Axle pinch bolt

[CUBuffs]

Gap not normal?

So Skids,

Are you saying that that gap should not be there if I had a pinch bolt in place?

[skids]

Re: Gap not normal?

I have one of my four xs1100s that seems to pull the fat end of the axle through the pinch area unless there is a little bit of a restriction created by the pinch bolt. I am not saying that it needs to be tightened to spec as you torque the big axle nut, but it might be spreading allowing it to suck it. The axle is definately too far into the pinch area of the frame if that side hole is partially obscured like your picture shows. I am not sure if this is the whole problem. I am just thinking out loud, but maybe the trailing arm bolts are out of adjustment, causing spreading of the frame???

Originally posted by CUBuffs
So Skids,

Are you saying that that gap should not be there if I had a pinch bolt in place?

[Dennyz]

Swing Arm Alignment

CUBuffs,

You NEED to have the pinch bolt and have it tight. Without it, there is nothing to keep the LEFT side of the swing arm from moving (bending). The swing arm on these bikes is not very rigid. I have found the drive shaft tube (left side) is what does the bending. The pinch bolt is a critical part of the swing arm rigidity.

I bet if I took your bike and jammed into some hard corners, right turns would make the gap larger, left turns would reduce it.

I have bent two swing arms (with the pinch bolt tight) on my 'F'. Once I got into checking the rear wheel alignment on my XSs, I was surprised to find how hard it is to get a good straight swing arm.

In my opinion, there should be some gap. You would have to check your rear wheel alignment to know how much gap is right for your bike. The swing arm would have to be check for parallel and perpendicular alignment to know for sure.

Checking rear wheel alignment is not a simple processes and correcting a problem is even more difficult. I suspect there are a lot of XSs with swing arms not in perfect alignment. I am not sure it is possible for them to stay aligned. And, I don't know how much it matter?

[CUBuffs]

New pinch bolt arrived

OK, my new pinch bolt is here. The question is, should I have the wheel aligned by the local Yam dealer before I install the bolt, or should I just install it myself without aligning the wheel?

[TopCatGr58]

Hey CUBuffs,

Like DennyZ said:

Checking rear wheel alignment is not a simple processes and correcting a problem is even more difficult. I suspect there are a lot of XSs with swing arms not in perfect alignment. I am not sure it is possible for them to stay aligned. And, I don't know how much it matter?

You can put a phillips screwdriver into that hole in the right end of the axle to help push the right arm of the swingarm a little bit closer to the wheel before tightening the pinch bolt.

I remember learning a technique "decades" ago about how to check a car's front to rear wheel alignment, drive it over a small stretch of dirt road and look at the tread patterns, the rea should run directly over the front. Might try the same with the bike? A few MM's gap variance probably won't make a bit of difference.
T.C.

[CUBuffs]

Thanks TC.