Seized swing arm shaft. turn it or grease it please!!!!

[Graham2]

Please, please service your swing arm shaft regularly.

I recently bought a 2017 250 RR.  Love it to ride and its easy to work on. however....

I started doing some routine maintenance on the swing arm bearings only to find the shaft seized. it turned out it was seized into the gearbox.  

it has been a moderately expensive epic to sort it out.  including angle grinders, brute force and only then engine removal to take it to a specialist workshop where they needed the 20 ton press and heat.  Apart from the press work I am doing it myself.

I might have been unlucky, the last owner probably never touched it, but less than three years old?

Even if you do not strip and grease, you should turn them frequently.  They are very easy to turn if done regularly.  ease the nut, clean out the Allen socket head and use a 10mm allen wrench. you can also look at how the top hats are moving, they should spin independently of shaft or swinging arm (I believe?). I guess in normal use they appear fixed to the shaft but a little tap with prodder should easily spin them.

happy riding

 

[b40rt]

And don't use a pressure washer.

[pschrauber]

The swing arm axle is the most negleted bearing togethter with the steereing steam.

While the steering steam is in a secure position the swing arm axle isn't an has to deal with water and dirt.
I personal recommend to maintain all bearings to swing arm axle, and rear suspension at least on bikes with bearings at the swing axle and especially to air cooled monos once a year (also very importand to Montesa Cota 242 and 330 twinshock models an the following models for example)*.

Which includes to clean the bearings, instrall new o-Rings and to apply new waterproof grease. That helps a lot to keep everything Sound.

* especially the bearings of older air cooled monos or mentioned Montesa Cota models have only limited seal here it is very imported to do the maintaince.

 

 

 

[mcman56]

Where do you get Mercedes-Benz wrenches?  Did they come with tool kits at one time?  

[kwackerdave1]

Mercedes spanner’s used to come in a tool kit in trucks. I have a few of them. Good quality.

 

[tshock250]

Same with beta evos. Can seize up in no time.

 

 

[pjw123]

Have come across this many times. Folks just don't, or can't look after their stuff. Strip / grease the complete rear suspension the minute you get the bike. Headstock bearings go downhill fast too, so grease them. Wheel bearings will last longer if you pick off the outer seal with a Stanley knife blade,  & add some high quality marine grease. (there will be next to nowt in there anyway) & push seals back on.  Cheap to do .Prevention is better than cure.   

[misscrabstick]

I have a personal policy of complete rear end strip, clean and grease with BelRay waterproof grease every 6 months, I fully expect to never need any new bearings hopefully.

[baldilocks]

I do head bearings and linkage / swinging arm bearings once a month,  takes about an hour to do the lot. I've been caught out with GG front wheel spindles seizing before so now grease that regularly too.

[misscrabstick]

On 12/18/2019 at 10:33 PM, baldilocks said:

I do head bearings and linkage / swinging arm bearings once a month,  takes about an hour to do the lot. I've been caught out with GG front wheel spindles seizing before so now grease that regularly too.

Yes good policy, I only ride probably once or twice a month and I don't stress the bike really, I ride like an old granny.