Removing swinging arm bushes

[PS26GS]

I've recently taken on the challenge of restoring the B model that Baz had up for sale a couple of months ago. Whilst I have restored a GS750 before, I've never done a GT, so I will need a bit of help and guidance along the way!

I've stripped the bike down completely now, and starting to sort out the parts I need, as well as chroming, zinc, black etc etc. I've encountered some difficulty in removing the swinging arm bushes, which appear to be brass, not fibre as I believe the replacements are. The centre spacer will also not come out with the bushes in place, possibly corroded in the middle? It will push part way out and then gets stuck! So how do you recommend removing the bushes, especially when there is little to drift on with the spacer still in place. Any ideas gratefully received!

Paul

[canaletto5]

Hi

The centre spacer is the drift. It has a flange welded around the middle of it which will bear on the back of the bush you are trying to knock out. (Unlike the GS which is plain). The usual techniques apply really, boiling water or something more aggressive heat wise and then using a suitable solid round bar on the end of the centre spacer and hitting it square to shock the bush out. Once one is out, push the centre spacer back through to bear on the last bush and repeat the exercise. Kev

[yeadon_m]

+1
Also, I have read about but not tried the hacksaw method, where you cut through the bush, but that'd be a bugger with brass bushes!
Mike

[teazer]

Stock bushes are some sort of fast wearing plastic or phenolic resin. Bronze bushes are aftermarket and are much better than stock. Some swingarms have what appear to be sintered iron bushes, which are also OK.

Unless they are worn, I would leave them in place.

If they absolutely have to come out, they can be drifted out with almost any suitable drift and the center spacer should work to get one side out, but it will make a mess of the end of the bush.

Another thing to think about is that some aftermarket bronze bushes have a slightly oversize OD and stock plastic bushes may be a loose fit.

[Roger Ackery]

Hi,my stock bushes were replaced 64,000km ago with the same,swing arm still as tight as when they went in I've seen cases where the bronze bush conversion has actually worn the swing arm.
PS I do grease the swing arm from time to time

Cheers,

[PS26GS]

Thanks guys for the advice. I did get the bushes out with some heat and a large drift. It was clear that a previous owner had replaced the bushes in the past (consistent with the bronze bushes being an aftermarket part) as the ends of the centre spacer were quite badly damaged. Anyone got one of these going spare, as they seem to be NLA from Suzuki?

The bushes did seem pretty tight, so will have to see if there has been any enlargement of the ends of the swinging arm....or just replace with new bronze ones, although I have no idea where to get these from!

As with any resto, two steps forward, and one step backwards!

[barney01]

Get your spacer here http://www.cmsnl.com/products/spacer-sw ... Byiid0o9cs and i understand you can get bronze bushes from gtreiner1@aol.com