Swing arm lubrication

[Rickrod3]

What is you real world experience at adding some grease to the swing arm bearings?

can I do this after removing the cover pivot shaft, collar and oil seal?

What usually has to be replaced?

Tia
Rick

[randy]

What is you real world experience at adding some grease to the swing arm bearings?

-It's a good idea I check when changing tires, and it's easy.

can I do this after removing the cover pivot shaft, collar and oil seal?

-Yes

What usually has to be replaced?

Although there's not much wear happening there, if nothings been done for years, at worst, the races and bearings will need replacing. IIRC, the bearing includes the race. If you're careful with the seal, it will be ok to re-install.

Caution - the manual lists the torque as 72 ft/lbs. Don't make the mistake I made and torque the shaft to 72 ft/lbs . The 72 is for the locknut Thanks to John, I got replacement shafts but I had to re-tap the frame - Doh!

[DGXSER]

Hmmm....As I recall it, the bearing will not come out through the hole in the frame, it takes dropping the swing arm down and then removing the bearings to repack them. YMMV, that is what I recall. But honestly, dropping the swing arm out is not that big of a deal either. Hardest part is getting that rubber boot back into place and the springs back on it!

[Rickrod3]

Some times a manual differs from real life

That's what's good about this site.

Not to mention it was written over thirty years ago for a bike that was brand new or close to it at the time.

So my plan is to just add some grease after removing the pivot shaft from the diagram in the manual they don't look like sealed bearings.

I put about 150 miles on the bike rear suspension seems fine.
I would imagine that it could be a little dry after sitting 25 years.


Rick

[MindWebs]

i just put together a XJ750 maxim and i tightened the swing arm till it moved stiffly then backed off to it moved freely.

i believe the singarms to be similar (not interchangable)(just similar design)

hmm... yup.... i'm not the person to ask. sorry. nevermind...

[DGXSER]

I would imagine that it could be a little dry after sitting 25 years.

After sitting that long, I would want to lube up every thing, and replace every fluid ever put in it. Including pulling the final drive and greasing things up where the drive shaft meets up to the FD. By the time you pull the FD off, removing the swingarm is almost done.

[Rickrod3]

I did well except

After sitting that long, I would want to lube up every thing, and replace every fluid ever put in it. Including pulling the final drive and greasing things up where the drive shaft meets up to the FD. By the time you pull the FD off, removing the swing arm is almost done.

I went through the the bike.
Wheel bearings front and rear, shaft splines, fluids in the the middle and final drive. Steering head regreased.
I think the only pivot point I missed was the swing arm.
I did check the play when I had the wheel off.
I guess with all the other things I was working on at the time I decided to come back to it which is what I'm attempting know.

I pulled off the chrome caps and it looks like the swing arm has to be dropped to grease the bearings.

Someone did say that.
Wish me luck
Rick

[DGXSER]

Do not forget to replace the fork oil also.

As to the swing arm, it is much easier than it seems. The hardest part of the entire procedure is getting that rubber boot back on the coupling behind the middle drive, and tightening those bolts. I used loctite on them just to be sure when I put them back.

BTW, the torque for the pivot bolts is 47 ft-lbs. The torque for the locknut on the pivot bolts is 71ft-lbs. And the allowable difference in the spacing form one side to the other on the swingarm is 1.6 mm or .062". I used my handy micrometer to measure it, but no matter how you do it it seems your eye balling it somewhere to be honest.

[Rickrod3]

Do not forget to replace the fork oil also.

As to the swing arm, it is much easier than it seems. The hardest part of the entire procedure is getting that rubber boot back on the coupling behind the middle drive, and tightening those bolts. I used loctite on them just to be sure when I put them back.

BTW, the torque for the pivot bolts is 47 ft-lbs. The torque for the locknut on the pivot bolts is 71ft-lbs. And the allowable difference in the spacing form one side to the other on the swing arm is 1.6 mm or .062". I used my handy micrometer to measure it, but no matter how you do it it seems your eye balling it somewhere to be honest.

Fork oil done as I needed new seals.
Thanks for the encouragement on the swing arm. My swing arm aprehension came when I looked at the manual and saw I needed a puller to remove the shaft.

I pulled the wheel and final drive that was a piece of cake even tho I heard the rear axel can seize to the infamous expensive wheel bearing.

B.T.W if you do not mind me asking how is your recovery coming along?

Rick

[DGXSER]

Realistically, you do not even need to pull the driveshaft out.

The axle siezing to that bearing, well, if it is then you got problems that need to be addressed anyway. Better to find out now than in a curve when you lean the bike and the rear wheel goes goofy.

My recovery is going pretty well. The ribs are pretty well healed. But I guess they will remain a reminder for some time to come. Bound to happen when you crack or break your ribs on one side in a total of 16 places. Shoulder is healing well, and I can lift light weights with that arm already.

Otherwise it is a waiting game on the leg bones. Big question is my leg bone (tibia) which is/was missing a piece that fell out at the scene. If the two pieces grow and fill in the gap life is great, and I begin learning to walk and building muscle again in a week or two. If not, then I get to go through another operation and more waiting for stuff to grow again. So only time will tell on that one. Fun thing to keep in the back of your mind though.

Thank you for asking! Enjoy the fun with the swingarm.

[WMarshy]

Realistically, you do not even need to pull the driveshaft out.

The axle siezing to that bearing, well, if it is then you got problems that need to be addressed anyway. Better to find out now than in a curve when you lean the bike and the rear wheel goes goofy.

My recovery is going pretty well. The ribs are pretty well healed. But I guess they will remain a reminder for some time to come. Bound to happen when you crack or break your ribs on one side in a total of 16 places. Shoulder is healing well, and I can lift light weights with that arm already.

Otherwise it is a waiting game on the leg bones. Big question is my leg bone (tibia) which is/was missing a piece that fell out at the scene. If the two pieces grow and fill in the gap life is great, and I begin learning to walk and building muscle again in a week or two. If not, then I get to go through another operation and more waiting for stuff to grow again. So only time will tell on that one. Fun thing to keep in the back of your mind though.

Thank you for asking! Enjoy the fun with the swingarm.

If you need something to "bridge the gap" in your tibia, I say you take it off the bike you crashed. It took a piece of you why not take a piece of it.
Best wishes on the healing.

[DGXSER]

If you need something to "bridge the gap" in your tibia, I say you take it off the bike you crashed. It took a piece of you why not take a piece of it.
Best wishes on the healing.

Well, I already got a nice piece of titanium rod and screws as a permanent part of my leg and a plate and screws for a collar bone, so unless I want to get sucked into magnetic fields, I think I have anough metal in there now. But boy the fun I get to have at airports from now on. "Excuse me sir, but you need to head over to the full body cavity search section since you can no longer go through the metal detector."

Thanks for the wishes!!!

[Rickrod3]

Best wishes on the healing process

Rick

[DGXSER]

Thanks Rick!