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EVO: Suspension - Sub-03A

Rigid Mount Swingarm Bearing / Bushing Inspection and Replacement


Prep Work

The rear tire and lower shock mount(s) must come off before you can remove the swingarm.
The belt doesn't have to come off but has been removed below.

Lower shock mount removed (both sides). 1) Belt guard removed. 2)
With the belt guard removed, the belt just slides around and out of the swingarm. 3)
The 98 style brake caliper still on it's bracket simply lifts off with the wheel removed. It can be hung from the bike out of the way for swingarm removal. 4)

Removing the Swingarm

Remove the pivot bolt screw (left side) and turn the bolt (right side) a few turns to loosen it up.
Put the pivot bolt screw back in a few turns and whack it with a hammer to initially drive the bolt out toward the right side.
Then use a screwdriver to pry the bolt outward while turning the screw. Continue turning while giving up pressure on the wrench to back the bolt out.

Or you could use a drift and a hammer on the left side to punch the bolt out but be careful not to damage the internal threads of the bolt.

5) 6)

7) 8)

The sleeve on the frame that the bolt runs through has a hole in the middle where water can get onto the middle of the bolt and cause rusting.
So you may have to get creative when knocking the bolt out (which is the reason for turning the bolt out instead of knocking it out).
Once the bolt is removed, the swingarm just falls away.



Inspecting the Swingarm and Parts

Note: The maintenance schedule in the FSM suggests to inspect the pivot shaft and swingarm bearings every 5,000 miles.
Then to lube the swingarm bearings every 10,0000 miles. 9)
However it doesn't take but just a couple minutes to hose down the bearings with carb cleaner, blow dry and repack them with fresh grease.
(since you have the pivot bolt out for inspection anyway)

Check that the swingarm isn't warped, damaged or rusted.

Remove the pivot bolt spacer and inspect both the spacer and it's bushing in the left pivot for damage or pitting.


Remove the bearings from the right pivot.
You may be able to simply push a finger in the hole and wiggle the dust cover off or you can use a small pick to pull it out then remove the first bearing.
From there you just push the other bearing out through the pivot.
Hopefully your bearings won't look as bad as the ones below. You can spray them down with brake cleaner to clean off the old grease.


With extreme buildup, you can simply dunk them in a gallon of carb cleaner and let them soak for a couple hours and spray them down with water and re-lube them.
However you clean them, the old grease needs to be removed so it won't contaminate the new grease.

Clean both bearing races and inspect them for smoothness, pitting and out of roundness.
The races below are damaged and have to be replaced.




1) , 2) , 5) , 6) , 7) , 8)
photo by Hippysmack
3) , 4)
photos by Hippysmack
9)
1998 HD Sportster FSM pg 1-2
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