Swinging arm bearing gap

Hello from Finland. Few weeks ago I bougth SV650S 2003 odo 28000km (do you believe that I had to pay 4300e, in UK it must have been less than 50% of that ).

Looks that bike is otherwise quite ok, but in little bit higher speeds I felt that rear wheel makes ”sudden moves”. Then I found out small gap on swinging arm bearing when wheel is up from ground. I don’t feel gap on left side, but on right side back end of arm moves about 1-2mm (less than 1/10 inch). If wheel is down and someone sits on bike there is no gap. When wheel is down and If no-one sits on bike it is sometimes possible to feel gap. From pivot nuts (there is still japanese painting) I can see that they have never been open (= no greasing have been done). Wheel bearing is ok.

I didn’t easily found out any instructions from internet. Haynes WS-book is not available in my MC-shop at the moment (does somebody have some comments, is Haynes book ok?).

Dealer wants 422e from changing bearings. I think I will first try to grease those bearings and maybe to tighten nuts little bit over. Is it ok, if I do it like this :
- Open left side nut
- Open right side nut which needs special tool, I try to make it by myself
- Unsrew pivot with hex-tool and take pivot out
- Take bearing spacers out
- Check bearings and lubricate them with some grease
- Install in opposite order
- Which is torque for pivot (with hex tool)?
- My friend's 1200 Bandit torque for nuts is 100Nm, probably something similar for SV?
- Which is best way to support arm/bike when taking pivot out?
- If I found out that I need to change bearings (those two for pivot) , how I can get them out?
- There is also 4 other bearings in cushion lever. Do I just take bolts away and grese bearings?

Thanks

[yorkie_chris]

When you say it is 2003, is it 2003 model? I.e the pointy one with injection engine?

Yes, sorry. It is pointy one with injection. Registered in Finland may 2003, so very beginning of production.

Before I get tool for swing castle nut, I have concentrated into the exhaust. I don’t want to open bolts in cyl head as they are rusted. Looks that it is difficult to get exhaust out just opening those two connections in the pipe (about 20-30cm from cyl head). Has someone managed to get the exhaust out this way (=is it possible)?
I tried to search forum, but I didn’t found answer to this.
PS. I found 1-2mm gap in direction of swing arm shaft. No ”rotational gap” almost at all when I push from end of the swing arm. Might be that bearings are ok, but I would like to check them and grease.Maybe shaft rotated to open direction when Mr. Suzuki was tightening 24mm nut on left side if he didn’t hold shaft at same time with hex tool on right side.These nuts etc. has not been opened by previous owner.

[Spanner Man]

Good morning all.


It may be that your swinging arm just needs the spindle re-tightened.

When installing the swinging arm. first you torque up the spindle to 15nm, then torque the standard nut to 100nm, & finally torque the castellated nut to 90nm.

Unfortunately you cannot remove the swinging arm without first removing the exhaust. Although you can leave the stub pipe in the rear cylinder head, & separate the exhaust at the joint you mentioned, but you still have to remove the exhaust bolts on the front cylinder.
Start soaking all of the exhaust bolts with penetrant if you plan to remove the swinging arm.

If you do remove the swinging arm to re-grease the bearings, it helps to tighten & undo the spindle several times, before torquing it to 15nm. This helps to squeeze out any excess grease.


Cheers.

[Sid Squid]

First check the swingarm spindle, (swingarm shaft), is fitted correctly. The swingarm is held against the left of the frame by the thread on the right hand end of the spindle and for it to be set correctly the fixings must be tightened in the correct order.

Undo the castle nut.
Undo the 24mm nut.
Undo the spindle a turns or so.

Retighten in this order:

1. Spindle, (from memory 11nm). then hold the spindle so it doesn't move while you tighten the...
2. Spindle nut, (hex nut, on the left of the bike).
3. Castle nut.

If the spindle isn't fitted correctly against the left of the frame it will not hold the swingarm fully to the left, also if the spindle is not held whilst the hex nut is fitted it can undo a bit when the nut is tightened.
Either will give the problem you have.

Of course the bearings can wear, but this should be checked first as it's free!

^Thanks. I started to proceed as explained. But now this is getting strange. I am thinking if I take the bike in the middle of lake and wait until ice melts next summer.

There really is that axial gap as I told.
- I got tool for the castle nut and I opened nuts and took shaft out.
- Shaft is ok.
- I have not (atleast yet) taken exhaust away, but it is possible to rotate bearing spacers and it is also possible to take left side bearing spacer away.
- Bearings and bearing spacers are ok. No excessive gap between bearing and spacer and no problems in spacer and no strange noise from bearing when rotated. Ofcourse they are not new but I am sure that bearings will last long time.
- After that I thought that I just torque shaft back in place and everything is ok (I have not put any new grease there yet. There was little bit grease by Mr. Suzuki)
- But bearing spacers touch center spacer (which is between bearings) so that there is 1.50mm gap between bearing spacer and swing arm! Shaft is rotating well when I tighten it until it ”hits the wall”. The wall is this: left bearing spacer hits frame => center spacer hits left bearing spacer => right bearing spacer hits center spacer. I feel this also with my hand when I tighten the shaft, it is not possible to push this with force.

I think any worn part can’t cause this, for example it is not possible that swing arm is worn and became too ”small”. There is not extra part/dirt between parts. I think there should not be any shim plates. Instead that 15Nm tightened shaft should take care that there is no gap.

Should I machine 1.50mm away from bearing spacer?
What can cause this, has Suzuki put too long center spacer to my bike?
Or has all my work be worthless and that gap is normal???

[yorkie_chris]

I'd say so long as the swingarm moves nice and freely, without play then it will be OK.

Bearing rollers themselves do not contact the entire surface.

Yes I agree.

Bearings are ok, but there is this axial 1.50mm gap between swing arm and bearing spacer (not radially, but axially) which don't feel normal. Those spacers (which I expalained in previous text) contact each other and swing arm is too "small" which causes gap.

My previous text was quite long, but it would be nice if someone has some ideas. My best idea at the moment is to machine bearing spacer, but I don't understand what is behind this problem.

Let’s ask it this way as it looks that nobody has had same problem: Does someone see any safety problem or do I broke something, If I put a 1.60mm thick washer between right side bearing spacer and the swing arm? Then I can get rid of the gap.

I think that if I buy new bearings and spacers, swing will have same gap and problem is not solved.

I think I put little bit thicker washer than what the gap really is. Washer would come to place where the caliper is in attached photo.