How to get swingarm bolt sleeve & bushings out?

renloy

I'm trying to get the rusty bolt sleeve and plastic bushings out. The best I've been able to accomplish is to push the sleeve 1/4" out one side. It won't move any further. Tips?

650skull · Support Staff Joined: Jul 19, 2007 Posts: 1186

I payed $10 and got the local engineer with a press to press it out..........On the nylon bushes if they are brittle, (most likely), get a hacksaw blade and cut length ways through the bush, careful not to cut into the swing arm to much, a small cut won't hurt, make a couple of cuts and then prize out the bush

renloy

Tried that but the bushings are so brittle the edges just chipped right off. I hate to say this, but looks like I may have to visit the dealer and see what they can do

dpmphoto

use a hammer and a rod and about 3 to 4 beers,works everytime.I would rather work on it day and night than take it to a dealer,oh did I mention heat and maybe some slick spray

xjwmx

I hammered the metal sleeve on out using a socket and an extension and a hammer. After the edges of the plastic bushing chipped off, I hammered a nail between the swing arm and the bushing. That cracked the bushing lengthwise and let me hammer it out easily using a metal rod through the other side.

Then I took a round file and removed all burrs from the inside of the swing arm tube ends. Then coated inside where the new bushings will go with grease. Heated the swing arm and froze the new bushings (bronze) and hammered them in with a hammer, leather pad, and a piece of scrap oak on the floor. Sleeve would not fit through the bushings when I was finished so I took a brake hone ($5 at Harbor Freight) and a drill and honed inside the bushings until the fit was perfect. Then I test fitted the new grease seals and used a flat file on the bushing edges until the grease seals would go on all the way. Getting the arm and the grease seals back into the bike was tricky because it's such a tight fit, but if you're crafty you'll figure out a technique that works for you.

If I had to do it over, I would try drawing the bushings in with threaded rod and nuts and washers, but how I did it worked ok. The problem with the way I got the new bushings in is I'm not sure they're in as far as they could possibly be, which led to this - when I tightened the pivot bolt I finally got turning without torque reading increasing kind of early. I don'l know if it was because the bolt was stretching or if the bushings were going further in. What I ended up with works fine though. The ideal thing to put them in with would be a professional hydraulic press.

renloy

shoot i don't have a nail the right size. Gonna have to make another run to the store tomorrow.

nudude53

I had had mine pressed in at the local automotive machine shop for $5, well worth the short trip to town and the inner bushing shaft fit perfect. Hammering on them tends to distort them, even with safeguards such as wood and leather or plastic hammers.

I took a new hacksaw blade and cut a slot though the old bushings to loosen them up, just be careful not to cut into the swing arm.

xjwmx

Yes, somebody somewhere has a press, and that's the neatest solution to getting the new bushings in.

650skull · Support Staff Joined: Jul 19, 2007 Posts: 1186

renloy wrote:

Tried that but the bushings are so brittle the edges just chipped right off. I hate to say this, but looks like I may have to visit the dealer and see what they can do

Mine chiped out until i did the cuts, do a couple fairly close together for a start.............I used a small screw driver and got behind a piece of bushing, levering the strips out......some broke a couple of times..........it still worked well......I am not advocating the use of a screw driver as the sharp edges could score the swing arm and leave a burr......A delicate touch and carefull scrutiny is required

650skull · Support Staff Joined: Jul 19, 2007 Posts: 1186

dpmphoto wrote:

use a hammer and a rod and about 3 to 4 beers,works everytime.I would rather work on it day and night than take it to a dealer,oh did I mention heat and maybe some slick spray

dpmphoto, i havent tried heat but wouldn't some of the bush melt to the frame?

650skull · Support Staff Joined: Jul 19, 2007 Posts: 1186

I could have got lucky, i hammered mine in without any problems with the sleeve sliding in on a bit of grease. Again a delicate touch to get started, de burred the edge of the frame where the bushing goes in, Used a rubber mallet and a piece of soft timber to drive the bushing in, getting it square when you start is the key and make sure to hit square to the surface of the bush............ the last 7-8 mm i had to use my steel hammer and the wood.........used the kindling for the fire Smile

jayel

don't hammer them in, get a lenght of threaded rod a few flat washers and a couple of nuts and crank them it with a couple of wrenches

650skull · Support Staff Joined: Jul 19, 2007 Posts: 1186

Just call me bozo Laughing

using the threaded rod idea is a good one and the best.........still important to get the bushes square, on starting, will still cause damage if not

AMT82xs650 · Full Member Joined: Dec 22, 2007 Posts: 17

I had read about the threaded rod method somewhere on this forum. I might be mistaken, but I think that 5twins had originally written about it. When I installed the bushings I ran into a problem with the washers rotating against the flanges on the ends of the bushings. I solved this by adding a second set of washers and a light coating of grease between the washers. Just be careful that everything is aligned before you start tightening up the nuts.

All you need is:

½ inch all thread about a foot long
2 nuts
4 washers
A little bit of grease to go between the washers
And a couple of wrenches

jayel · Last edited by jayel on June 28, 2009, 9:27 am; edited 1 time in total

and the ability of thinking that not everything responds well to the BFH method of assembly Laughing

even if it is more fun

IAmGrowler

AMT82xs650 wrote:

I had read about the threaded rod method somewhere on this forum. I might be mistaken, but I think that 5twins had originally written about it. When I installed the bushings I ran into a problem with the washers rotating against the flanges on the ends of the bushings. I solved this by adding a second set of washers and a light coating of grease between the washers. Just be careful that everything is aligned before you start tightening up the nuts.

I used the same method you suggest, but I also rounded over the edge of the bushings with a bench grinder to help with alignment.

nudude53

jayel wrote:

and the ability of thinking that not everything responds well to the BFH method of assembly Laughing

even if it is more fun

Welp...........there goes my entire tool collection!

renloy

So where can you get a threaded rod?

nudude53

renloy wrote:

So where can you get a threaded rod?

Lowes, Home Depot, Ace hardware

jayel

don't feel bad guys, I put in my first set with the BFH and marred them so bad had to replace them,
learn from the mistakes of others you'll never live long enough to make them all yourself,
wisdom comes from experience, experience comes from making mistakes

renloy

nudude53 wrote:

renloy wrote:

So where can you get a threaded rod?

Lowes, Home Depot, Ace hardware

Which section of the store?

650skull · Support Staff Joined: Jul 19, 2007 Posts: 1186

renloy, turn right upon entry, and in the 8th row go all the way down the back and if it an't there ask someone who works there Confused

renloy

650skull wrote:

renloy, turn right upon entry, and in the 8th row go all the way down the back and if it an't there ask someone who works there Confused

lol just wondering if its with the tools / nuts / bolts or somewhere else. I hate asking the people in the store for help. They always look at you like you just took a dump in their cereal

650skull · Support Staff Joined: Jul 19, 2007 Posts: 1186

renloy wrote:

650skull wrote:

renloy, turn right upon entry, and in the 8th row go all the way down the back and if it an't there ask someone who works there Confused

lol just wondering if its with the tools / nuts / bolts or somewhere else. I hate asking the people in the store for help. They always look at you like you just took a dump in their cereal

Have you seen my face Shocked

At the end of the day, they are working there to serve you and if their attitude is not helpful and pleasant, then ask them for their superior and watch the change

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