[Honclfibr]

If the bolt is removed from the suspension arm (unitrak on a kawi, the piece that the lower arm of the shock bolts to), should the dogbones be able to rotate freely on the swingarm?

My impression, based on how the swingarm rotates, is that they would need to. I just checked ronayers and it looks like there are needle bearings in the swingarm where the dogbones bolt up, which seems to back my assumption up.

The reason I ask is, mine don't rotate freely, I can just barely move them with my hand if I really lever on them hard. I discovered this today when I swapped on my new shock, and didn't really think much of it. Then, when I went to adjust the preload, I found that at the softest setting I could only get about 5mm of static loaded sag (this is with a 525lb spring and me, 175lb rider). Thought perhaps the shock just needed to "break in" a bit but it's now occuring to me that possibly the lack of rotation in the dogbones is keeping my swingarm from pivoting properly, and this won't allow my shock to compress.

Opinions?

[legalspeed]

What year and model?

[Degsy]

Yes, the dogbone should move freely on a kwak. Kwaks usually come with a grease nipple on the dogbone.

derek

[legalspeed]

Originally posted by Degsy
come with a grease nipple on the dogbone.

derek

[Honclfibr]

Originally posted by Degsy
Yes, the dogbone should move freely on a kwak. Kwaks usually come with a grease nipple on the dogbone.

derek

Thanks derek, good to know, I thought something might be up here. I'll check the torque on the bolt this weekend and probably sounds like it would be a good idea to order new needle bearings and seals for the swingarm, hmm? Sucks because the needle bearings are 12 bucks a friggin SIDE, oh well, after shelling out 550 on a new shock it would be stupid to cut corners on the bearings.

There's no grease nipple on these dogbones, though there might be one on the swingarm somewhere, I'll have to take a look. I know that the 00+ 6rs came with grease nipples on the unitrak arm (been meaning to pick one of those up on ebay) but the 99- 6rs don't, you have to remove the bolt to grease the needle bearings.

I wonder how long this problem has been hanging around...I imagine it might affect handling a bit

[Degsy]

I would not buy roller bearings yet. See if you need them first. They are a bitch to fit.

Take the bolt out of the dogbone and grease the bearings first.

derek

[OreoGitorio]

Originally posted by Honclfibr
I know that the 00+ 6rs came with grease nipples on the unitrak arm (been meaning to pick one of those up on ebay)

ah, good to know.... maybe i'll grease my nipples sometime. anyone wanna gimme a hand w/ that?

[gmdboston]

What make model year? I can get kits for some of the more popular models.

[Honclfibr]

Originally posted by gmdboston
What make model year? I can get kits for some of the more popular models.

Cool, thanks peter. What's in the kits, needle bearings and oil seals?

With the weather how its been I havne't had a chance to take a look at the linkage yet, but if it does turn out I need some parts I'll give you a call.

[Honclfibr]

Goddamn this bolt is a tenacious mother fucker. I managed to round off both ends of the bolt. With a box wrench. And a torch. Damn thing didn't spin a degree.

Then it broke my die grinder wheel. Twice.

I hate this bolt. It has become my white whale.

[Honclfibr]

Originally posted by Degsy
I would not buy roller bearings yet. See if you need them first. They are a bitch to fit.

Take the bolt out of the dogbone and grease the bearings first.

derek

Derek/Peter,

What's the difficulty of installing the bearings, is it that the seals are hard to pull/install? If so is there a special trick or tool that makes it easier?

I'm still working on getting the bolt out, but it's so well seized in there that I've got a sneaking suspicion I'm not going to find anything inside the swingarm to be in very good condition.

[gmdboston]

What the fuck are you doing? You need to remove the swing arm and all the links to replace the bearings. If you can get the swing arm off I can get the bolt out. What bike are you working on?

[Honclfibr]

Originally posted by gmdboston
What the fuck are you doing? You need to remove the swing arm and all the links to replace the bearings. If you can get the swing arm off I can get the bolt out. What bike are you working on?

I was attempting to grind off the head of the seized dogbone-swingarm bolt so that I could slide it out and replace it. I didn't think to remove the swingarm first, though if I'd realized what a pain in the ass it is to grind through whatever the hell material that bolt is made out of, that might have been a better approach to get a better angle on the bolt.

[Degsy]

Oh my, i didn't realise that the whole piece is still attached to the swingarm. The bearings are press fit, the seals are easy, just push with your fingers.

derek

[gmdboston]

Originally posted by Honclfibr
I was attempting to grind off the head of the seized dogbone-swingarm bolt so that I could slide it out and replace it. I didn't think to remove the swingarm first, though if I'd realized what a pain in the ass it is to grind through stainless that might have been a better approach to get a better angle on the bolt.

There is no stainless on that bike.

[Honclfibr]

Originally posted by gmdboston
There is no stainless on that bike.

Ok you caught me. I'm not actually the expert metallurgist I've been posing as all these years.

[Honclfibr]

It's all about the problem set up, as an engineer I should have known this. The answer to the question "Should the dogbones articulate on the swingarm" is "yes", but that was not the right question. The question I should have been asking was "Should the dogbones articulate on the swingarm independent of one another". To which the answer, and a little common sense could have told me this, is "no". The dogbones are pressed to the roller that rides on the needle bearings, and the torque of the bolt presses them both against the same roller. Therefore, properly torqued down, the dogbones will not move independent of each other.

My needle bearings are just fine. My suspension is just fine (though the question of why my static sag cannot be set beyond 10mm is still up in the air). I am an idiot.

[gmdboston]

Can you give me the Make, model and year or is it a secret?

[OreoGitorio]

'98 zx6r IIRC

[Honclfibr]

Originally posted by gmdboston
Can you give me the Make, model and year or is it a secret?

Sorry, I wasn't really asking a question, just following up on my own foolishness. But yeah, as pete said, it's a 98 zx6r. When I installed the ohlins shock I spun the adjuster nut at the top to raise the ride height 10mm. This was mentioned to me by someone who used to race a 98 zx6r as improving turn in slightly. Was this a bad thing to do? I realize it moves the center of gravity forward a bit so it would unload the rear slightly, but I didn't figure it would affect the CG so much as to cause problems setting static sag.

[rmbbikes]

Sounds like someone need to hang up the tools

[Honclfibr]

Why does everyone keep saying that?