SOHC.co.uk Forums > CB500/550
Is my swingarm original?
Oddjob:
Alex your in Europe yes?
If so lots of German sellers sell the bronze bushes.
As Bryan says, check the internal collar, which is just the big tube running through the arm, check the ends where it sits inside the bushes, most are worn and will show that wear, some are rusted (which is odd considering they are supposed to be covered in grease). If it's worn your going to have to decide whether to reuse it or replace it, post a pic of how it looks and we'll advice.
As for the old bushes, they are just fibre, a quick run with a small hacksaw blade (like the centre stand pivot pin) and they'll just fall out usually. Once you get one out you can sometimes find a socket exactly the right size to fit inside the arm and use that to drive out the other.
Other alternative is to fit a needle roller conversion kit which comes with it's own collar, they are around £125 which sounds a lot but a set of bronze bushes is £30ish, new collar is £70 or so so not that much dearer and they stiffen up the arm much better or are supposed to, never tried one myself but I'm thinking about it right now.
alexdecker:
--- Quote from: Oddjob on March 04, 2022, 05:37:01 PM ---Alex your in Europe yes?
If so lots of German sellers sell the bronze bushes.
As Bryan says, check the internal collar, which is just the big tube running through the arm, check the ends where it sits inside the bushes, most are worn and will show that wear, some are rusted (which is odd considering they are supposed to be covered in grease). If it's worn your going to have to decide whether to reuse it or replace it, post a pic of how it looks and we'll advice.
As for the old bushes, they are just fibre, a quick run with a small hacksaw blade (like the centre stand pivot pin) and they'll just fall out usually. Once you get one out you can sometimes find a socket exactly the right size to fit inside the arm and use that to drive out the other.
Other alternative is to fit a needle roller conversion kit which comes with it's own collar, they are around £125 which sounds a lot but a set of bronze bushes is £30ish, new collar is £70 or so so not that much dearer and they stiffen up the arm much better or are supposed to, never tried one myself but I'm thinking about it right now.
--- End quote ---
Thank you, I will scour some German parts site for them :) My center stand is still stuck, so fearing the worst with these bushes as well. The internal collar has some grease on it, but it is stuck in there really bad. Trying different things to get it out. Center stand and swingarm is the last thing, and then she is completely in pieces (finally!).
Sesman:
Alex. Julie sells the bronze bushes. Much better than the original solution and will outlast the bike if maintained correctly.
K2-K6:
"Other alternative is to fit a needle roller conversion kit which comes with it's own collar, they are around £125 which sounds a lot but a set of bronze bushes is £30ish, new collar is £70 or so so not that much dearer and they stiffen up the arm much better or are supposed to, never tried one myself but I'm thinking about it right now."
The bronze bushes are definitely good and significantly change the lifing of this pivot compared to original, very worthwhile.
For pure performance (the arm is essentially flexy on many of this era bikes) the needle roller will outperform the other solutions. It's this pivot that contributes most to the "hinge in the middle" comments so often used in contemporary road test descriptions of the bikes. Most current bikes of any decent quality will use this or tapers (which won't fit in these) to make the suspension work well.
alexdecker:
If doing the needle roller, are you guys talking about something like this?
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