Brass bushings: my overview

[gpzrocker]

My bushings came in, both for the swingarm (I used the 32004X versions of the bearings) and the brass bushings for the shock mount. Heres how it went:

Tried the freezer for the race and heat for the swingarm: 100 degree ambient for two hours and same for the freezer did not work out for me. Luckily I found a tool to press in the races and it went fairly smoothly.

Installed the brass bearings into the rocker. Recommend to press them instead of a socket: I got some distortion that I had to take emery cloth to repair. When I measured the bolts with my caliper I found that they needed to be brought down 10 thousands to match the bore, so I had the machinist at work mill them down. I feel it would have taken forever on the belt sander and this was much cleaner. When he was done all was test fitted and we found about the distortion on the end which got installed by a socket.

Got them home and got it together, had to work some more on the edge, so definitely press them in: a c clamp would have worked well.

In my opinion 10 thousands is alot to take off the bolt by any way other than my milling.  I saw the sandpaper and drill method. 60 grit for me was polishing off the corrosion and not much more.

So my advice to DIYers: not an easy task unless you know a machinist, only for the fact that the bolts needed turned down. The needle bearings would be much easier, and in my 60K machine, most were still good, with one freezing up and the other frozen.

Your call: if I had to do it again, the needles would go in unless they were prohibitively expensive. I could not find any bearings outside of the factory ones, so the $61 and change with shipping I spent was cheaper I think, but i would have to research more on that.

[gpzrocker]

After my brass bushing install I find my dogbones loose, like side to side play, on the bottom by the rocker. Top is good. I thought I verified, but is the frame bolt and the dogbone bolt the same length, and is this normal?

For verification, the bottom of the dogbone can slide back and forth on the shaft of the bolt: not much, but defintely not tight. Seals are in, and everything tightened up with the torques set.

[T Cro ®]

While every install can vary due to many reasons you install is NOT typical... I've done it twice with nothing more than a bench vice as a press and flat washers to protect the bushing edges during the pressing and as claimed I needed nothing more than a drill press and emery to polish the shoulders till they fit to my likings.

Also the side to side clearance you noticed was there with the needles and will be there with the bushings and it is nothing to worry about.

[gpzrocker]

Yeah I understand T Cro, the flat washers and a vice would have been a great idea. I imagine a  second time I would do this I would be alot better at it. As for the bolts, IDK, just mentioning that it happened that way for me.

And thanks for the info on the dog bones, I figured it was that way.

And thanks for everyones input on this.

[enim57]

I started this a long time ago and others have done it without issue, I would say your case is a rarity. I had my bushes made and a couple were tight due to probably my not perfect measuring method (vernier) and manufacturing tolerance. I would expect the items you are able to buy in USA (not available Australia) would be of a better manufacturing quality.

I don't like the heating/freezing method of fitting, I have tried this with wheel bearings and the process felt grabby or sticky and a not smooth fit. I understand the theory and theoretically should work but I didn't like it and haven't used it since.

Anybody changing to bushings would do well do make note of the post listed below and think about my instructions in reply 45. I used a bench vice and socket without issue.
http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=6061.45

I think needle roller bearings (available from Kawasaki only) are a lot more expensive than the bushings.

Regards, Russell