loose swingarm

I have a 72 commando with some play in the swingarm. My mechanic is telling me it is the swingarm bushing or the rear engine cradle. I would greatly appreciate any advice.

fast2115

Many past threads on this. Try the Search function. Your mechanic may be right. Or if he is not familiar with Commandos it could just be that the isolastics need reshimming. A loose front iso can make the rear wheel seem to have a lot of back and forth wiggle. When I used to get my bike inspected every year there was usually some explaining to do.

There are relatively easy fixes for these problems.

Howdy fast2115

Looks like you are reatively new here, welcome!

This forum is loaded with threads about swingarm maladies and fixes, try a few searches; the knowledge base is purely amazing.

You can replace the busings/pivot, you can utilize the clamp method of pinning your pivot so that there is no play or you can send your swingarm/engine cradle out for the ne plus ultra treatment at CNW and be done with it for the rest of your life. Unless the play is somethimng you can feel (while riding) I wouldn't worry too much about it, do keep an eye on it in any case. If you need a reality check go look at the swingarms on the crotch rockets, then look at the Norton's swingarm, very humblimg, to say the least.

Is everything else is passable shape? Pictures?

RS

I have just done my swing arm, it is reasonable easy to do, parts are readily available.

Am not sure about your mechanical abilities, my local bike shop quoted me $600 to do the swing arm bushes, did it myself for alot less, although I did mine with the bike in pieces.

Photos here : http://s113.photobucket.com/albums/n229 ... ?start=all

Note: when I put the new bushes into the swing arm, I opted to add a little bearing locker for good measure, the old bushes appeared to have been moving in the mounting, see the old bushes down the bottom of the photo page.

Enjoy !!!

Swing arm be 1/4" loose slack and not mess with handling match in fairly fast switch backs and lane weave or changes, just a twitch of slack taking up, but in long held sweepers it can get to oscillating into the forks but can feel the onset and just back off till settled. If spindle not oiled for a long time rust builds up to trap spindle and/or the spindle wears lips that snag trying to pull it out.
Sometimes just twisting it will clear the lips other times many ton press needed.

There is a kit with 2 clamp on collars that help stablilize spindle moving and wearing. Almost all them tend to drool oil so worth while to put grease zerks in bushes or open spindle oil hole so grease can be pumped in from the side plate.

There is a kit with 2 clamp on collars that help stablilize spindle moving and wearing. Almost all them tend to drool oil so worth while to put grease zerks in bushes or open spindle oil hole so grease can be pumped in from the side plate.

Click to expand...

Heinz Kegler sadly departed this year, not sure who makes the kit now, I think his widow had some kits left? search the forum with his name, worked for me on a high mileage Commando saved a strip down
If you look at the spindle tube as you wiggle the back wheel you can see if its wear in the tube (then Heinz's arrangement works well) or if its the iso's needing tightened up.

Slip of the tounge from Hotbot, no grease please, EP140 oil is the only lube for this. (Steve you been on the mountain dew ?)

I make the same clamp kit as hienz. if you want one send me a pm.

Two years ago I had almost 1 inch of side-to-side swingarm play. I had "bill" (aka Windy) install the "clamp kit" and there is absolutely zero side-to-side movement after 7000 miles of hard riding.

If it's loose... fix it. It can bite you. I did a fix-it rebuild on my '71 750 back in '84 and had the isolastics all cleaned up and adjusted as well as new swingarm bushings well oiled. I was unaware of the subframe/swingarm hole-wear problem at the time and developed a nifty oscillation at 90mph on I-95 one night. With my front tire steady on the dotted yellow line the back tire was using two thirds of both lanes bouncing back and forth as quick as you can say "wham wham wham wham wham". The immediate solution is to stay on the gas, stay away from the front brake, start adding back brake to reduce speed and wham. The long term solution is do something to hold the swingarm shaft steady so the wear happens at the bushings instead of the sub-frame. I just stayed away from 90mph and rode it to Alaska where I finally have time, $, and a place to work on it. I'm new to this fantastic forum and a luddite besides but I'll be learning my way around and seeking solutions to the BIG swingarm shaft hole. Best wishes to all. These Nortons are great bikes with good souls. Very fun to ride.

bill said:

I make the same clamp kit as hienz. if you want one send me a pm.

Click to expand...

This is who I got mine from. They work great. Especially if you use the replacement spindles with the flats. You have to replace some of the bolts (like two) but it's beyond solid now.

not-another-spindle-thread-t5978.html

The clamps they speak of are good things but they are not a fix for worn bushinging or spindle. First thing first!
Also, make sure the play you feel and see is not eminating from the front isolastics. This is a common mistake.
As with most repairs, this is straight forward, but with most repairs, not without precautions. These bushing are SOFT and many have broken apart during intallation by over anxious practices. :roll: They are fairly cheap so you might want to buy three.

Warning: ignorant question.

How do the clamps work are where do you buy them ?.

Josh Cox said:

Warning: ignorant question.

How do the clamps work are where do you buy them ?.

Click to expand...

the split collars fit around the swing arm pivot pin tube as far apart as possible, you drill through the tube to allow the jack bolts to push the pin tight in the tube. if you want a pair send me a PM.