Swingarm spindle

[Keith]

Just need advice or diagrams/pictures please. I can't find any useful picture in the workshop manual to show me. I have done a complete mess up and got a piece of tubing stuck in the spindle area while swopping over the front foot rest assemblies.

What I need to know is that on the rear of the engine there is a row of bolts that appear to clamp the swingarm area. Are they just engine casing bolts or are they clamp bolts to hold a spindle shaft in the cases? I'm trying to find out a way of dismantling the swingarm to remove the section (about 4 inches) of tubing stuck in there. Any ideas greatly appreciated before I have another attempt at sorting this c*ck up out tonight. Cheers.

[AMCQ46]

they are just engine clamping boths, they dont hold teh spindle.

having read your other message it sounds like you have too much weight on the spindle and it is all being pulled out of line. is the bikes weight being carried on a block of wood under the engine [take off teh exhausts and there is a good flat sump to sit on], or is it on a paddock stand on teh swing arm? sound to me like you are on a paddock stand and the full weight of the bike is fighting you as you put the new spindle in. I hope all the forces havnt bent the tent pole you were using as a dummy shaft, I dont think it will be very strong

Suggest you get soemthing to take the weight of the bike off the swingarm and then you might be able to line it up

[VTRDark]

what have you done, tubing OK by the sounds of it you want to remove the swingarm to investigate what's going on. First off make sure that the rear of the bike is jacked up (not by swingnarm) and remove the rear wheel and calliper. Loosen off the top shock bolt just behind the tank by the battery until it's sit on the last few threads. You can then safely undo the lower shock mounting bolt and also where the linkage attaches to the swingarm. You may also need to undo the top bolt that goes through the top of the shock, not the nut right on top but at the other end of that thread where it goes through the shock. Remove the rest of the top nut off the thread and you should be able to pull the shock out the way.

You should now have a fair bit of movement in the swingarm and be able to manipulate it to pull out you tube and completely remove the swingarm. Make sure everything is OK and the swingarm spacers are all still in place, re-grease and put it back together. While your there you may as well also remove the bolt from the dog leg on the linkage at the engine end or completely remove the linkages and re-grease everything.

There's some pics in the following thread that may help
http://www.vtr1000.org/phpBB3/viewtopic ... 31&t=11809

(:-})

[MacV2]

Agree with the post from Al & Carl, both mention taking the weight off or jacking the rear up but don't say how...

Easiest way is to hoist bike up via the subframe either with ratchet straps or ropes/ chains.

Use roof joist if you have a garage... Use a step ladder as an A frame...Or build a Wicky Gallows...

For the strap/joist method, position it under the joist on a paddockstand, thread the straps through, tighten them up till they take the weight & then remove the stand...be careful when dropping it down when done...best have some help to steady bike, holding at front end.

Good luck...Hope you get it sorted quickly.

[VTRDark]

Or my preferred method if you have an Abba stand is to adapt it to mount of the engine mounting rather than the swingarm.

http://www.vtr1000.org/phpBB3/viewtopic ... 63#p173860

(:-})

[Keith]

Just got back in from work. Yes Carl I am using the abba stand method on the engine mounts. The support of the bike is fine so don't have any worries about that. The tubing I used was because the size was exactly the same as the spindle I was taking out and its made of 1mm thick galvanised steel and not the crap aluminium stuff that is used for tents now days. So I don't have any issues as to its strength for the job I wanted it for.
As I said in the other post all was going fine. I did tap the end of the pole to help out the spindle but I stopped when the sound suddenly sounded metallic. I was tapping and not bashing the crap out of it lol. I was able to pull the spindle out by hand at this time so just went ahead and replaced the right hand footrest assembly. I then inserted a well greased spindle back into the hole while pulling the pole back out. But then the pole just stopped coming out . I thought I had just burred it slightly but no way will it come back out as if its been locked in there. No end of bashing will get it back out so that is why I asked for help and ideas.
I agree that I will now have to remove the wheel, suspension etc and then try to remove the swingarm as the bearings will need the swarf cleaning out of them from where I tried to saw the length of the tube to fold it in on itself.
My only idea here is to tap the tube back into the engine casing and hopefully it will then allow me to get the swing arm off to have a better look at what I need to do next.

[AMCQ46]

it sounds like the unsupported side of the swingarm has dropped slightly when the spindle is just at the edge of the engine casing so the holes dont line up. you need a helper and some waggling up and down and forwards and backwards

[Keith]

it sounds like the unsupported side of the swingarm has dropped slightly when the spindle is just at the edge of the engine casing so the holes dont line up. you need a helper and some waggling up and down and forwards and backwards

Yes I agree there and have just called my brother to come over and give me a hand. I don't have an issue with the spindle going it. Its just with the last four inches of the pole that refuse to come out. I am heading down to strip of the wheel, other weight and then will drop the shock too. Once I have managed to do this I may as well go through all the linkages and grease them up.

[VTRDark]

Was the wheel still attached when you knocked the bar through. I'm thinking the extra weight of the wheel may have pulled the other end of the swingarm which has misaligned the holes. I usually take the wheel off and use the wheel spindle to knock the swingarm one out as they are the exact same diameter. The only difference is that the wheel spindle is a tad shorter.

(:-})

[Keith]

Was the wheel still attached when you knocked the bar through. I'm thinking the extra weight of the wheel may have pulled the other end of the swingarm which has misaligned the holes. I usually take the wheel off and use the wheel spindle to knock the swingarm one out as they are the exact same diameter. The only difference is that the wheel spindle is a tad shorter.

(:-})

Yes the wheel was still attached and only after removing the weight plus undoing one of the shock linkages did it make it easier to do. We have finally managed to do the bike and the problem was due to me tapping the pole back through with the spindle because it belled out slightly which stopped it coming back out. Then in a tantrum I hit it hard which totally screwed up my chances of getting it out. Live and learn I suppose

While we had the swingarm off we also fully degreased all the linkages and then regreased them. While the back wheel was off I did notice that the cush drive rubber was totally shot so I do have to buy another one of them. But at least the whole job is finally finished and I can make it to the Hagbourne bike meet tomorrow evening

[VTRDark]

Well done You deserve a now.

Is it just the little tabs that have broken in the cush drive or is there play in the rubber blocks themselves. If it's the tabs that link them together then don't worry.

(:-})

[Keith]

Well done You deserve a now.

Is it just the little tabs that have broken in the cush drive or is there play in the rubber blocks themselves. If it's the tabs that link them together then don't worry.

(:-})

Its both the tabs and there is lots of wear in the blocks. Its pointless trying to bodge it with plastic as they are too far gone so will order some more tomorrow.

[darkember]

Agree with the post from Al & Carl, both mention taking the weight off or jacking the rear up but don't say how...

Easiest way is to hoist bike up via the subframe either with ratchet straps or ropes/ chains.

Use roof joist if you have a garage... Use a step ladder as an A frame...Or build a Wicky Gallows...

For the strap/joist method, position it under the joist on a paddockstand, thread the straps through, tighten them up till they take the weight & then remove the stand...be careful when dropping it down when done...best have some help to steady bike, holding at front end.

Good luck...Hope you get it sorted quickly.

Basic bottle jack & a piece of 1/2" ply under the sump will lift the bike up perfectly. Wise to stabilize it with the abba stand or a strap from the rafters