Arggggg...... swing arm bolt frozen :(

joe28kdx · Jul 23, 2002

I was starting my regular mid-season over hauls on our bikes.
All the greased pivot points get cleaned and relubed.
Everything went well until my sons TTR 125.
The swing arm bolt is frozen in the sleeve. I tried to free it up with a impact, it'll spin, kinda, a few good hits on the nut end and... notta. :(
I was afraid this would happen to me. I'm usually anal about this stuff, but with the crapy early season here in N.E.PA., we finally get a few good weeks in and we were too busy to do it.
Any ideas of how to free it????
I've sprayed some penetrating oil in there, but I know it's a waste of time.
The bike has that squeak that tells me I can't leave it be, besides I know it's there now!
Help!
Joe
2001 KDX 200
2000 ATK 125
2 TTR 125 Boy "A"'s and "B"'s
There was a time when the trees and rocks didn't bother me, now there all after me! Everytime I ride they reach out and grab me!! :)

Fred T · Jul 23, 2002

Try a torch and give it some heat.

WoWman · Jul 23, 2002

Yes, heat it up REAL good. Then add some pen. oil, hit it a few times with an impact wrench. Or sometimes instead of an impact wrench I just get a 2 foot breaker bar and put almost all my body wieght on it (230lbs!!!) and that will usually get anything loose.

Good luck, I hope you get that nut off! ;)

andrew · Jul 24, 2002

If I'm reading Joe's question correctly, it's not the nut that's the problem, it's the bolt frozen in the bearings/sleeves.
If you can turn it a bit, Joe, I'd try and get some penetrating fluid down there and then work it back and forth until you gradually get a bit more movement. You may need a drift to hammer it out but you'll probably burr the thread and will need a new one...at least it will be OUT!!
It has happened to me before, but it can be fixed. If in doubt, get a bigger hammer!

when you do get it out, a coat of copper-cote or similar anti-seize compound will prevent it happening again.

Good luck!

someday · Jul 24, 2002

Get someone to hit it while you spin it with the impact. Sometimes the combination works.

Mac · Jul 24, 2002

My cr125 had a frozen swingarm bolt and would NOT come out, I even tried and air impact hammer and the thing would not budge!

I tried heat and a sledge hammer too....nada.

Finally I removed my rear shock and used my sawzall and placed the blade in the gap between the engine and the frame when looking from the rear of the bike. I had just enough room to fit the blade. Two cuts later the swingarm was off and the swingarm bolt pieces came right out. This method did not damage the swingarm or the engine in any way.

Fred T · Jul 24, 2002

Ah! Power tools!

70 marlin · Jul 24, 2002

been there! saw zal works, lota work. I've heard of fellows putting the frame in a big arbor press and press the bolt out.

SmokinRZ · Jul 24, 2002

The shop that did my XR400 had to drill two small holes in the cases to get oil to the bolt. Mine would not turn with an impact. Had a CR 250 that took a few sessions to get it out. Put the baike on its side and let the oil soak over night. Hit it again with the impact, then hit it with a sledge hammer and a drift. Let your friend hold the drift :)

dirtryder72 · Jul 24, 2002

i have a squek in my suspension and i cant figure out what it is its real high pitched and only does it when you compress it and when it decompresses...is it the swingarm pivot if this is the answer ill be so happy because i had the same problem with my last bike....dr 100

KDXTrreme · Jul 24, 2002

Dirtyrider, I had the same thing a week or so ago. I just got finished replacing ALL the bearings in the swingarm and linkage. The squeak was coming from the pivot at the bottom of the shock. The bearings were frozen and had no grease, only rust. Some of the other bearings had failed and needed to be replaced. If you haven't inspected and greased ALL those bearings within a year I would tear the whole back end down, you may find that all it needs is grease and there is no damage. Then again, you could end up spending $160 on new bearings and spend 2 days doing it. Either way, sounds like it's time to tear the back end down for a look.

BiKeMoNKeY · Jul 27, 2002

Joe,

I had the exact same thing happen to my 97 KDX. Apparently previous owner didn't bother servicing this critical part. This was one serious pain in the ASS!!! Took the better part of a day to finally figure out what I had to do.

I laid the bike down on some plywood to prevent damaging opposite side of bike or chipping the garage floor. I used a lot of WD-40, between case and swingarm and on top of bolt. I put a nickel over the bolt end to help minimize any marring, had a 3/4 diameter industrial piece of rebar about 2.5 ft long. I choked up an a sledge hammer and proceeded to drive the bolt out, I recommend the heaviest sledge you can get a hold of. Of course the bearings were completely disintegrated when the bolt was removed, I didn't care...I had been working for hours trying to get this friggin thing out. The surface on the bolt itself was fine, I didn't booger up the bolt end at all like I had feared. The idea of using a press to get it out did cross my mind, but not having one readily available, I used the sledge and driver method.

Arggggg...... swing arm bolt frozen :(

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