Problems removing swingarm spindle

I’ve looked through all the topics that came from a search, and I feel like I’m missing something important here.

I have a ‘74 roadster just about stripped. I tore it apart to replace the bushings, and add the double clamp mod to the swingarm. I can tell the previous owner greased it. Was quite a mess.

I picked this bike up a few months back and it was non running/not fully together. I got it running and replaced a good bit in the process. The first ride out it felt like it could have been more solid.

So now I’m in this spot where I’ve decided I may as well strip it, paint the frame, replace the steering bearings and all this other stuff.

My issue is I cannot withdraw the spindle in the swingarm. I’m attempting to not take apart the primary case and esp the inner primary. This is a bid to save time and get the bike back on the road quick for spring.

Every search I’ve come
Across shows or talks about the spindle coming out with 1/2” X 20 puller, or that you can use the front iso bolt as the puller.

my question is this :

Are these spindles threaded on both ends? Or all the way through? I’m starting to think that the P.O. Put the spindle in backwards, possibly with the threads backing up to the inner primary case. If so, I realize I’ll have to strip that all down.

My reasoning for not wanting to strip the primary down is I’ve just replaced and torqued everything inside, new clutch, new stators, all that whatnot.

Any advice is much appreciated. Here’s a photo from the timing side, looking at the spindle. You can see there are no threads.

seanalex said:

Are these spindles threaded on both ends? Or all the way through? I’m starting to think that the P.O. Put the spindle in backwards, possibly with the threads backing up to the inner primary case. If so, I realize I’ll have to strip that all down.

Click to expand...

seanalex said:

I’ve looked through all the topics that came from a search, and I feel like I’m missing something important here.

I have a ‘74 roadster just about stripped. I tore it apart to replace the bushings, and add the double clamp mod to the swingarm. I can tell the previous owner greased it. Was quite a mess.

I picked this bike up a few months back and it was non running/not fully together. I got it running and replaced a good bit in the process. The first ride out it felt like it could have been more solid.

So now I’m in this spot where I’ve decided I may as well strip it, paint the frame, replace the steering bearings and all this other stuff.

My issue is I cannot withdraw the spindle in the swingarm. I’m attempting to not take apart the primary case and esp the inner primary. This is a bid to save time and get the bike back on the road quick for spring.

Every search I’ve come
Across shows or talks about the spindle coming out with 1/2” X 20 puller, or that you can use the front iso bolt as the puller.

my question is this :

Are these spindles threaded on both ends? Or all the way through? I’m starting to think that the P.O. Put the spindle in backwards, possibly with the threads backing up to the inner primary case. If so, I realize I’ll have to strip that all down.

My reasoning for not wanting to strip the primary down is I’ve just replaced and torqued everything inside, new clutch, new stators, all that whatnot.

Any advice is much appreciated. Here’s a photo from the timing side, looking at the spindle. You can see there are no threads.

Click to expand...

Maybe try some sort of wall fixing, expanding bolt to pull it out
Or weld a piece of studding to it
If not you'll have to strip the primary to gain access

baz said:

Maybe try some sort of wall fixing, expanding bolt to pull it out
Or weld a piece of studding to it
If not you'll have to strip the primary to gain access

Click to expand...

Baz, thats a great idea. Will try that tomorrow. I've taken the primary cover off already, but closed up the shop for the night. Will report back about the expanding bolt.

A bit crude, but it worked. Held the spindle in place with a small screwdriver through the locating hole. Then ran 1/2” tap on the end of a socket ratchet. Pulled right out.

And yeah, the other end was the threaded end. The timing side had no threads.

Looks like you have a viable solution to withdraw the spindle. Since you said a Dreaded Previous Owner greased the SA assembly, did you replace the bushings with new? Grease will have blocked up the porous oilite material preventing proper lube with oil, no amount of degreasing will cure.

seanalex said:

A bit crude, but it worked. Held the spindle in place with a small screwdriver through the locating hole. Then ran 1/2” tap on the end of a socket ratchet. Pulled right out.

And yeah, the other end was the threaded end. The timing side had no threads.
View attachment 104683

Click to expand...

Is that rust on that pin?

Tornado said:

Looks like you have a viable solution to withdraw the spindle. Since you said a Dreaded Previous Owner greased the SA assembly, did you replace the bushings with new? Grease will have blocked up the porous oilite material preventing proper lube with oil, no amount of degreasing will cure.

Click to expand...

Well after smacking apart 5 Norton pins over the years the issue was grease blocking up the lube holes that never affected the bushes . The real issue was cradle/ pin seizure from rust . I have a bag of perfectly good bushings with no wear to them from all 5 machines . Mind you I suspect all could not be kept running long enough back then to show up wear .

it appears to be quite a common bodge to put the spindle in the wrong way round when it's worn out, thus avoiding buying a new one and wearing out the other face

You got it out! Way to go!

baz said:

Is that rust on that pin?

Click to expand...

Yes, wet rust eg WD40 applied.

kommando said:

Yes, wet rust eg WD40 applied.

Click to expand...

And I thought that Water Dispersement was only good for arthritis!!!!

You got lucky!
Sometimes the spindle needs a much bigger load.

A couple of days ago I was asked to help a friend remove a stuck spindle from his Commando. He'd already spent about a week with no success: he used heat, penetrating oil, a slide hammer, a deep socket and threaded rod style puller, and a sledge hammer banging on a rod threaded into the spindle. No movement whatsover.

He removed the cradle and swing arm assembly from the bike so we could use my press.
We sat the cradle on the press, as tight as possible to the swing arm, which stuck down between the two supports.
As we started loading the spindle, which didn't move at all, we noticed the lower 1/4" plate of the cradle was bending!!

Next we used a deep impact socket to support the lower side of the swingarm on the bed of the press. This time the spindle started moving. I don't have a gauge on the press, but it is rated for 20 tons. Guessing, we were probably using half of that. Big loads!

The bent cradle may or may not be repairable, but fortunately he has a few more to choose from. In the meantime we agreed it deserves to hang on the wall of shame.

Stephen Hill said:

You got lucky!
Sometimes the spindle needs a much bigger load.

A couple of days ago I was asked to help a friend remove a stuck spindle from his Commando. He'd already spent about a week with no success: he used heat, penetrating oil, a slide hammer, a deep socket and threaded rod style puller, and a sledge hammer banging on a rod threaded into the spindle. No movement whatsover.

He removed the cradle and swing arm assembly from the bike so we could use my press.
We sat the cradle on the press, as tight as possible to the swing arm, which stuck down between the two supports.
As we started loading the spindle, which didn't move at all, we noticed the lower 1/4" plate of the cradle was bending!!

Next we used a deep impact socket to support the lower side of the swingarm on the bed of the press. This time the spindle started moving. I don't have a gauge on the press, but it is rated for 20 tons. Guessing, we were probably using half of that. Big loads!

The bent cradle may or may not be repairable, but fortunately he has a few more to choose from. In the meantime we agreed it deserves to hang on the wall of shame.

Click to expand...

So was it just entombed in rust?

The bush portions of the spindle were very pitted, but this was not the source of the seizure.
The seizure occurred spindle to cradle. The spindle in this area wasn't pretty, but it didn't look that bad either.
I assume there was a lot of corrosion inside the tube in the cradle although we didn't look for that once the spindle was removed.
I expected more obvious evidence of corrosion, given how hard it was to remove.

Stephen Hill said:

The seizure occurred spindle to swingarm. The spindle in this area wasn't pretty, but it didn't look that bad either.

Click to expand...

I don't understand. Do you mean spindle to cradle? Oilite bushes should prevent or at least limit corrosion in the bush portions of the spindle.
"Center area of the swingarm" is another ambiguous description. You probably mean center area of the cradle?

- Knut

Sorry Knut, I misspoke. I made a few edits to my last post which should address your questions.

Now I got my “custom” McMasterCarr tool for the next one I find with the threads put in correctly.