Swing arm bush upgrade
- Thread starter Dkt26
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I'm going to give this route a try.
http://www.nortonclub.com/docs/swingarm.pdf
Works in theory and not as expensive. Installing next weekend. I'll let you know.
http://www.nortonclub.com/docs/swingarm.pdf
Works in theory and not as expensive. Installing next weekend. I'll let you know.
I am leery of using any type of plastic for a swingarm bushing.
My XS 650 came from the factory with plastic bushings. Usually worn out by 5000 miles. One of the few known issues with the XS.
The fix is a bronze bushing or a needle bearing kit.
Nothing wrong with factory bronze and the Proper lubricant. The spindle clamps will only help the longevity and handling.
My XS 650 came from the factory with plastic bushings. Usually worn out by 5000 miles. One of the few known issues with the XS.
The fix is a bronze bushing or a needle bearing kit.
Nothing wrong with factory bronze and the Proper lubricant. The spindle clamps will only help the longevity and handling.
concours
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bwolfie said:
Those bushings were Micarta, and when the grease fitting on the end of the cross drill pivot shaft wasn't ignored, they last long and remain tight. My '73 Yam has the exact same set-up, nil measureable lateral slop, and the bike corners like it's on rails with the original bushes at 22,000 miles. A known issue, maybe, but only because the grease gun wasn't employed.
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Soldered on nuts or better the spindle collars are long time best way to extend hi loaded swing arm bush life and stability as the main issue is spindle rust protection wear/abrasion - not friction even if dry or best composite material in bushes. Manganese bronze if famously hard wear material and if sintered porous surface not machined closed, does a decent job to keep rust at bay too as friction is not an issue to solve there, just wear. You can't even begin to drill the hardened spindle with metal bit until the surface is stoned through or by corrosion removal. If inventive can use Z plates to back up swash plates to help stifle swing arm side swing loads.
i think its probably pretty safe to say that there have been significant developments in plastic technology since 73. This material is designed to work in high stress industrial applications where lubrication, tolerance and wear need to be maintenance free.
it sounded good enough to me to give it a shot as the complete spindle/bush kit i fitted 12 months ago in knackered. The spindle is still in "brand new" condition as it should be however the bushes were straight bronze and have flogged out. Lube was done as per required yet still they are stuffed. I realize they were not sintered bronze bushes as per OEM and this explains a lot.
these new bushes are custom cut and matched to each spindle and given my already overcoming my plastic fears (they were genuine!!) with my turcite front end, i figure, how else will we know if this is a genuine solution for a well documented shortcoming of the commando.
it sounded good enough to me to give it a shot as the complete spindle/bush kit i fitted 12 months ago in knackered. The spindle is still in "brand new" condition as it should be however the bushes were straight bronze and have flogged out. Lube was done as per required yet still they are stuffed. I realize they were not sintered bronze bushes as per OEM and this explains a lot.
these new bushes are custom cut and matched to each spindle and given my already overcoming my plastic fears (they were genuine!!) with my turcite front end, i figure, how else will we know if this is a genuine solution for a well documented shortcoming of the commando.
Just reviving this thread to check on results for these swingarm bushes as no one has posted their experiences. I put them in my 72 rebuild I am doing now. Just got it to a roller stage and the rear end is RIGID. I spoke to the maker/seller and he advised patience as they will wear in and loosen. Fitting the bushes was very tight and you could barely move the swingarm by hand ie I had to put the axle in and use all my strength to move it.
Can anyone update on their experience on these ie how long did they take to wear in, did they last etc etc.
Thanks
Mark
Can anyone update on their experience on these ie how long did they take to wear in, did they last etc etc.
Thanks
Mark
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My Commando has the original spindle and oilite bushings. This bike has the MKIII swing arm and cradle. There doesn't seem to be any wear on any of the parts. The spindle looks just a little polished where the bushings rub on it. I don't know the mileage on the bike. It is on the first overbore so probably it is quite a bit. Probably the swing arm parts are original to the bike. When I put the bike together the only modification I made to the swing arm was to add a hose for oiling. The oil leaks out a bit because the plugs in the end of the swing arm don't seal very well. I just put some 90 weight oil in a few times a year or something thicker if it is handy. I think the original oilite material is very good, it is hard to see room for improvement. A bit of oil keeps it slippery and prevents rust as well.
Dennis
The maker warns they are going to be tight...real tight as the original poster eluded to. There are a couple threads on this but no one has posted a result once on the road with them despite saying they would.
So before I get to much further with this project if it is bad news using them I would want to replace them with the sintered bronze ones now.
As I said the seller warns they are a very tight fit (2 thou crush from memory) until worn in, but if the rear end is rigid then there will be no movement to wear them in and of course the risk of riding with a rigid rear end could be problematic as well.
There is only install lube ie 140 gear oil or an anti seize compund. I used the latter.
Mark
The maker warns they are going to be tight...real tight as the original poster eluded to. There are a couple threads on this but no one has posted a result once on the road with them despite saying they would.
So before I get to much further with this project if it is bad news using them I would want to replace them with the sintered bronze ones now.
As I said the seller warns they are a very tight fit (2 thou crush from memory) until worn in, but if the rear end is rigid then there will be no movement to wear them in and of course the risk of riding with a rigid rear end could be problematic as well.
There is only install lube ie 140 gear oil or an anti seize compund. I used the latter.
Mark
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MarkT said:
Does the seller give a reason for a crush fit? Seems odd to me. Could be due to variation in the tolerance and wear of the spindles. Have seen "one size fit all" before. If that were the case they could be reamed to fit.
Whatever interference is there will have to wear off anyway.
elefantrider
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Looking for feedback as I too am interested in fitting these. A little concerned about water getting in, as it doesn't use the o-ring seal.
acadian
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Installed this kit last summer along with the spindle he supplied, very tight fit on install, I used anti seize on all parts prior to assembly. Recently have taken the back wheel off and inspected... after one season of riding with them there is no perceptable play whatsoever... fairly good upgrade IMO.
While I don't think water has much of a chance of getting in, even is it does the bushes are lube impregnated themselves so no real concern there, the only issue would be rust on insides of spindle/bush bores
While I don't think water has much of a chance of getting in, even is it does the bushes are lube impregnated themselves so no real concern there, the only issue would be rust on insides of spindle/bush bores
elefantrider
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Thanks. Sounds good. I think if some moly grease is used on the flat bushing face, that will prevent any water from getting in. The larger face of this bushing probably outweighs the benefit of a smaller bronze one with o-ring dust shields.
I thought I would again revive this thread for some feedback. I've had the bike on the road for about 500 miles now and the bushes although loosening very slowly are still really tight and it spoils the ride of the bike. I am finding the rear packs down on hard bumps and does not return to full extension at times. I'll keep using them for a bit longer and report back if there is any interest. Anyone else have experiences with these bushes they would like to share. The maker has sold heaps of them so someone else on here must have used them.
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