Swing arm bush swaging

Show off your various ways to efficiently remove and install swing arm bushes and issues that occurred or come to mind.

I use a big bench vise to press them in and out.

My desk mounted vise is too small to clear Peel size swing arm ends. I use all thread rod that hard to get straight on so next time will use rubber tube inside bush to hold more square. New graphite bushes don't align to allow spindle to pass so let fire place vents heat sa end to ~300'F and socket-hammer drifted them back out using sharp lip of a log to back up ends. I tried levering on sa ends to see if could move to align but didn't bugle a bit which is a good thing structurally but leaves next bush attempt up in air to solve. Old style unsed bushes worked perfect so will try that next time cold enough to be worth burning big wood. Peel's sa is boxed alu so just heating one end don't really heat much by small torch as heat flows away so fast.

hobot said:

My desk mounted vise is too small to clear Peel size swing arm ends. I use all thread rod that hard to get straight on so next time will use rubber tube inside bush to hold more square. New graphite bushes don't align to allow spindle to pass so let fire place vents heat sa end to ~300'F and socket-hammer drifted them back out using sharp lip of a log to back up ends. I tried levering on sa ends to see if could move to align but didn't bugle a bit which is a good thing structurally but leaves next bush attempt up in air to solve. Old style unsed bushes worked perfect so will try that next time cold enough to be worth burning big wood. Peel's sa is boxed alu so just heating one end don't really heat much by small torch as heat flows away so fast.

Click to expand...

It seems odd that the bushings could be cocked enough in the swingarm ends to not let the spindle fit. If they are that touchy a rubber tube could be too soft to ensure good alignment. You may need a purpose made arbor to keep them lined up.

Imagine this - Install a set of old swing arm bushings backwards, so the flange is on the outside. Only put them in far enough so they sit square on an old swing arm pivot shaft. Pull the shaft most of the way out. Screw together a 1" pipe coupler, a 1" pipe nipple and another 1" union. Assemble a new graphite bushing, a washer, the assembled pipe fittings, and enough washers to fill up the rest of the space. As you unscrew the pipe fittings the new bushing will get pushed along the shaft into the swingarm. The two unions may not have enough tread to get the new bushing all the way home, so tighten up the fittings and add washers to suit. You might need some light all thread and washers or 1/2" pipe nipples to keep the shaft in place.

Make sense ?

Greg


Greg

Penetrant soak , heat the steel area(s) , then drop ice cubes inside bush ,then tap out with large socket as a drift tool. Never seen bad bushes ,usually the pin from grease or water/rustages. Subfame pin siezures too requiring brute sledgehammer forces. :|

Neat end spreader kit Greg so appreciate thinking it out for me. I body slammed ends of swing arm on floor with my mass landing on end of 4' pipe slipped over spindle sticking out bush in attempt to flair ends same as spreading them would. No way Jose - this no longer sold RGM item is too robust to budge even one side let alone once nipped up with axle and shocks. yea. Spindle is centered on bush hole but either approach aimed spindle <1/16" towards the cross brace. Could be several events adding up. One Peel spindle in over size item so had to ream bushes, then the no sold RGM alu boxed swing arm would not allow pressing bushes in so twice relieved them till ~.002" interference they cranked in as expected. I had tried to hand sand swing arm bush bores some too but soon gave that idea up. I did have to hand sand bore of essentric chain adjusters which would bind and got them to seat yet turn sweet so got some sense of relieving alu bores evenly. Will chew on the plumbing stack some as with a few mods may work a treat pressing both at once. Don't want to think about plan C yet which involves actual measuring with half way inserted backwards bushes.

lay swing arm on a flat surface. If it rocks then it is bent. Not surprising since I have seen your videos with you thrashing the bike.
It probably bent. Mine did the same thing when I replaced my bushings so I took it to 'The Frame Man" in sacramento and sure enough it was bent.
They straightened it and my frame for about $450.00



See the rods? All caddywhompus.

Steve,
If you are going to replace them then find a socket that fits nice and try tapping it out with a hide mallet. :shock: Soak the new ones in gear oil for 24 hours then walk the new ones in with a jack, press or a vice in a pinch. Try to dial in the total width of the gape of the bushings and covers less the O- rings to about +0.005" of the matting surface of the engine/gearbox cradle. This gives the O- rings a better chance to retain oil (a little longer). It will still leak but not so quickly. You got to leave the old girl some for scent posting her territory. :mrgreen: I use X-ring (or Quad ring o-rings here) Shim on the outside of the dust cover to get to your target tolerance. This is only relevant if your swing arm is straight to begin with.
Regards,
Thomas
CNN

Guido, i must be getting too old for this as your post and ways to monitor bores actually interested and informed me. I'd almost rather free hand grind the bushes to pass the spindle than pop em out again to put another set in but only way I know to see what happens and back engineer the surprise mis aligmment reasons.

To set record straight past Peel bent her first factory swing arm on 7th day injuring me that Vern The Frameman of GT Enterprises could not get it to pass a spindle again. Current Peel RGM swing arm has never been ridden on yet so still pristine alignment in basic structure. Trixie runs Peels old replacement 850 greaser bushed arm. Ever see a cycle hooking so much torque its tire does this? Next instant bent swing arm and brok-tore apart knee.

I must be missing something, so back to basics.

Old style bushings work. In other words swingarm is not bent enough to matter on the front end.

New graphite bushings are out of alignment when installed. That sounds like the inner and outer diameter of the new bushings are not concentric and will never work.

My idea wasn't to bend the swingarm, but to use the old bushings and spindle to guide the installation of the new bushings. You might be able to use a similar set up to gauge if the new bushings are made right.

Greg

I have a huge selection of spacers and sleeves, and several different diameter sections of threaded rod with nuts and washers.

It's a simple matter to arrange the appropriate diameter spacer outboard of one bushing with a section of allthread rod all the way through both bores, and a flat hardened washer outboard of the other bushing; then extract the first bushing by tightening down on the nut at either or both ends until it falls out.

Repeat for the other side.

Re-arrange the order and draw in new bushings one at a time in similar fashion.

No pix, sorry.

Yep Greg the issue seems to be two fold, after market swing arm with arfter market bushes. The neat graphite button bushes were impossible to insert to begin with > so how so prrovide extra hard force to them was still on my mind starting this post but now just hoping I can re install the standard bushes it came with to get swing arm mounted and move on. Folks like grandpaul equipped to restore both impress me and disqust me as I so dislike mechanics I resist making/accquiring special tools I may only use once and likely lose in my clutter if ever needed again. I don't think i've bent the RGM arm as all beating and pressing have only been applied to one end at a time not pinching in or punching out againt the oppossite side. I am more depressed to read here that its possible to insert these bushes crooked even if the bores and bushes are square, ugh. At least my Comaando experience shows me only thing that matters lube wise is enough not to rust the spindle so no provision for oil or grease zerks - just smear with grease once and awhile. Found old bushes so waiting till cold enogh to be worth fireplace feeding to heat sa beyond reason to ease next attempt.

Put in the old bushes to find same mis alignment as graphite set so now stumped on next proceedure.

Updating between new & ongoing mechanical failures and rescues of non cycle things.
Turns out apparently me heating swing arm trying to drive in the graphite bushes which were over size for the RGM arm and required twice trips to reduce OD till .015 interference fit then could be driven in out cold. Distortion is symeterical basically drew both bush ends inward in line with axis of legs and in same plane as axle. TCs standard bushed reamed to over size spindle so plan tonight is bang em in then hack saw though the box leaving outer wall intact then pry apart align to install on cradle then off to alu welder to get Peel show moving again. Brake hoses route and length double checked and another order placed.

One semi funny failure this week, had SuVee kick stand on bit of a block to level more for working on it but unable d/t other doodoo so its thin porous race tires slowly leaked down till it fell over, but I had the day before thrown stuff cardboard boxes by it to burn later and they cushioned the impact so just leaving it there for now. Trixie was balanced ok with just cradle on center stand but in the cluttered tempory storage waiting to clear on other projects, I bend over and my butt hit Trixie so she too fell over but on some cushy boxes so leaving her lay too. Funny sad to step out into garage seeing two cycles like dead roaches with legs in the air. Rather better than a smashed roach though.