Swapping shock linkage

[jchesshyre]

Despite having my linkage serviced a year ago, it has developed play in two of its bearings and needs overhauling. I'm angry but as I've already mentioned the bloke who did it died a few months ago so I shouldn't slate the deceased.

Rather than either (a) buying new bearings and possibly bushes and spending an afternoon or more swearing, or (b) paying extortionate labour rates to someone else to change them, plus the price of the parts, I decided to be lazyish and buy a good condition, overhauled linkage for £45 on ebay. It's arrived and is in excellent shape.

Can I change the linkage with the bike on an Abba stand and a jack under the swingarm, rather than having to rig up a system to suspend the bike or similar as is necessary when removing the swingarm? I have the means to suspend the bike in my garage but my other bike is immobile in there at the mo and is in the way, and I really want to get it changed this weekend.

[MacV2]

Do you have a step ladder ? Or access to one ? If so you could use that or a pair with a bar/ timber across to use as a jacking point...

If not, stick it on the Abba stand, remove the rear wheel, helps major with access but also a load of weight off !

That should give you the room you need...

I'd still strip the replacement linkage & give it plenty of fresh grease...

[jchesshyre]

Sorry yes should have said, will be removing the rear wheel and exhausts.

When you say strip the new linkage, do you mean remove the bearings? I'm guessing not - just undo the bolts? It already has a nice lot of grease in there I think but I could add more hahhaha

[MacV2]

Sorry yes should have said, will be removing the rear wheel and exhausts.

When you say strip the new linkage, do you mean remove the bearings? I'm guessing not - just undo the bolts? It already has a nice lot of grease in there I think but I could add more hahhaha

Yeah just take the bolt out & remove the bush, wipe any excess grease off & then lavish bearings with fresh & make sure the bolt & bush get a load too!

OH & check the bolt for corrosion, they can be cleaned up but copare it with the one thats coming off & use the best one...

Now one of the bolts either the shock mount or the dog bone mount can be a cowsun to get out as the downpipe is in the way, normaly its bolt head on the left nut on the right. So you can get the nut off ok but cant with draw the bolt as it fowls on the rear downpipe... So Shock bolt out first & the swing arm can then drop down allowing access... When you rebiuld it put the bolt back in from the right so that the nut is on the left side...

[jchesshyre]

Thanks for the great advice Mac

I'll hopefully be doing it today or tomorrow. I really don't like riding around with the play that's in it at the moment.

Here are a couple of pics of the new one - looks OK I think?

[MacV2]

That looks OK, but check the last one as well, the small end of the dog bone. Thats the one that gets all the heat from the exhaust!

[jchesshyre]

All good by the looks of things:

[jchesshyre]

If I'm adding grease to the bearings, do I ideally need to clean out all the existing grease? I was under the impression that some different greases are incompatible with each other (http://www.dansmc.com/grease.htm). I'd want to put in Lith-Moly grease as specified by Honda, but I think the red stuff in there is either red rubber grease or just multipurpose grease.

[agentpineapple]

I've done this a few times, and each time I try to remove as much of the old grease as possible, then smoother the feckers with as much fresh moly grease as possible.

[jchesshyre]

Good call, have done this!

On the home straight now...out with the old, in with the new. Had some trouble with the lower shock bolt but penetrating spray plus lump hammer and drift did it eventually.

Should there be play in the top of the shock, or have I been even further screwed over by the bloke who installed it and (supposedly) overhauled the linkage a year and a half ago?

[agentpineapple]

there is no play/movement on the top of the shock

[jchesshyre]

there is no play/movement on the top of the shock

Thought so. So yet another thing the guy who fitted the shock maybe did wrong. And as I've said before he's dead now so I can't even complain to him. I suppose I'll have to change that bearing in the top of the shock at some point but not today. Although - the play was only lateral, not vertical, and now that the new linkage and shock are assembled there's zero play noticeable at the swingarm, so...

I'm so relieved to have done it as the play noticeable at the swingarm with the bike on the Abba stand had been there for about eight months and gradually getting worse to the point where I could feel it going over some bumps. That said, Mr MOT didn't notice it back in July despite it being a good few mm by then.

Thanks Mac and all for your advice. Job wasn't as difficult as I expected (fear of the unknown), just very messy.

About to take her for a spin to see how she feels.

[jchesshyre]

Well, as expected it definitely feels better. It isn't a vast improvement but I didn't expect it to be. I have more feedback from the rear and a slightly tighter feeling on bends especially faster ones. Also, what felt like worn cush rubbers or a loose chain before (it was neither) was actually another symptom of the play in the linkage. Most importantly it just needed doing though.

Next jobs are repair broken screw lug in rear cowl, replace broken rear undertray, and replace all front brake pistons with the new stainless steel ones I ordered the other day. Fortunately I love working on the bike