Rear suspension HELP!...

[Opel]

After many blooded knuckles and much swearing, I’ve come to a halt!

My rear suspension linkage—that ‘hinges’ around bolt 11 in the image—has seized…

I’ve managed to persuade it loose slightly, but for the life of me, I can’t get good ‘fluid’ movement and bolt 11 seems totally unwilling to move, even the smallest amount.
Is there some magic secret that I need to know, or is it a case of ‘hold on to your hats' and just tw@ the damn thing until it shifts?

If such remedies are required, I can only imagine that I’ll have to purchase a new bolt anyway.
If someone has any ideas, please chip in!I've called it a day now to get cleaned up for my evening shift but will be wanting to crack on tommorrow...

With it in such a state, there was no wonder, my storm felt that it was far from its best… I wish that I’d investigated before I ordered the Hagon shock!!!

Oh, and by the way bolt14 will not shift either, but the arm moves freely. However, I wanted to release it to regrease--I suppose the same applies here also.

[MacV2]

Can't help with a magic solution I'm afraid, maybe you could try some heat on it, if it is accessible that is. Swearing at it although optional also helps a lot......I find. However save some of the choicest foul language for when you whack your thump with the hammer!

I am in the processes of collecting the bits & bobs needed for a full on rear end service & thanks to Tony Mons have a replacement linkage, he did advise me to replace that bolt when doing this as it does get a bit manky.

David Silver Spares 01728-833020 is your friend here.
Part no 11, 90101MBB000 BOLT, FLANGE, 10x62 £1.25
Part 17, 90304GE8003 NUT, U, FLANGE, 10MM £2.10

You will also need to replace Part 5

I had to wait for over a week for the bits as the nut was not in stock!

When you contact them & give them the model of bike they bring up the same picture you have referenced so you can just give them the part no from that. i.e part no 11 & 17.

If it's any consolation I had to persuade the same nut out of the spare linkage I had as well, only thing is it wasn't attached to the bike so it went in the vice to aid whackage. Maybe thats the way to go by removing the whole bit in situ with the dog leg. ( 9 on the diagram.)

Hope it all comes apart & together ok.

Mac

[Opel]

Many thanks for that… so just to confirm, it really is just a matter of hitting it till it moves then?

I’ve already filled my basket at Dave’s emporium, to the amount of approximately £47.00 plus delivery. This includes OEM bearings, seals, bolt, nut and item 6 on the image—for the life of me I can’t remember what it’s called!My thinking is, that if it's all seized and requires such assistance, it's all got to be beyond help.

Damn and sod it! Twas not expecting all this… but I suppose it all adds to the spice of life.

With all the money I’ve been throwing at my storm lately, it better behave itself. However, I console myself with the simple fact that any bike of a similar vintage is an unknown quantity and will also need such care and consideration. Isn't greasing such linkages on the service interval? Either way, I bet its never been done...

Better get the big hammer out then…

Oh I've just noticed... it's the onety third of September! That explains it then...

[Wicky]

If you can separate the linkage from the rear of the bike then you might have to take it to a bike shop/engineers to do the 'heavy' work. I had to fork out for ½ hour labour to remove a solidly seized bolt, collar and bearing and reinstall new parts.



My rear end overhaul thread http://www.vtr1000.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=12310

[Opel]

Oh dear, not what one wants to hear... Anyway,thanks for that Wicky.

I've ordered all the bits but some are special order, so there's going to be a delay...

[MacV2]

Whack it & then whack it some more!

Tell me about it. Did save some £'s by buying the bearings from a local factors so saved a few bob there, They couldn't supply the seals with out a six!!! week wait though!

Just waiting for the powder coaters to finally do something with the bits they have had for two weeks now!

Yes bearing lube is a maintenance item on the service, however it's a strip down job as no grease nipples are provided, they can be put in the dog leg but not in the triangle bit. There are some good items on this in the workshop section.

Get whacking. Keep us posted.

Anyone near Lices. who can hear repeated cussing & the odd scream will know how it's going or not.

[Miztaziggy]

I posted about the same thing not so long back...

Just regarding above...dont think you will need part 5, but if he said that because you said bolt 14 doesnt move, then it is the same bearing.

Anyway, see the post I put up with part numbers etc, get the bearings from bikebearings.co.uk they are cheaper and same things. I posted sizes and everything. They arrived next day, bits I ordered from DavidSilvers took nearly a week (I had to get dust seals from there).

You might need a new part 6 and 8 - the sleeve things, but I just polished mine with emery cloth and they were fine.

As for getting the bolt out, yes just hit it, it was a pain to get out, but it does come out eventually. Remember to leave the nut on the bolt and hit that and not the bolt otherwise you will knacker the thread. After that use a thin metal rod to hit it through...I used a strong screwdriver.

When you do get it out, it will probably be like mine, the bearings will have turned to dust, sort of like graphite powder. Hammer out the old bearings out of the triangular housing and save one of them to use to hammer the new ones in with.

I put the housing in the oven on full for 10 mins and the bearings in the freezer overnight before hammering them in, and even then they were still very tight. Make sure you put plenty of molybendium grease on there before you refit it all. I bought a big tub of it for about £5 which wasnt that expensive.

[tinysmall]

Squirt of WD40, a drift and a heavy mallet or hammer. Then replace the lot including the collar (number 6).

[darkember]

6mm grease nipples can be fitted to both the dogleg & the triangle section see the photos below. Also try using PlusGas instead of WD40 it has far better penetrative qualities.



Note if you fit grease nipples ensure you place them as shown in the picture if you don't you will not get access to them. Final job would be to cap them with rubber caps.

[Opel]

Well Uncle Dave's delivery arrived this afternoon and I quickly got on the case and finally....



...my Storm is now complete with Hagon progressive fork springs and monoshock rear AND linkages that work.

Incidentally, I managed to 'press in' the bearings with a Gee-Clamp, however getting the old ones out took on combined strength of ten thousand lizards... oh and a grinding stone mounted to my Dremel.

Oh and look at those groovy repainted fork lowers... sweet.

[Wicky]

I, for one, welcome our new Dremelsaurus and Clampasaurus overlords....

[Opel]

To be honest, I wouldn't have thought about using my Dremel until I saw the image that you posted Wicky, so I have you to thank. Prior to that, I was beating hell out of the out races without success, which were the only bits left anyway...