Swingarm & uni-trak service

[23jayhawk]

Is there a source on this forum that simplifies the process of servicing the rear suspension? I ordered a service manual, but that won't come in until late next week. Need to go through this before then.
Any help here would be appreciated. Had a first ride on my new 200 last Monday, and WOW have they improved in 23 years. But after dropping it in a mudhole I need to service the rear links before the next outing. thanks ...

 

[Tantrum]

If you are mechanically inclined and have access to some basic shop tools try this while you are in the swingarm area.

http://www.kdxmodifications.com

B.

 

[Mike Hubert]

Make sure to chech the bearing on the bottom of the shock, it is definately the weakest link on the whole bike.

 

[Matt90GT]

Originally posted by Mike Hubert
Make sure to chech the bearing on the bottom of the shock, it is definately the weakest link on the whole bike.

second that! On my used bike there was no bearing there and the unitrack hole for the bearing was oval. new parts on the way!

 

[Speedy]

If your talking about your rear shock then you want to get it out, clean it up and take it to your local dirtbike dealer. There, they can dis-charge it, clean it up and re-charge it. Then it will like new. Dont dis-charge it yourself cause there is a nitrogen gas in there. The shop has a machine that releases the gas in a safe way.

 

[canyncarvr]

The unitrack arm is the rear linkage. Connected TO the shock, but isn't THE shock. But...you knew that.....

The service manual isn't going to help you much. It's not a big deal if you know which end of a wrench to grab a'holt of.

Bottom shock mount is almost guaranteed to be toast in any bike that hasn't been serviced (and has been ridden) in six months or so. Yours being purtymuch new, that shouldn't be a problem.

The only item of note that comes to mind is a caution when the pull rods (dog bones) are put back on. The shoulders of the bolts J-U-S-T fit inside the rod. After a grease job, it won't fit as deeply into the rod as it did when you took it apart, so the situation is worse (seals will be full of grease).

If you tighten the pull rods with the shoulder of the bolt(s) NOT inside the pull rod, it will seem ok until you ride it. The rods will become loose after the mis-assembled pieces move around a bit. You'll bugger the bolts AND the pull rods.

A c-clamp to squeeze the assy together before you wrench on it works well. Knowing it's a possible source of trouble is the best innoculation against trouble.

If you DO end up with it buggered..consider an aftermarket set of pull rods. Devol makes an adjustable set. They use KX250 hardware (not included with the rods!!), and being aluminum instead of stamped steel (much thicker), the shoulder fit isn't a problem.

Use grease other than what you have in your possession now. Good reports have been given for a belray marine application grease. Your basic moly-disul general purpose chassis grease is junk in this application. I use hydrotech parasyn70 (name dropper!). Something like $5000 a 5 gal. bucket. But, hey...loctite blue is $2500/gal. I use only the best!! ;)

BrakeClean is a good product for cleaning up the mess you have before you stuff more grease in the bearings.

Grease the pivot shaft (swingarm) and rear axle while your at it. They aren't bearing surfaces, but can get 'stuck' (corroded to) the spacers they fit through.

Might as well grease the rear wheel bearings while its apart...........use a scribe to snick out the seal from the INSIDE diameter. No damage to the seal, goes right back in with no trouble.

Whew! Have a headache, yet??

Cheers!!

 

[23jayhawk]

Thanks for the feedback. Now for my entries into the Dumb Question of the Day contest. First, once the rear wheel is off the ground, there is no longer any tension in the rear links, right? So one can take the first bolt out of the dog bones without fear of losing fingers and such. Second, these are all needle bearings, which means there is no inner race. Do I need to be concerned with the needles falling out during cleaning & packing? Finally, for DQOTD #3, are there any shims or spacers that I need to look for when pulling bolts? Thanks to all!

 

[jmutiger]

Check this site: www.buykawasaki.com for a parts diagram on your bike. You'll quickly see that there really isn't much at each linkage to worry about.

If you need a bearing, buy the inner sleeve which is the inner race, the bearing, and if you have a spare $5, buy new bearing seals. Chances are all is still A OK, but don't skimp out on stuff when your buying new bearings, ensure you buy all mating bearing parts (they are sold separately for some stupid reason)

Jon!

 

[Mike Hubert]

Someone talked about the bottom of the shock bearing failing and ruining the part it attaches to, save yourself some cash and have it bored and sleeved at a machine shop. If it ever happens again they can resleeve it. It will cost you about $20. I had one repaired and never had a problem.

 

[BRush]

If they are the stock bearings, the linkage bearing needles are all mechanically retained. They won't fall out on the floor. The swingarm bearings are caged.