What's the easiest way to check swingarm bushings?

[TxGSrider]

I was driving around the back roads yesterday practicing my cornering skills (or lack thereof) and while leaning pretty good into a nice sweeping corner I hit a little bump in the road and it gave me a rather unsettling feeling. Granted, this could be perfectly normal as I'm not usually a very aggressive cornering person (yes, Im kinda a wuss), or it could be my 35year old stock shocks, but I wanted to check my swingarm bushings this weekend. Whats the easiest way to check them?

And if I need to replace them, are there any that are better than stock?

Thanks!

 

[Guest]

I was driving around the back roads yesterday practicing my cornering skills (or lack thereof) and while leaning pretty good into a nice sweeping corner I hit a little bump in the road and it gave me a rather unsettling feeling. Granted, this could be perfectly normal as I'm not usually a very aggressive cornering person (yes, Im kinda a wuss), or it could be my 35year old stock shocks, but I wanted to check my swingarm bushings this weekend. Whats the easiest way to check them?

And if I need to replace them, are there any that are better than stock?

Thanks!

If you still have you center stand, use it to lift the rear tire off the ground. You should be able to tell if there is any play by trying to move it in multiple directions, side to side, forward and back. there shouldn't be any movement. I'm sure there are plenty of companies that sell bushings, but I'd check with Suzuki, I doubt they are very expensive and you know they will fit.

 

[TxGSrider]

If you still have you center stand, use it to lift the rear tire off the ground. You should be able to tell if there is any play by trying to move it in multiple directions, side to side, forward and back. there shouldn't be any movement. I'm sure there are plenty of companies that sell bushings, but I'd check with Suzuki, I doubt they are very expensive and you know they will fit.

Thanks!
I no longer have the center stand, but I have atv jack that I can lift it with to check.
You guys are a big help.

Of course if I find out that they are in good shape, it probably confirms I'm just a wuss about cornering...

 

[bwringer]

It will also help to remove the rear shocks, then you can hold the swingarm up and check for play in the swingarm bearings.


FWIW, this bike has needle bearings in the swingarm, not bushings.

 

[TxGSrider]

It will also help to remove the rear shocks, then you can hold the swingarm up and check for play in the swingarm bearings.


FWIW, this bike has needle bearings in the swingarm, not bushings.

Thank you for the additional info. I'll try to get out and check it this weekend.

 

[Nessism]

Best thing to do is remove the swingarm and inspect the bearings and all the related parts up close and personal. After 37 years you can bet those bearings need grease regardless so even of the bearings are good doing this is not a waste of time.

 

[bwringer]

Best thing to do is remove the swingarm and inspect the bearings and all the related parts up close and personal. After 37 years you can bet those bearings need grease regardless so even of the bearings are good doing this is not a waste of time.

Well, yeah, I guess you're right.

If you take the shocks and wheel off, turn the radio off, and move the swingarm up and down, you can probably hear the poor parched bearings squeak.

Suzuki seemed to assemble bearings with .002 gram of ear wax (poor buggers were likely scraping their ears raw), and 35-40 years certainly hasn't improved matters.

 

[TxGSrider]

I guess my next question is, how hard are they to replace?

 

[Nessism]

Not hard, but a pain in the butt because you need to get the old ones out first. It's been a while since I've done some but I want to say you have to grinding out the outer race part that's pressed into the swingarm.

 

[TxGSrider]

I checked yesterday and it feels like they are beyond wore out. I guess I know what my next project is going to be.

 

[Guest]

And if I need to replace them, are there any that are better than stock?

OEM parts are not that expensive and are the only place I would go for swingarm bearings.

Best thing to do is remove the swingarm and inspect the bearings and all the related parts up close and personal.

For the price of parts I wouldn't dream of pulling the swingarm off just to inspect things, I would just replace everything as preventative maintenance on a 37 year old bike.

I guess my next question is, how hard are they to replace?

Not really hard, but getting the old outer sleeve/race out of the swingarm can be difficult. I used a propane torch to heat the swingarm pivot tube up and break the old races loose. They came out with no fuss after I warmed the pivot tube up. You will need a long punch to reach across the width of the swingarm pivot tube and drive the sleeve out from the opposite side.

Not hard, but a pain in the butt because you need to get the old ones out first. It's been a while since I've done some but I want to say you have to grinding out the outer race part that's pressed into the swingarm.

Heat worked for me, but I live in a fairly low humidity/corrosion area (granted, my bike came from the east coast area before I got it, so it saw salt air there). Bikes that lived in high humidity or coastal regions may be worse off than mine was.


Mark

 

[TxGSrider]

I got them replaced this weekend. Not too hard... just time consuming. It was 102 degrees outside under the carport, so I took a few breaks.

 

[alke46]

When I checked mine, they were extremely dry and rusted. I don't think they had ever been checked until I replaced them. Now they will get taken out and repacked every 2-3 years.