Hi,

I just wondered if anyone had found a reasonably priced set of replacements for the rear swing arm bearings and bushes (main arm pivot 2010 660Z - Yamaha diagram part numbers 2&3 )

Looking at the AJ Sutton It would seen that they want over �80 quid for two bushes and two bearings, which I think is taking the pi** !

I have searched the forums and interweb and see that Wee Moto do a replacement set but according to one contributor on this site they do not come with bushed and the bearings are cageless, so not ideal

If anyone else been though this and wants to share their experience of sourcing these bits - I sure would be grateful !

If not anyone have the sizes of the roller bearing so that I can source from a bearing supplier ?

Thank in advance for any help proffered .....

Don't know about the bushes, but the swing arm needle rollers if you want decent proper caged type are SKF HK2220 22x28x20mm.

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Splendid ! Just the info I was looking for ...

Just this minute orded a couple via the link provided, great response thanks.

Any idea if the other rear linkage bearlings are the same units ?

Thanks again

URCH.

Only know the swing arm ones off hand as I happen to note the size when I had the arm off. The linkage ones are different, that's all I can say!

I'll see if I can find out...

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Hi Pleiades,

don't fret too much about the other linkage bearing sizes unless you have an easy way to find that info out, I don't think that is where my problem lies.

As you were quick to respond on both of my posts seeking info recently I am guessing you are an avid XT forum reader, and I thought I would perhaps bounce my problem off you as it were, in order to solicit your opinion, or indeed that of any others that might be able to help.

The bikes a 26000 mile XT660Z, bought just before Christmas from a guy called Andy in Bristol. He had used it to traverse continental America, so it has obviously seen some use.

I noticed the back shock was knackered when I bought it, but factored that into the equation price wise.

When I got it home, I noticed an pronounced creak from the rear suspension, almost like a crack, crack crack noise when the rear is extended by pulling the bike over on the sidestand. It sounds like a little bearing that's broken up but its quite a violent nose, it can be 'felt' through the crashbars mainstand, footpegs etc.

So I shrugged my shoulders and put it down to the rear shock.

Then I stripped the back down, pulled off the rear shock and checked the swingarm, perfect no sideways play, tiny bit up and down but not a lot (one of the linkage bolts looks slightly undersized, think this is normal). The swingarm moved very smoothly for the full extent of free movement.

no noise.

Great, so just to be sure I stripped the linkages, cleaned and greased all bearings (didn't remove the bearings though, they all looked pretty good with a fair amount of grease on them). Swingarm back on, and wait for the new Yacugar shock to arrive. Bike built back up having done the airbox mod to aid fitting the new shock.

With the bike built back up, the noise is evident again, shoulders shrugged and noise put down to knackered shock (thought the spring was turning against the collar and causing the noise).

New shock arrives and its a thing of great beauty. Fitted the shock and, noise still there, ****** !.

Strip the arm off again and double check the main swingarm pivot bearings, nope look good, nothing seen. Get a second opinion from another engineer (just to prove I wasn�t going mad) and no, visually as fitted they look fine.

Put back together, noise still apparent..... scratch head.

I thought it may be one of the other linkages however I found that if I loosened the swingarm pivot bolt a little, the noise stops. you can bounce the bike up and down, pull it over on the sidestand to fully unload the rear and its silent. Torque the bolt back up and .. crack, crack... crack crack.

Frame looks good, no cracks can be found.

If I turn the pivot bolt (not the nut) the entire pivot, bolt with it torqued up (I have a long breaker bar), I can cause the noise to happen. Nothing else moving at this stage, bike on mainstand, pivot bolt only turning. Noise evident when pivot nut torqued up, goes way then nut loosened.

So when the nuts torqued it must induce some sort of lateral compression which something is not happy with. I'll try turning in the little plastic adjuster tonight and see if that helps, but its too loud and violent a noise to be that.

So bearings now ordered, long, protracted tale of woe told.

All thoughts gratefully received, in 40 years of riding and maintaining my own bikes and cars, this one is one of the more annoying problems. Just hoping when I remove the bearings I'll see something that I can't see with them in situ.

Here's hoping ...................

I can think of a couple of things that might be a factor in causing the "cracking" sound you describe when the pivot is torqued up...

1) The adjuster sleeve (inside the right hand pivot hole in the frame) could be screwed too far out? When the swingarm is inserted, the adjuster should be tightened up against the bearing end cap and then backed off a little before final torquing up the pivot bolt. If the adjuster is too tight up against the end cap, then when the correct torque is applied everything nips up too tightly.

2) Is your pivot bolt straight and true? Even the slightest bend in it can cause all sorts of woes.

Just a few ideas that spring to mind. Anyhow, hope you get to the bottom of it.

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Tonight will tell......

just waiting for my son to get home from work (as he's commandeered the XT for now), and I'll rip it apart.

I did have my suspicions about that plastic adjuster......

I'll let you know what transpires, I'll probably swap the bearings out for new ones anyway as they are already ordered and in the post, the originals are probably a bit tired by now.

BTW big difference in bearring costs between �28 quid a pop from AJ Sutton (who took forever to deliver cush drive rubbers recently) and �5.30 a piece from EBR Bearing supplies, thanks for the sizes and linky.

Silence is Golden.......

and I was wrong when I stated in a previous post:

'I'll try turning in the little plastic adjuster tonight and see if that helps, but its too loud and violent a noise to be that.'

It was........... bike on main-stand, chocked back wheel so it wouldn�t move, swing arm pivot out, Mhoossive allen key in to the on the right hand side to adjust the plastic adjuster, turned out a few turns to make sure it was turning freely, turned back in till snug with the swingarm dust seal... then backed off half a turn.

Spindle back in and torqued. Bike bounced, tugged, jumped up n down on.

Nasty noise gone completely !

Lots of jubilation ensued, and a few pints on the strength of it.

It couldn't of been the adjuster itself making the noise, but it does look like its was displacing something else that was not happy.

Given that the bikes made the noise since I got it, it now expains why, when I stripped it to grease the linkage bearings etc, they were already nicely greased....someone had already been there.

Pleiades - thanks for your thoughts and the help with the bearing link,

Urchin AKA one happy bunny !

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Bike: 2013 XT660Z, TKC70 tyres

Mods:
Barkbusters, Scottoiler, DIY Tail Mod, DNA Stage 3, Power Commander V & O2 Eliminator, Exan X-Black Stainless exhaust, Tool tube, Ohlins linear front fork springs, Nitron rear shock, JT front and Supersprox rear sprockets, D.I.D. VX 520 chain, Adventure Spec bashplate, DIY USB Outlet, DIY chain guide, Kev's Throttle mod

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Nice one. Glad you got it sorted mate.

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