Honda-SOHC
SOHC.co.uk Forums => CB500/550 => Topic started by: paulbaker1954 on October 09, 2022, 05:20:36 PM
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I have just noticed there is play in my rear swing arm. If I grab the rear wheel I can move the rear arm side to side quite a bit.
I am a bit unsure about how to fix this as both Honda manuals I have are not a lot of help.
Yes I have greased it and yes I have checked the nuts are tight !!!
Any advice on how to proceed much appreciated
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I dont know the milage of your bike but if there's loads of play you might find that the swing arm bushes are past their best, Julie does some great aftermarket bronze ones that go right in. I presume you've had a good inspection visually all over rthe SW and nothing visibly apparent detrimental to its function that could be seen as an issue?
I'd be looking at the play by your bushes, my money's on those. Not a hectic fix and really simple. Helps if you still have the centre stand on the bike obvs but a jack will do and a few bits of timber under it.
They're not dear and really good quality and certainly cheaper than Mr Silver.
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New bronze bushes from Nurse Julie and probably an expensive collar from Honda plus new greas nipple, cheapest part and that will cure it.
Yes the collar wears more than the plastic bushes!!!
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Looking like a visit to see the nurse for a set of bronze bushes may be the prescription needed here :)
In all seriousness, if the spindle/bushes are worn (sounds likely) there's no adjustment really, just replace the components to bring back into tolerance. Either bronze bush type or the alternative kit of needle roller bearings some have used.
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New bronze bushes from Nurse Julie and probably an expensive collar from Honda plus new greas nipple, cheapest part and that will cure it.
Yes the collar wears more than the plastic bushes!!!
Not sure what collar you are referring to
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https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165655666273?hash=item2691d8de61:g:TnUAAOSwjpNa169W
Julie has them on the Bay of Fleas (above) but message her direct and she'll probably give you a bit of dizzy as youre a forum member.
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There is a bolt that goes all the way thoughthe frame and swing arm, that goes through a thick walled steel tube that is "pinched" by the frame when the bolt is tight, the bushes in the swing arm pivot on the outside of this tube.
This tube is called a collar by Honda and is same on 750, 550 and 500.
I could look up the part number for you but that would spoil your fun
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;D
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There is a bolt that goes all the way thoughthe frame and swing arm, that goes through a thick walled steel tube that is "pinched" by the frame when the bolt is tight, the bushes in the swing arm pivot on the outside of this tube.
This tube is called a collar by Honda and is same on 750, 550 and 500.
I could look up the part number for you but that would spoil your fun
Got it now confusingly Haynes manual calls it Fork Centre Bush 😂😂😂
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Ebay item 255426796873 sit down before you look
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Bloody hell! :o
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Worth checking at local dealer as Dave Silver is Bout £95 inc.
Yes Roo i agree, unfortunately every one i have ever took apart with play has the collar worn more than the bushes.
The later 390 number part used on the F model that has the single grease nipple on the swing arm is discontinued, guess what------ you can use the early 300 one
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Thats a good swerve saved to the memory bank Bryan ;)
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Worth checking at local dealer as Dave Silver is Bout £95 inc.
Yes Roo i agree, unfortunately every one i have ever took apart with play has the collar worn more than the bushes.
The later 390 number part used on the F model that has the single grease nipple on the swing arm is discontinued, guess what------ you can use the early 300 one
Yes Bryan it always seem odd that the softer materials wears the harder one away.
Years ago car clutch pivots made of Nylon would wear the metal socket they fitted into having previously been made of metal.
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There is a bolt that goes all the way thoughthe frame and swing arm, that goes through a thick walled steel tube that is "pinched" by the frame when the bolt is tight, the bushes in the swing arm pivot on the outside of this tube.
This tube is called a collar by Honda and is same on 750, 550 and 500.
I could look up the part number for you but that would spoil your fun
Maybe a stupid question but how do you get the old bushes out?
Do I need some special tool?
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Brute force and big hammer, only sucsesful way i found is to cut a slot along the length with a hacksaw blade, a long messy and laborious job, colapse them and knock them out.
Put the brass ones in the freezer for a few days before fitting.
You wont need the felt washers and plastic caps with the brass ones but you do use the shaped end washers, whilst its out, unless you are a purist, drill and tap the ends of the bolt to take ordinary 6mm grease nipples
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Thanks for all the help
Bushes on way from Nursey but do I HAVE to replace the collar or can I just change the bushes?
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Worth checking at local dealer as Dave Silver is Bout £95 inc.
Yes Roo i agree, unfortunately every one i have ever took apart with play has the collar worn more than the bushes.
The later 390 number part used on the F model that has the single grease nipple on the swing arm is discontinued, guess what------ you can use the early 300 one
Yes Bryan it always seem odd that the softer materials wears the harder one away.
Years ago car clutch pivots made of Nylon would wear the metal socket they fitted into having previously been made of metal.
It's an often missed but very simple process that wears the hard component with the soft Ted. Something that was part of my apprenticeship that's specifically designed to drum it into us the impact of various elements in engineering, we had to make a "puck" in high carbon steel, then impregnate with more carbon to increase the ultimate hardness of the material such that it moved it right to the extreme of testing on hardness evaluation equipment. Then to hand finishing the surface with nothing more than successive work on first cast iron plates, aluminium plates and finally brass plates, all having their surface embeded with cutting media (carborundum first, finished with diamond grit) to refine by cutting that hard steel.
This is exactly the same as something like emery cloth in concept (carborundum glued to denim material) in that it embeds highly abrasive particles into a soft base substrate. Also anything like sand paper etc and cutting disc on disc cutter.
The swing arm essentially has any wear particle from the sleeve embedded into the plastic, along with anything else that gets in there and gently works away cutting the steel away during use.
There's also another parallel in vehicles, especially those run without air filtration. The intake ingesting silicon oxide (silicon sand readily available from road surfaces etc) that mixes with the oils, lodges in components like piston, main bearings, aluminium head bearings etc to very effectively cut the main components and wear them out prematurely.
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You dont HAVE to replace anything, just depends on wether you want it right or not. Wear on the collar will be obvious and feelable, any wear is too much
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I have just noticed there is play in my rear swing arm. If I grab the rear wheel I can move the rear arm side to side quite a bit.
If you are saying there is side to side movement as in left to right along the spindle as opposed to up & down movement it might be wear on the end cup arrangement.
I found fitting the Brass Bushes fixed my movement even though there was a small amount of wear vissible on the centre spacer/shaft arrangement.
I'm not a mechanical engineer but unless the play is really excessive grease & bushes should work as a little wear should not be an issue for sensible road use on a old bike.
But that just my opinion - I do not see it as a megga safety issue though others might not agree!
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I did one last year and confirm usual story that the pin/collar was worn more than the bushes. But I'd had the bits for years.
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All sorted and back together now
Thanks to Julie for the bushes and John Oldfield for the collar (ouch at £95)
Old ones came out with sheer brute force and Julies went in quite easily after sitting in freezer but still needed a few whacks with my lump hammer.