swingarm bearing wear?

[DomP]

I've taken delivery of lots of fun new tools to remove my swingarm so set about taking it off tonight having got the exhaust off last night. Everything was nice and easy to remove with no seized or seriously tight bolts.

When removing the bearing spacers the chain side was very clean but the other side the spacer has light roller marks but don't feel indented. With a clean up and regrease are these salvageable? I've only got molybdenum grease is this good enough?

[Bibio]

as long as they are not notchy or rusted then should be fine and you will only tell when its all back together. sounds like you got too them just in time.

CV grease should be fine if thats all you have but you want a good thick non wash out grease. its water ingress that usually burgers the bearings.

[DomP]

Yeah the grease is just beginning to go slightly orange on the edge of the right spacer. I could go get grease tomorrow from Euro carparts or similar, what would be best to get?

[Bibio]

any thick grease designed for bearings, boat trailer wheel bearing grease would be just the ticket but just your standard white wheel bearing grease will do just as well.

might be best to wash out the old grease first then pack some new stuff in.

my fav grease at the moment is ACF-50 but it aint cheep.

[DomP]

I was going to wash them out with paraffin, dry them then pack them. Not sure I can be bothered with fitting a grease nipple, it's not that big a job to remove the swingarm and it's a good opportunity to clean the whole area and check the bearings.

Cheers Bibio

[ManMango]

Just to jump in, I have owned my SV for about a year and a half now (first big bike)but have never taken my swing arm off and checked anything around there. It is something that has increasingly been concerning me as I hear this is an often neglected area and I ride all weather but do store in a garage and keep clean.

I have learnt an awful lot on the SV this past year but am not confident taking the swing arm off as I need the bike on road and don't want to screw it up xd

Is this a standard thing that checked when I take my bike into a garage and ask for a full round check over/service? Do I have to ask specifically for them to remove my swing arm and re grease and will this cost me much?

[Bibio]

you have to ask for it to be done. price would be from £90 onwards depending on garage and how much hassle they have. if you need new bearings its well over £300 for the lot (see below).

its not just the swingarm bearings its the whole rear suspension/linkage bearings you need to do. most SV's bearings are shot at around 30k miles.

[shiftin_gear98]

Burger mines just done 32K...

[DomP]

Mines on 14k and I think I got there just in time. I wouldn't say it's a big job if armed with an Abba stand and swingarm kit etc. But it the infamous front header bolts snap it would or could turn into a nightmare. Luckily my bike isn't relied upon for daily use.

Give it a go I say.

[Jason H]

Hahaha, header bolts...that's a lot of time I'm never getting back (plus a few drill bits).