FJ Swing Arm Maintenance Question

[nhchris]

Hi all,

My FJ rolled past 20k and I wonder if the swing arm needs a regrease.

I searched the site and did not see any info on swing arm maintenance.  Is it difficult to repack the bearings?

Your wisdom and help appreciated.

[Heli ATP]

 

@betoney did a write up in Nov of 2018. Click the arrow on top right corner...

 

[betoney]

1 hour ago, nhchris said:

Hi all,

My FJ rolled past 20k and I wonder if the swing arm needs a regrease.

I searched the site and did not see any info on swing arm maintenance.  Is it difficult to repack the bearings?

Your wisdom and help appreciated.

When you clean and re-grease the swingarm bearings, do the same with the shock linkage.  Once the wheel is removed, its just a matter of removing 3 bolts holding the linkage to the frame, shock and swingarm and then the swingarm pivot itself.

The linkage pivot points have a sleeve that is removable exposing needle bearings, re-grease and reinsert the sleeves.  The swingarm has dust/water covers that just slide off, clean and re-grease the needle bearings and put everything back together.

The first time might seem intimidating until you actually do it and then realize its just disassembly and then reassembly in the reverse order.  Just like taking the body panels off for the first time, every subsequent time is a piece of cake.

The first time I checked mine the bolts had rust and very little, if any grease.  I cleaned everything with Scotch Brite before coating with waterproof grease.

 

[piotrek]

I just will add that you should be a bit careful with the relay arm bearings. Grease these lightly, and if chunks of hard grease happen to come out, just make it up with waterproof grease. Not a big deal... but so you know. More info here...

 

[nhchris]

14 hours ago, betoney said:

When you clean and re-grease the swingarm bearings, do the same with the shock linkage.  Once the wheel is removed, its just a matter of removing 3 bolts holding the linkage to the frame, shock and swingarm and then the swingarm pivot itself.

The linkage pivot points have a sleeve that is removable exposing needle bearings, re-grease and reinsert the sleeves.  The swingarm has dust/water covers that just slide off, clean and re-grease the needle bearings and put everything back together.

The first time might seem intimidating until you actually do it and then realize its just disassembly and then reassembly in the reverse order.  Just like taking the body panels off for the first time, every subsequent time is a piece of cake.

The first time I checked mine the bolts had rust and very little, if any grease.  I cleaned everything with Scotch Brite before coating with waterproof grease.

 

Thanks,

Couple of questions:

1 Do you break the chain during arm removal?

2 Do you strip off rear brake assembly pieces?

3 Do bearings tend to spill out when bolt is pulled ?

4 Any recommendations on grease to use?

Tnx

Edited January 15, 2023 by nhchris

[betoney]

3 hours ago, nhchris said:

Thanks,

Couple of questions:

1 Do you break the chain during arm removal?

2 Do you strip off rear brake assembly pieces?

3 Do bearings tend to spill out when bolt is pulled ?

4 Any recommendations on grease to use?

Tnx

With the wheel removed, you have all the chain slack you need, no need to break the chain, just set the swing arm on the garage floor when you remove the main pivot bolt. 

I always leave the brake assembly intact on the carrier, it just detaches from the swingarm slot, it will make total sense the first time you do it.

I have never had the needle bearings come loose or fall out, I assume they could if you are aggressive enough with the cleaning but it’s never happened to me. If it did, they are simple enough to slide back in place.

I have used either Bel Ray waterproof grease or a red axel type grease. I’m sure Yamaha will recommend a very specific type of grease but I’ve never had any issues with any type of grease I’ve ever used.

[dazzler24]

FWIW - this out of the manual.

Betoney has been maintaining his religiously and not had trouble with what he is using as he's stated above so.....

[Lone Wolf]

The term "soap" is so odd re: grease, that I did a deep dive on it a few years ago researching compatibility.

The best description I could find was this one from Popular Mechanics: How To Choose The Correct Grease (popularmechanics.com)

A primer about grease: It's basically nothing more than a heavy oil mixed with enough soap to make it stringy and clingy enough to remain in place as the bearing spins. This will ensure the bearing's rollers or balls are constantly covered in the oil. The soap is based on a variety of compounds, notably lithium or aluminum complexes for most of the greases used in cars, trucks and boats

Bel-Ray and some others are superior to the basic grease, and will say OK for headstocks, wheel bearings, etc. Usually the container will clarify compatible (or not) with Lithium based grease that may already be present.

[dazzler24]

3 hours ago, Lone Wolf said:

The term "soap" is so odd re: grease, that I did a deep dive on it a few years ago researching compatibility.

The best description I could find was this one from Popular Mechanics: How To Choose The Correct Grease (popularmechanics.com)

A primer about grease: It's basically nothing more than a heavy oil mixed with enough soap to make it stringy and clingy enough to remain in place as the bearing spins. This will ensure the bearing's rollers or balls are constantly covered in the oil. The soap is based on a variety of compounds, notably lithium or aluminum complexes for most of the greases used in cars, trucks and boats

Bel-Ray and some others are superior to the basic grease, and will say OK for headstocks, wheel bearings, etc. Usually the container will clarify compatible (or not) with Lithium based grease that may already be present.

That Popular Mechanics article is very helpful in understanding why it's VERY important to clean the old grease out thoroughly before adding any new stuff.  Informative read for the grease type uneducated - of which I am a member.

Thanks.

[brewhaha]

On 1/14/2023 at 7:44 PM, nhchris said:

Hi all,

My FJ rolled past 20k and I wonder if the swing arm needs a regrease.

I searched the site and did not see any info on swing arm maintenance.  Is it difficult to repack the bearings?

Your wisdom and help appreciated.

Thanks for asking. I'm at 30K miles and had the same question

[Lone Wolf]

8 hours ago, dazzler24 said:

... VERY important to clean the old grease out thoroughly before adding any new stuff. 

In that article example it was, due to incompatible wheel bearing grease separating and running onto brake shoes of a boat trailer.

I remember reading about a Yamaha FZ-07 that had steering head bearings fail prematurely, and upon disassembly they wondered if there was any grease at all from the factory. With steering bearings, swing arm bearings, I can see 3 levels of care:

1. Do nothing. Let the parts eventually fail, or have excessive slop.
2. Add more grease to what is there, confirming the new product is listed as compatible with OEM grease (Lithium in this case, very common). There may be some uncertainty if they get along, but at least it isn't going to be bone dry.
3. Remove all historical lube and clean with solvent before new lube.

Personally I tend to overdo and agree with you to remove all, but I wouldn't say it's mandatory. I suppose a compromise is to nuke all historical grease the first time, then you know what is there for the next time.

[dazzler24]

18 hours ago, dazzler24 said:

.... VERY important to clean the old grease out thoroughly before adding any new stuff. 

9 hours ago, Lone Wolf said:

In that article example it was, due to incompatible wheel bearing grease separating and running onto brake shoes of a boat trailer.

Agreed.

I guess I should have prefaced that statement with - "If you're at all uncertain as to what type of grease is in (whatever) then" ...It's VERY important to clean the old grease out etc.

9 hours ago, Lone Wolf said:

Personally I tend to overdo and agree with you to remove all, but I wouldn't say it's mandatory. I suppose a compromise is to nuke all historical grease the first time, then you know what is there for the next time.

... which I guess is what you've said here.  All good advice. 👍

[timo50]

I did mine when I changed the chain at 12k miles, glad I did as there was very little grease from the factory. I also changed the seals in the linkage assembly. I've always used Silkolene RG2 Waterproof grease.

Edited January 19, 2023 by timo50