G15-CS rear wheel spacer issue

Another question of minutiae, but hopefully less trivial than my last one:

Unbolted the rear wheel for the first time today on the G15-CS I've been working on forever. Once everything was loosened up, the wheel spacer appears too short. It measures 27.4mm long and looks a little home-spun. I think the axle bolts have been pinching the swingarm together somewhat severely as it had been sitting.

g15csspacer by Mick Doul, on Flickr

Anyone know the stock spacer length for comparison? I can measure my setup and get a spacer made if needed, but just want to know if the stock item (part 030018) will do the job and to have a sanity check in general.

According to Baxter Cycle, the spacer 030018 measures 9/16 x 1 x 1/8 (confirmed). You seem to have a gap of a lot more than 1/8".
Is your LHS spacer 030017 of the correct length? 13/16 x 1-1/4 x .672 (confirmed).


-Knut

@Knut

If you can give the OP the inside width dimension of the swing arms, that would be a great piece of info.

I went crazy for a week trying to determine why my spacer (Atlas) was too long. It turned out my swing arm was bowed. When I learned what the inside width should be, the true source of the problem became apparent.

Slick

Thanks! I will check my LH spacer later.

Looks like the LH is around .667" with a rough measurement in the mounted position, so that's the correct one, I'm wagering.

An even rougher estimate with the wheel still on has my swingarm about 8.5" between the inner sides of the fork ends. That's an eyeball more than a measurement, however.

My measures 1,095 inch.
Maybe the problem is on the drum left side.
Ciao
Piero

Sorry, I forgot to check last night. Now I have and dimensions are confirmed.

Maybe your swinging arm is faulty.

There is a swinging arm off a late model G3 for sale on eBay. The seller is in Portugal. I haven't checked the numbers but I am pretty sure it's correct for a G15.

-Knut

Thanks, Knut--do you happen to have the swingarm measurements as well? Appreciate all the help!

AgentX said:

Thanks, Knut--do you happen to have the swingarm measurements as well? Appreciate all the help!

Click to expand...

The internal measure of swinging arm with wheel in place tight is 20 cm.
Ciao
Piero

AgentX said:

Thanks, Knut--do you happen to have the swingarm measurements as well? Appreciate all the help!

Click to expand...

I have several s/arms in my stash, unfortunately I am out of town and won't be able to take a measurement for at least 10 days. Someone else may be quicker.

-Knut

pierodn said:

The internal measure of swinging arm with wheel in place tight is 20 cm.
Ciao
Piero

Click to expand...

Grazie, Piero.

Does anyone think it's normal for the swingarm spacing to be pulled slightly closer together when the axle is tightened?

Consulted the original owner and he states the swingarm has never been modified or damaged, and that the spacer is stock.

I'm inclined to just tighten it back up and move on at this point...!

It is normal for the swingarm to be slightly loose or tight. I do not think 1/8 inch loose or tight is normal. That said, I do think you can squeeze it up and go on. It would, however, bother me until I found out the right inside dimension of the swingarm.

The inside dimension of the swing arm on the Atlas is 7.87 - 7.90 inch IIRC. The G15 is very likely similar since the wheel components are the same, and the right side spacer on the Atlas is 1.0 inch long same as that given above for the G15. Piero's measurement of 20 cm bolted up is 7.87 inches. Thus, I would say your estimate of 8.5 inches (reply #5) is way out of whack (either your estimate or your actual inside dimension is way off.

My Atlas swingarm became bowed inward giving me a 0.140 inch interference fit. How this bow occurred is beyond me, as I am the original owner and I can attest the swingarm was never damaged. Perhaps yours has become bowed outwards by the same mysterious process.

I verified the bow by laying a straight edge along side each arm. It took a hydraulic press to restore the arm to straight. Once I got it straight, the inside dimension of the swingarm fell right into the specified range.

Slick

texasSlick said:

The G15 is very likely similar since the wheel components are the same, and the right side spacer on the Atlas is 1.0 inch long same as that given above for the G15.

Click to expand...

I stand corrected. The information given by Baxter Cycle is faulty.

Washer 030023 measures 9/16 x 1 x 1/8" (confirmed).
Spacer 030018 measures 9/16 x 1 x 1-1/8" (confirmed by member of the AJS/M O.C.)
Spacer 030017 measures 13/16 x 1-1/4 x 11/16" (confirmed).

I am sorry for the confusion.

The corresponding spacer for the Dominator frame (650SS / 650 Mercury / 750 Atlas) is NM18235, which is 1.075" (27.3mm) according to RGM (not confirmed).
030018 is 28.6mm in metric size.

The gap between the fork ends and the assembled spindle should provide a loose fit in the order of 1/16" (1.6mm) .

-Knut

This is great info, guys. Thanks! I will get a straightedge and check, too.

My 8.5" estimate was likely well over--I did another estimate (metric this time) and it was more like 210-215mm but I'll verify for sure later this weekend.

Also, there is certainly no way spacer 030018 is 1/8" in length as measured along the axle. That would require the swingarm to be in an impossible shape, and photos of other bikes I've seen confirm it's roughly 1" long, give or take. Not washer-like as a 1/8" spacer would be.

My own spacer is allegedly the original and the "home-spun" appearance may be due to being repainted sloppily along with the frame during what the original owner termed his "redneck restoration," in which he painted the frame with the engine in place.

AgentX said:

Also, there is certainly no way spacer 030018 is 1/8" in length as measured along the axle. That would require the swingarm to be in an impossible shape, and photos of other bikes I've seen confirm it's roughly 1" long, give or take. Not washer-like as a 1/8" spacer would be.

Click to expand...

You are absolutely correct. I believed having a complete axle with spacers (bought at eBay), this is evidently not so. The spacer quoted as 030018 is in fact washer 030023. Dimensions have been corrected above.

-Knut

Thanks again for all your assistance, everyone.