Installing Bronze Swingarm Bushings and Setting Sideplay

[Port]

Well crap. Since I’m replacing tires, I decided to put the brass bushings in that I’ve had for some time. Now it seems I gotsta do some damned machining, too. Maybe I’ll opt out for buying a tap and a 90 deg zerk.

I’m afraid to see what everyone says needs to be done when I install the new steering head bearings.

I feel your pain, im here looking for info on a bushings install with new steering head bearings sitting in a box...

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Read this whole thread. It will provide the answer.

I have a semi unanswered question... In a previous comment you said "The pivot tube should fit nicely, smoothly." Does this mean it should fall through with gravity or be able to be pushed out with hand strength? Mine takes a bit of twisting and tapping with the handle of a screwdriver. It had/has a bit of marring from rust, and i was going to take it down with some 400grit wet sand and a drill, just dont want to take it too far.

 

[hogtyed]

Installed 1 zerk, injected grease until it flowed out the opposite side, then installed the 2nd zerk...

Curious...when cleaning mine today, I noticed the center hole stopped at the first set of two holes in the bolt. Same for the opposite side. How did you get grease to flow through the bolt? Were the bolts drilled all the way through at one time, or is this an aftermarket thing?

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

I ...Mine takes a bit of twisting and tapping with the handle of a screwdriver. It had/has a bit of marring from rust, and i was going to take it down with some 400grit wet sand and a drill, just dont want to take it too far.

Myself, I like this particular swingarm bushing fitment to be close fitting, as in a light press fit, after greasing with moly...

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Curious...when cleaning mine today, I noticed the center hole stopped at the first set of two holes in the bolt. Same for the opposite side. How did you get grease to flow through the bolt? Were the bolts drilled all the way through at one time, or is this an aftermarket thing?

The thru-bolt's center grease holes only goes as deep as their side holes.

The grease flows thru a serpentine path, out those side holes into the thin space between the thru-bolt and sleeve, thru the sleeve side holes into the thin space between the sleeve and bushing, and into the bushing spiral grooves, where it can ooze out those spiral grooves thru the center area, and enter the opposite side bushing spiral grooves. Then it can flow backwards thru that opposite bushing, eventually out the other side of the thru-bolt.

I did that to expel trapped air.

I cut grooves in my sleeve and bushings to improve the grease flow...

 

[YamadudeXS650C]

I feel your pain, im here looking for info on a bushings install with new steering head bearings sitting in a box...

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I have a semi unanswered question... In a previous comment you said "The pivot tube should fit nicely, smoothly." Does this mean it should fall through with gravity or be able to be pushed out with hand strength? Mine takes a bit of twisting and tapping with the handle of a screwdriver. It had/has a bit of marring from rust, and i was going to take it down with some 400grit wet sand and a drill, just dont want to take it too far.

Like 2M said, a close fit. And a smooth fit, so if you have some rust or marring, it would be best to lightly smooth it with very fine paper, making sure to not increase the clearance significantly.Perhaps try hand sanding (using a dowel) before hitting it with the drill.

 

[hogtyed]

The thru-bolt's center grease holes only goes as deep as their side holes.

The grease flows thru a serpentine path, out those side holes into the thin space between the thru-bolt and sleeve, thru the sleeve side holes into the thin space between the sleeve and bushing, and into the bushing spiral grooves, where it can ooze out those spiral grooves thru the center area, and enter the opposite side bushing spiral grooves. Then it can flow backwards thru that opposite bushing, eventually out the other side of the thru-bolt.

I did that to expel trapped air.

I cut grooves in my sleeve and bushings to improve the grease flow...

Gotcha. That makes more sense.

 

[Port]

Like 2M said, a close fit. And a smooth fit, so if you have some rust or marring, it would be best to lightly smooth it with very fine paper, making sure to not increase the clearance significantly.Perhaps try hand sanding (using a dowel) before hitting it with the drill.

I took the diameter down a bit to a point that I'm happy with. When checking the side splay i got 0.014". Do you know here the shims can be got? I'm probable going to go ahead and install with the 0.014" as i cant find the shims and don't really want to wait on em. I saw that the service call out was 0.040" unless you tell me that's idiotic. I assume that is pushed to one side in the same way you check the side play on the bench? Is that the correct assumption?

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

... When checking the side splay i got 0.014"...

You could take your sleeve to a machine shop and have them grind off about 0.006".


That's what I'd do.

... I'm probable going to go ahead and install with the 0.014" as i cant find the shims and don't really want to wait on em.

I don't see a significant problem there, except that the excess sideplay will allow grease to more easily ooze outta there. More frequent greasings.

...I saw that the service call out was 0.040" unless you tell me that's idiotic. I assume that is pushed to one side in the same way you check the side play on the bench? Is that the correct assumption?

I believe that measurement is taken of the rear wheel rocking, which would reveal both radial and axial play in the bushings, at a longer distance. Like the *rocking* measurement taken of connecting rods...

 

[YamadudeXS650C]

I took the diameter down a bit to a point that I'm happy with. When checking the side splay i got 0.014". Do you know here the shims can be got? I'm probable going to go ahead and install with the 0.014" as i cant find the shims and don't really want to wait on em. I saw that the service call out was 0.040" unless you tell me that's idiotic. I assume that is pushed to one side in the same way you check the side play on the bench? Is that the correct assumption?

Ditto to what 2M has suggested, above.

Partzilla has the shims in stock:
https://www.partzilla.com/product/y...?ref=69c28771b691d945d476cf790640f421e17d58a6

SHIM
240-22127-00-00
by Yamaha

$12.49 32% OFF

$8.55

 

[Dday7]

Can anyone identify these swingarm bushings from a 1981 XS650 special?
The bike is new to me and I planned on installing brass bushings but these don't appear to be the stock plastic/nylon ones, they're definitely metal on the inside.
Do you think its worth trying to replace these or simply add the mods outlined by 5T and keep 'er lubed?
Thanks

 

[fredintoon]

Can anyone identify these swingarm bushings from a 1981 XS650 special?
The bike is new to me and I planned on installing brass bushings but these don't appear to be the stock plastic/nylon ones, they're definitely metal on the inside.
Do you think its worth trying to replace these or simply add the mods outlined by 5T and keep 'er lubed?
Thanks
View attachment 141032

View attachment 141033

Hi Dday7 and welcome,
as you say, not the original plastic bushings and not the usual bronze replacement bushings either.
My best guess is that a PO made his own version replacement bushings rather than buying them.
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" eh?

 

[Dday7]

Hi Dday7 and welcome,
as you say, not the original plastic bushings and not the usual bronze replacement bushings either.
My best guess is that a PO made his own version replacement bushings rather than buying them.
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" eh?

"That's a Texas sized 10-4" Fred. Thanks. Pitter patter

 

[5twins]

I think those are still the original plastic bushings. You just still have the pivot tube stuck through them in your pic. If the pivot tube still fits nice and snug in the bushings, no need to change them. I've been running original bushings for years. They were not worn when I got that particular swingarm (low mileage TX750 arm) so I never changed them. I keep them well greased and so far, they're holding up fine.

 

[Dday7]

Sweet. They are nice and snug and cleaned up well. Tomorrow I'll try installing the zerk fittings on the swing arm and center stand and then hopefully get these back on the frame so I can keep reassembling.

 

[Norton7d]

All of the aftermarket bronze bushings I've seen have the lubrication swirl grooves on the inside, and that is where they should be. You wouldn't want them on the outside, that part is a press fit into the arm and doesn't move. Or at least it shouldn't if the fit is correct. Why pump grease into it and possibly facilitate it's movement? The I.D. of the bushing is where lubrication is needed. It rotates around on the sleeve. Now let's talk about how to properly achieve that.

The pivot bolt has grease fittings on both ends and cross-drilled holes about 1/4 of the way in so grease can get pumped into the arm. This fills the area between the bolt and pivot sleeve .....

The pivot sleeve also has holes drilled through the sides (blue lines below). These deliver grease into the bushings. They are located so that they fall about halfway into each bushing .....

The stock bushings are designed to get their grease like this, midway into the length of the bushing. They have one wide grease groove there, running parallel to the top and bottom of the bushing .....

But, this greasing set-up can present issues when trying to grease the new bronze bushings with their swirled grease grooves. They were designed to get their grease supply from the ends, not the middle. Obviously, you won't be getting any grease into the top ends of them since they're covered and clamped against the frame. That just leaves the bottom or rear for grease ingress. The stock grease holes on the pivot sleeve may get some grease in there, but only if they happen to fall on a swirl groove. Don't count on this.

A better way is needed, a way to deliver grease to the rear or bottom of the bushing. There are a couple ways to accomplish this. I recommend doing at least one but I usually do both. First, you can add a couple more holes to the middle of the pivot tube (red arrows above). That will allow grease into the center of the arm and from there, it can be forced into the backs of the bushings. The second way is to add a grease fitting to the bottom center of the swingarm pivot area. To insure enough material thickness so the fitting doesn't protrude into the arm, place it at the edge of the gusset plate attached to the cross tube .....

I like to use a 45° angle fitting faced to the rear for easy access .....

Mr Twins, do you recall the correct drill size for the added grease zerk mod? And what size grease zerk, or are they all the same size / thread pitch?
Thanks

 

[5twins]

I use metric M6 size grease fittings, same as Yamaha used. The drill size for the tap is usually stamped on the side of the tap. For an M6 threaded hole, I think it's 13/64".

 

[arcticXS]

I use metric M6 size grease fittings, same as Yamaha used. The drill size for the tap is usually stamped on the side of the tap. For an M6 threaded hole, I think it's 13/64".

Or a 5.0 mm metric drill bit. For all metric thread, it is very easy to determine correct drill bit djameter. Just subtract thread pitch from thread diameter. M6X1.0 gives a 5.0 mm bit.. M10x1.5 gives a 8.5 mm bit. Normally drill bits come in 0.1 mm increments, so for 8x1.25 the theoretically correct bit is 6.75 mm, but you round upwards to a 6.8 mm bit. Same for M10x1.25 and M12x1.25, which require 8.8 and 10.8 mm bits respectively.

 

[yamahama]

Interesting...Anyone feel more direct road vibration with solid bushes? probably not as much as in an automobile. I did similar drilling/tapping grease npples into poly front sway bar bushes and caps to keep the squeaks away. Anyone know the weight of an earlier model xs 650 rear swing arm?

 

[gggGary]

Not more vibration but noticeably less wanderlust....More from replacing worn out then nylon in good shape. There should still be plenty of vibration absorbing swing arm flex.....

 

[yamahama]

long as I done get rear wheel steering..thanks