Pointy swing arm side play.

[DavieSV]

I discovered play in the swing arm before christmas.

On the Abba stand there was definate play side ways on the rear wheel, but no play whilst holding the wheel on the top & the bottom and trying to twist it, so it had to be the swing arm and not the wheel bearings.

I've just found the time to strip it to investigate.

I stripped every thing down and cleaned the bearings.

There are lines inpressed in the bearing bushes, but not too much to worry about.

I measured the bushes and at most they are 5 microns under size.

There is play between the bushes and the bearings, especially on the chain side but not that much.

I have just reassembled the bearings, bushes and spindle into the swing arm on the bench and was quite suprised at what I found...





The end float measures 1.08mm with the spindle torqued up.
All the contacting surfaces are clean.

As I can see, the end float is controled by the internal faces of the bearing bushes in contact with the ends of the bearing housing tube of the swing arm.

Am I correct?

The end float is conveniently just over 1mm?
Am I missing a thrust washer?
All I have is bush into bearing, spacer tube, bush into bearing, all clamped up by the spindle.

Has any one with a k5 checked there play?

[punyXpress]

Think there was someone ( from Scandinavia ? ) with the same problem a couple of months ago ?

[Bibio]

according to cupar mc. there should be play in the swingarm. i say bull. pack it with grease and torque it up.

[punyXpress]

'twas Mannerheim from Finland & his findings were virtually the same as yours.

[DavieSV]

Yes I remember the thread

I can sort this out in a couple of ways,

1, grind the inner face of the bush to reduce the tolerance.
2, turn a thrust washer up to take up the end float.

but that doesn't answer why it's there.

Is something missing? any one who has taken the swing arm off and reassembled it should be able to confirm this,

or is it wear? the bikes done 20,000 miles approx, and that's a lot of wear for that amount of miles.

or is it a manufacturing defect? there may be alot more out there with the same problem, without knowing it.

My bike may have been like it from new, I never checked, when I did the play was there.

Packing it with grease will make it greasy it won't take up 1mm of play.

[Bibio]

from what i was told it is there to give a little 'flex' while cornering as without it the back end would skip out. i still think bull, but if you go and check mostly all the new suzuki's have it. i checked a few bikes straight out the crates.

[yorkie_chris]

Someones taking the p*ss if they think a broken swingarm improves handling.

[DavieSV]

NO, this is BAD,

From a manufacturing point of view, it's better to have some play than be tight. I would rather have a swing arm that flops abit than one that won't swing

I've checked a GSXR, an R6, a FZ1, and a CBR6 all with no play at all.

So have all SV's got this play?

Check your's tomorrow everyone, and report back

[Bibio]

thats what i said... my exact words were pull the other one. till i felt several fresh bikes straight out the crates. these included bandit, sv. gsxf.

[DavieSV]

Suzuki quality?