Swingarm-bearings

Thanks GFJ, had a good look at those threads. Might have to sub-contract it :confused:

Losttheplot · Apr 26, 2020

ian640 said:
Thanks GFJ, had a good look at those threads. Might have to sub-contract it

Ian, I've sent you a PM.

Nathan

ian640 · May 10, 2020

Phase 1 complete, that is the gear change side pin came out quite easily :thumb2

Onto phase 2

Thanks to all for the kind words so far

ian640 · May 16, 2020

In the latest thrilling instalment, today an attempt was made to get the right hand side pin out. The three small screws came out quite easily and much to my pleasant surprise, the pin itself took a minimal amount of persuasion to both rotate and move sideways. So far so good, and at this stage both pins have been left in but loosened.

Plans to crack open a bottle of the finest Champagne and spark up a Havana cigar to mark this breakthrough were swiftly put on ice when an attempt was made to remove the lower shock bolt. Its steadfast refusal to turn was especially annoying given it’s been out several times when the shock has been changed or serviced, and each time it’s had a coating of grease liberally applied before reassembly.

The nut on the other side of the shock unscrews without issue and I toyed with the idea of unscrewing it beyond the point where it couldn’t go any further so that the bolt was forced out. But I’m fearful of pursuing this approach in case I either strip the threads or end up boring into the swinging arm.

Not wishing to admit defeat and hand over the task to a professional, I resorted to standing on my breaker bar. At last - it turned a couple of times. Then the socket extension connecting the breaker bar to the hex bit snapped. I’m not sure if the bolt has turned or if it was just the extension piece starting to break. Fortunately I retrieved the hex bit. The machine has been left on its side stand for the night with the recess where the bolt lives largely filled with WD40.

I will attempt to acquire a new extension tomorrow and have another go.

Any handy hints or tips gratefully received. Impact gun or drilling?

Thanks.

NeilDD · May 16, 2020

Ian,
Heat first before more brute force, say heat gun from below...

GFJ · May 17, 2020

Need to get that bolt rotating easily before you try and retract it. Suggest once you start to get some signs of rotation, keep moving it back and forward with plenty of oil until you can get it to rotate freely, then start the extraction attempts.

I have used the undoing the nut against a spacer technique to get the bolt out. The angled part of a decent Allen key was another I used to get it pushed back through the shock.

ian640 · May 17, 2020

Thanks all. I'll persist.

GFJ - not quite sure what you mean about the Allen key. Could you explain a bit more please?

Cheers,

Ian.

dean0n0 · May 17, 2020

i think he means using an allen key as a lever at the nut end of the bolt, or under the head when you get some movement.

GFJ · May 17, 2020

dean0n0 said:
i think he means using an allen key as a lever at the nut end of the bolt, or under the head when you get some movement.

yes, as a lever on the nut end as you'll struggle to get much in there to help push the bolt out

ian640 · May 17, 2020

Got it thanks :blast

dean0n0 · May 17, 2020

ian640 said:
Got it thanks

Good, how did it go? What did you do?

ian640 · May 17, 2020

dean0n0 said:
Good, how did it go? What did you do?

I'll have another go later in the week and report back. At the moment it's soaking in WD40 and I have to acquire a new socket extension after mine snapped.

nicholsonj2252 · May 18, 2020

Try a long reach impact hex bit , just use it with a breaker bar not an impact gun - it will not fracture like your other standard hex bit did

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WERKZEUG...826194?hash=item3647528c52:g:sdsAAOSwk1hcXB5~

dean0n0 · May 18, 2020

ian640 said:
Got it thanks

Sorry, I thought you'd got the bolt out, not the method.

ian640 · May 18, 2020

nicholsonj2252 said:
Try a long reach impact hex bit , just use it with a breaker bar not an impact gun - it will not fracture like your other standard hex bit did

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WERKZEUG...826194?hash=item3647528c52:g:sdsAAOSwk1hcXB5~

Ordered

tuftywhite · May 18, 2020

There's a lack of photos on here Ian.

Swinging Arm Removal

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Old enough to know better

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getting away with it so far!

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