Honda-SOHC
SOHC.co.uk Forums => CB500/550 => Topic started by: florence on September 18, 2025, 04:45:13 PM
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I noticed this week there was a tiny amount of play in the swing arm; something felt slightly wrong. I did apply grease earlier in the year and have ridden about 1000 miles since.
I put some more grease in this afternoon and now, when manipulating the rear wheel with the bike on the centre stand, the play appears to have gone.
My question is, should there be play when grease is needed or is it a sign that I will have to replace the bushes this winter?
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Obviously there is some wear,
If greasing them removes the play it's not critical
But, it is your choice
Personally I would leave it for a few thousand miles away
Monitor it
Sent from my SM-A546E using Tapatalk
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Be prepared to buy the collar as well(expensive) the steel collar wear just as much as the plastic bushes
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Plastic? I thought they were brass?
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Check the swinging arm pivot bolt is torqued up correctly, if it’s ok then as already said just monitor it for now.
Do you know when the bushes were last changed, if it’s recent and they have been greased regularly shouldn’t be much wear.
If they are just as the bike came to you then they could have been neglected in the past. There is also a collar/sleeve that the pivot bolt goes through that can corrode and wear if swinging arm greasing is neglected for long periods.
If you do decide to change the bushes Nurse Julie sells bronze ones.
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The last time I had the swing arm off was in 1995 when I rebuilt the bike, and I can't remember whether I replaced the bushes at that time or whether they were still good. I don't think I did so very likely they are still the original ones. I have greased them fairly regularly. In terms of torque on the bolt, that's a good shout, it could have loosened in the last 30 years. Is there a proper setting?
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Florence, what model is yours?
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The book I have (Haynes)gives 39 to 50 ft-lb, So say 42 ft-lb The thing is, after tightening the SA must be able to move up and down freely, it is possible on some bikes to bend the frame inwards with over tightening and jam the SA.
Cmsnl have the collars if you need one, try not to, they are expensive as said.
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Just thought, frame won’t bend on 550 as it is tightened against the ends of the collar.
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Florence has a CB500k so the bushes will be steel not plastic.
The collar on the 500 is also different from the one fitted to the 550 due to the different positioning of the grease nipples. The 500 has them on the end of the SA bolt, the 550 has it positioned centrally on the underside of the SA. Hard to find a collar for the 500 these days, you can tell the difference between the 500 and 550 by the drilling’s in the spiral grooves, the 500 has them, the 550 doesn’t.
You could try and find a needle bearing conversion for the SA, but be aware they are not suitable for the 500 SA unless you alter the greasing arrangement.
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Yes, mine is CB550K, not sure what number, UK model, manufactured 1974. It has the grease nipples on the ends of the shaft.
Will the 550 swing arm with 550 shaft fit the 500 frame?
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Physically yes but sme 550 have closed ends where the axle fits for the 4 into 1 exhaust.
Ken is correct about the collars but i have found only the early one with spiral grooves and grease holes at the end is available the one for the single greaser is difficult to find, i also tend to drill and tap the ends of the swingarm bolt to fit standard 6mm grease nipples as the honda ones damage easily and dont let grease through.
Bushes and collars are same on 750 and 500
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great, thanks very much
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It’s actually easier to drill a hole in the SA tube, centrally of course and underneath, then tap it and fit a grease nipple in there. I welded a 6mm nut on mine to avoid any chance of it stripping out. You need to make sure if doing that you make the weld run around the nut with no holes or the grease will pour out of any gap. The other alternative is to fit a CB550k swinging arm on yours ( I think you meant to say yours is a 500 not a 550 btw) the 550 has the open ends to accommodate the 4 into 4 exhausts but has the central grease nipple as well. I’ve bought ones from DM? And they were reasonably cheap and came with the bolt as well. If you’re lucky it will also have a decent collar.
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Does any of you know a greaser that will fit my central nipple? https://www.cmsnl.com/honda-cb500k2-general-export_model50441/nipple-grease_9620180000/
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Should be a standard 6mm grease nipple
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Yep, M6 x 1.00
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Thanks. The reason I asked: in 46 years of ownership I remember only two times I have managed to get any grease in there. I've been lucky I guess: bushing is still fine. I should add that Honda had modified the parts involved somewhat on later models like mine, but I don't know if that has played any role.
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So an ordinary grease gun should work?
Should I unscrew the nipple, check if it works and eventually clean it?
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Just replace. You can get stainless steel ones now so it won’t rust anymore.
Ordinary grease gun should be fine.
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Thnx!
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I got some grease nipples for my SA bolt a couple of weeks ago at the Newark auto jumble, a guy had a tub of them all old stock with various unknown threads they cost 10p each😀.
The ones I chose have taper threads and I think are either whitworth or BSP, we will see when I get around to putting them in. I have a whitworth tap and die set I bought for about 19/6 when I was 14 with my paper round money so it’s going to be a cheep job 😂
I think the grease nipples are from the same era so it should all fit together nicely👍
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Sorry Murf but why would you ruin a perfectly good metric thread to install an imperial one. Plus they are straight cut threads not tapered. A M6 x 1.00 45 degree angled nipple is dirt cheap, so why not just buy one and save all the hassle of trying to alter the threads. If you ruin it you risk having to buy another swinging arm and if it’s not tight on the threads the grease will just pour out of there instead of going where it should.
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Hi Oddjob
The original grease nipples on my bike a 75 US K1 are on the ends of the SA pivot bolt and are just a push in fit and not threaded so I have to cut new threads anyway, I wouldn’t just damage good threads so I could use my 10p bargain nipples. There is no grease nipple on the SA itself.
I have added a photo of the grease nipples I have which as you can see have that slight taper thread that many grease nipples have. I will identify the thread before I start and of course if the existing boring in the SA pivot pin is too large I will get some different nipples for it.
To be honest I just bought the ones I have on the spare of the moment because they were so cheap 😁
I can post a photo of my pivot bolt with the push in grease nipples tomorrow. If I remember correctly they look exactly the same as the ones on a 1964 CB 72 I had back in the day.
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Sorry Murf, thought you were replacing a 550 one.
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Hmm, struggling to find swing arm collar so if anyone has any suggestions?
Also, have found replacement swing arm at D&K and they suggest is in good and useable order.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/356683635573
I don't know whether that means bushes are in good order? Might have to ring them and ask.
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The bronze bushes are a common fitment on the 500/550s.
As for the collar, you can try and find a new one, difficult, or maybe think about a roller bearing conversion, made by Tourmax iirc. That’s the way I went. You will need to fit a 550 swinging arm pivot bolt if you have a 500 though as the grease nipples won’t work with the Tourmax due to the way it works and the design of the collar on the Tourmax kit.
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thank you, that is interesting.
My main aim is to fix as easily as possible as I don't want it off the road for any more than a few days.
Also spotted that Julie has bushes so will order
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The collars are available just gone up again and damned expensive
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Just a thought but I wonder if these are something Max may be able to manufacture if there is enough demand?
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Tourmax kit.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125392834805
Cheaper to go this way that retain original setup and they should improve the handling as they stiffen up the backend.
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The original 750/500 collar is available from DSS for a pricey £109 or from CMS a bit cheaper, but then extra for shipping if you want to go that way. Have you dismantled it and checked the parts? But as Bryan pointed out the collar is often worn.
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Those collars were around £82, €93 euro when I got mine in September 😳 which I thought was expensive then + about £30 for the bushes . So I think you are right, the Tourmax kit seems to be the way to go now.
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SOLD.....I have a new Tourmax 500/750 kit here. Had it a long time, no idea where the box is. Owes £75.00, so £75.00 + post at cost if anyone is interested. I think I offered it here a few years back but no one was interested.
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Just my 0.02c.
If those are needle roller bearings, I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.
Every bike I've ever had with needle rollers in the S/A has let water in and then the rollers have rusted and destroyed the expensive shaft.
That was despite the presence of grease.
Plastic or Bronze every time in my opinion.
Maybe there's a tiny bit of play but they last for donkeys years with regular greasing
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Surely that points more to the sealing system than to the bearings? I've got another Honda that uses needle rollers in the SA and that is perfect, no water ingress at all. The washers you can see in the kit are also needle rollers as well BTW, they allow the shaft to turn if needed. If your using a central external grease nipple like the 550F has then the entire swinging arm tube should be full of grease including the needle rollers. A couple of squeezes of the grease gun per year should keep everything in good order.
The other problem Grewth is the lack of availability of the internal collar and the cost IF you can find one, plus TBH the 500 SA greasing system is flawed, very easy for it to block up and no grease then gets to the surfaces, hence why the collar and bearings wear so easily.