Ironhead Help - Swingarm inner spacer measurement needed

[russzx6]

I'm up to swingarm assembly on my 77 basket case and it looks like i have no inner bearing spacers. .well not that i can find in the spare parts buckets by my parts manual they are both the same spacer on each side OEM part no. 47518-52 .. ..i think they are the same spacers from 54 - 81 models. If anyone has one apart, any chance of posting the width of them?. . .i can work out the rest if need be and turn a pair up

Cheers
Russ

[Jtrapass]

Originally Posted by russzx6

I'm up to swingarm assembly on my 77 basket case and it looks like i have no inner bearing spacers. .well not that i can find in the spare parts buckets by my parts manual they are both the same spacer on each side OEM part no. 47518-52 .. ..i think they are the same spacers from 54 - 81 models. If anyone has one apart, any chance of posting the width of them?. . .i can work out the rest if need be and turn a pair up

Cheers
Russ

I had to add spacers to mine because the replacement bearings I got from vtwin, while identical inner and outer diameters, had a much smaller width, race included. Don't ask me why I have this picture, but while I was putting my swingarm together, I took a picture of the washer I used:


I used hardened washers from the hardware store. Just measured the inner diameter of the bearing and found a hardened washer at OSH that was exactly right. Check it out.

Also, a 1 1/4" socket is perfect for getting parts in there:

[Vzguy]

I know this is an old thread, But i'm having the same problem Joe.. Look at this picture:




The pivot bolt look like its getting sucked into the swingarm, did the washer you added prevent this ? I must have the same v-twin replacement kit you have.

Where did you put the washer ? both sides or just the side with the bearing spacer ?

Charlie

[Jtrapass]

Originally Posted by Vzguy

I know this is an old thread, But i'm having the same problem Joe.. Look at this picture:

The pivot bolt look like its getting sucked into the swingarm, did the washer you added prevent this ? I must have the same v-twin replacement kit you have.

Where did you put the washer ? both sides or just the side with the bearing spacer ?

Charlie

This is exactly why I needed the extra spacers. First look at the pic from Tex's thread on the subject: http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/s...d.php?t=185355



Assuming you've got everything in the correct order, I added my hardened washer spacers, I think I needed 3 total to make up for the excess space. 2 on the starter side of the bike, 1 on the primary side. And You want the bearings to be as far away from center on the swing arm as possible for stability. So your best bet is to put the extra washers right up against the frame.

I covered the washers in a load of grease and used a bolt on each side to hold them in place as I slid the swingarm onto the frame. Then once the swimgarm was in place, I pushed the pivot bolt through and sort of let it replace the extra bolt I was using on the primary side once it got through and then added the funky nut for the pivot bolt and pin spanner nut afterward. Be sure you orient the funky flat face nut the right way so it will fit into the groove on the primary.

Now, the game is not quite this easy with the engine in the frame. But I think it can still be done. Just leave off the 1 washer on the primary side and it'll still tighen up pretty well.

Best of luck. Take pictures if you can. I forgot to take pictures of the washers in there when I put it together.

[Vzguy]

Just making sure the spacer goes in like this ?



Then I have everything in correct, not much to mess up on the primary side, So I guess a couple of washers are in order.

After looking at your picture, HMMMMM does the spacer get put in between the bearing locknut, and the race that gets pressed into the swingarm pinching the spacer in between the nut and race ????

Or does it float between the bearing and the race ?

[Jtrapass]

Originally Posted by Vzguy

Just making sure the spacer goes in like this ?



Then I have everything in correct, not much to mess up on the primary side, So I guess a couple of washers are in order.

After looking at your picture, HMMMMM does the spacer get put in between the bearing locknut, and the race that gets pressed into the swingarm pinching the spacer in between the nut and race ????

The spacer goes outside of the race, but if you look at it it doesn't rub on the race because the bearing is in there to fill everything in place.

I put the spacer on from the outside along with the bolt.

Also make sure you don't put the washers between the bearing and the grease seal. .. post a pick of everything in order before you try it.

[Vzguy]

Let me get some more pictures.... Im still confused..HAAH

[Vzguy]

Here we go:




This is the way I have it.

Since the race is pressed in, the bearing spacer floates between the race and the bearing, then When i tighten down the pivot bolt, it gets sucked into the arm... Weird...

[Jtrapass]

Originally Posted by Vzguy

Here we go:
This is the way I have it.

Since the race is pressed in, the bearing spacer floates between the race and the bearing, then When i tighten down the pivot bolt, it gets sucked into the arm... Weird...

Damn, your end nut is chewed up to hell and back. Have you been using vice grips? Gross. Take a 1 3/8" socket and grind the bevel off of it so it can turn that big nut in without chewing the shit out of it.

I think you have the spacer in correctly. it should not push into the race, it should ride just outside the race. But on the same note, it should not put any pressure on the race or move the bearing. I think you just need to add spacers to hold the bearings out and you'll be fine. you should be able to get hardened washers at the hardware store that fit the diameter of your pivot arm perfectly. Don't mess around. Make sure they're perfect.

Here's what each part does. The pivot arm tightens down and holds the bearings to the frame with a ton of strength. You want this bolt to be very tight with loctite on it. Not so tight that it misshapes the bearings but tight enough that there's no play and nothing can move. Since these bearings are thinner than the stock ones, you need to add the washers in the middle so they're at the right place.

Then the races go on each side and the swing arm over that (granted the swingarm doesn't come apart this way so you have to assemble the whole thing together, but you get the idea. I use some allthread to get the races in there. When you tighen down that chewed up bearing you have there and the pin-spanner nut
use this tool, not a punch: http://www.lickbike.com/productpage....=%272480-00%27


Tighten those two nuts to put tension on the swingarm, meaning press the race into the bearing. You should tighten the outer nuts just enough that the swingarm will hold itself up in the air without a wheel or anything on it.. and then maybe a little more. Not so tight that the shocks will have any stress moving it back and forth. 5-6 lbs of force is more than enough. If you're a bigger guy, put a little more on it, but not a lot.

...Does any of this make more sense now?

[Vzguy]

Makes alot of sense... Thanks again.. I'll stop at the depot for some washers....

And that is the old nut... I have a new kit from vtwin with the new nut...