swing arm spacer ??

[recumbentbob]

I've got the swing arm off my 08 Nomad it is dry as a bone and so are the drive shaft spines have 8000 miles on it.

Question, how do I get the spacer out of the swing arm axle channel in the frame???

It moves about 3/4" and feels like it hits something solid yet nothing is in the way.

Update, got it .............

Bob

[crapper]

hello Bob...i did the same job a few weeks ago and i too noticed the spacers were a bit reluctant .
it took me a few try's with my finger inside the spacer and i eventually pulled it out. i just got the grease out of the spacers,made sure my finger was grease free for better grip and out it came..swing arm seals also ads reluctance to spacers being pulled out.
mine was not completely dry but needed a good cleaning.
gave her a generous amount of new grease, changed seals , did shaft and put her back together.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

Glad you got that washer out of there. How much of a job is it to do the swing arm lubrication?

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by AlabamaNomadRider

Glad you got that washer out of there. How much of a job is it to do the swing arm lubrication?

It's not difficult, but it is pretty time consuming. I did mine last summer when I went to the darkside. Mac has a really good procedure that I followed. If you search for it, you should be able to find it.

Here's a link to Mac's instructions: http://www.vulcanbagger.com/phpBB3/v...ic.php?t=14940

[macmac]

Todd made it a sticky..

There is no washer in there Gene... There might be rust, and crud though. My 06 and my 01 were about bone dry.

With the swing arm down, resting on a bucket, you can drive out stick spacers with a soft mallet and a wooden dowel. Dirt and rust, probably mostly rust is likely to be the cause is sticking spacers.

The spacers need to be power wire brushed as much as is possible extrenally, and wire brushed inside as well. Grease should cover every square millimeter of all spacers, and inside the tube too.

I perfer a high quality marine grease, and a stiffer grease at that, for the spacers, the long bolt and the bearings here. Mostly so the slop is taken up more.

This method is plain wrong. There should be taper bearings like on a 1965 Ford front wheel bearings set on at the hub. many other cars have that same set up, but you guys will know what I mean.

This system on the bike has NO way to preload the swing arm bearings. NADA, NONE, and it uses the seals as thrust washers.

The hard parts is finding something to take up that slop, and something that won't wear, and wont wera the seal backings. Pretty much there is no really good fix. Nylon washers can be made, the old seals can be used either cut down ot installed back to back with new seals, and or bronze thrust washers can be adapated, but all of these will wear the new seals sooner than later.

What the pre-load should be is to snug the bearings, then back off the adjustment to be 0.002" ... Good luck with that. A new bike on the show room floor with be well over that in slop.

As to the rest, You must KNOW the U Joint is in good shape, NO stiff meess moving... Do Not slap the U Joint around either. Treat it like fragile and expensive China.

Grease ALL the splines including the rear wheel to gear box Hub and all others in moly grease....

The stiffer grease is just for the swing arm spacers, bolt, and bearings.

1600's have upper shock mount needle bearings too, in cages, grease them too, and it is a good idea to rubberlube the bottom mounts.

1500's should get rubber lube on both top and bottom shock mounts.

Anti seize all fasteners. If you see white powder crud on bolts, and studs clean them off and antiseize them.

This service takes me around 6 hours. Most of that time is spent cleaning parts and making things greased, and antiseized.

The parts list is:
cotter pin (rear axel)
moly grease aka CV joint grease
Marine or good stiff chassi grease
2 head pipe gaskets
2 swingarm seals (dealers don't stock these ::) )

Optional:

Something for taking up slop left/right at the swing arm long bolt.

The way to find out what this is, IS after everything is made ready, install the swingarm empty. No drive shaft. Just the 3 spacers, the seals and the long bolt.

Pull the swing arm to the right side (as seated) Push the swing arm back to the left. Pull it back and forth untill you understand what is what. You will see the right side spacer gleeming away and disapear between the frame and the swing arm.

measure this distance, and create something in two pieces.. that thick, adding the pices to be that much.

The ID of what ever must slip on the spacers. The OD of this, must be the OD or slightly larger than the seals.

Probably some swearing will help install the item at the drive shaft side.

What ever this is, will wear and will wear the seal backs as well.

Some ideas are nylon washers, Bronze washers, bacon plastic backing in many layers, a 1/2 ton of dental floss wrapped around the spacers and melting the knots. Cat gut , yuer least favorite poly tic, the fool who thinks he is an engineer who created this mess. Maybe his hair if he has any