The whole enchilada- darkside, swingarm, brakes

[bobhamlin]

I needed a new back tire, wanted to go darkside, needed to lube the swingarm, wanted to install a zerk grease fitting and it was time to change pads on the back brake.

Heeding Mac's warning that the extended mileage of car tire was going to mean that lubing the swingarm would not be a convenient procedure, I got the zerk instructions on Gadget's site. I bought an extra swingarm middle spacer and sent it to Chuckster to do the milling. (Excellent work and price!) Bought a Craftsman tap and die set. I did my first tap job on some scrap aluminum. My second was on the Nomad and the zerk screwed in easily and took grease perfectly.

Fought to get the old tire off (luckily, the hard bags are excellent at hiding a rim's "character nicks"). For the mounting, I used Pledge on the tire and rim and had very little trouble. Then, wonder of wonders, the tire sealed itself with only my air compressor, then seated the bead at 25lbs.

My brake's caliper pistons were filthy, so I popped them out for a thorough cleaning. (You would be proud, Mac) It took several days to re-assemble and torque everything. I swear, if I could find a way to make money without working, I'd quit working in an instant!

Today was my first commute on the CT. It's mostly highway, so I didn't really notice that much difference other than a smoother ride--which I always get with a new tire--and a freshly-lubed swingarm.

Now I'm looking around for more things on which to practice with my new tap and die tools. That saying about "give a child a hammer and everything becomes a nail?" It's not just hammers.

Hey Bob!!
Awesome info!! I didn't know Chuckster did that. That was kind of a stumbling block for me on what seems like a very necessary mod. Between the car tire and the zirk you are rid of the worst maintence headaches.

Questions..

1. About how many hours work? I'll double that for me.

2. What brand and size car tire?

3. How did you balance your tire?

Thanks!!

Tom

[macmac]

Well gee Bob, you could pull it all apart again, and drill the whole drives shaft out and install a a zerk in that to grease both ends and the Joint, and just be done with it all http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif

The swing arm needs to get grease, but so do both ends of that bloomin dive shaft, and the rear wheel hub. This is why I think the swingarm only zerk is a sort of waste of time.

Sure you can pump the swingarm tube full of grease, but it does nothing for the drive shaft splines.

You could drill out the drive shaft tube for a zerked U Joint and have the hole out of sight and plugged/capped, but that still won't get grease on the drive shaft splines.

But drilling the drive shaft would http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif

How is the rubber boot at he bevel gear to drive shaft? Mine on the 06 is dying. Next time I go there to grease I need a new boot.

I first saw the sun cracks last spring, they ain't gettin' any better.

[ringadingh]

That rubber boot seems to start deteriating rather quickly once they dry out. Mine literally split apart this summer after cracks appeared last season.

[bobhamlin]

Hey Bob!!
Awesome info!! I didn't know Chuckster did that. That was kind of a stumbling block for me on what seems like a very necessary mod. Between the car tire and the zirk you are rid of the worst maintence headaches.

Questions..

1. About how many hours work? I'll double that for me.

2. What brand and size car tire?

3. How did you balance your tire?

Thanks!!

Tom
Tom,
1) Hard to tell: I used a couple hours (2) on Friday eve to dismantle all the various components. Saturday, I got the new tire on the rim and seated (mixed around family stuff and the MD-BC football game (3 hrs?). Sunday was the swing arm and Zerk day and the start of re-assembly -- mixed around family stuff and the Ravens squeak-by (3 hrs?). Monday was the brake work and completed reinstall of pipes (2 hrs?). Tuesday finished bags, side covers and general wipe-down (1 hr?)

Tom--just for the record, I always double the time the expert guys say it's going to take, too. My realistic timeline? I was going to lose one weekend definitely.

2) Dunlop SP5000 195/60R-16". Seems to be a popular one here.

3) 2 ounces of Dynobeads

Good luck.

[bobhamlin]

How is the rubber boot at he bevel gear to drive shaft? Mine on the 06 is dying. Next time I go there to grease I need a new boot.

I first saw the sun cracks last spring, they ain't gettin' any better.
Surprisingly good shape. I remember noticing how supple it was when I started looking for the drive shaft release pin.

Thanks for the other Zerk suggestions. Ummm, I'll think about it! http://s2.images.proboards.com/grin.gif

[macmac]

None of this is hard other than maybe dis mounting and mounting a new tire by hand. The time is in attention to details, cleaning things, all of them, then greasing them well.

leaving dirty sandey grease in there is a sin.

I take around 6 hours to do a swing arm/drive shaft, but most of it is in the cleanings.

Bob if you didn't pull the shocks the top ends have needle bearings to grease.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

We are all proud of you Bob, at least I am. Sounds like way too much work for me to attempt.

[chuckster131]

Good job Bob. Maybe next you can tackle the steering neck bearings and add a grease zirk up there.

[bobhamlin]

Good job Bob. Maybe next you can tackle the steering neck bearings and add a grease zirk up there.
Joe,

You're reading my mind. That IS going to be the next Zerk job.

However, even though the instructions say not to worry about metal shavings inside the steering neck, I'm kind of worried about metal shavings inside the steering neck. Whatever goes into the steering neck stays in the steering column until the next time I change the fork oil--which I did about a month ago.

Neatness and precision are not at the top of my personal inclinations list. With the swingarm Zerk, I could clean the shavings from inside the tube.

[macmac]

I don't think zerks in the head bearings will do much good either. Taper bearings get packed from their back sides not from their fronts. Most bench machines that pump in grease with air or a pump tend to fail at doing a good bearing pack.

I still use the old fashion way, with both hands getting royally munged up.

The way this is done is you grab up a big gob of grease, and in the other hand hold the bearing with the wider edge pointing at the grease and drag said bearing thru the grease forcing grease into and up and out of the bearing cage., Once this is done, you roll the cage from the race either direction and pack it again.

You can see the grease come thru the cage openings where the rollers are, like mud squeezes thru you toes in a bog. Filling the entire gooseneck with grease is pretty pointless, unless you plan to dunk it is salt water.

But I won't stop you from trying.

[chuckster131]

Its a good mod in my mind and very cheap to accomplish. 1 zerk 25¢ tube of grease $ 2.50 and your time priceless.....? I don't think it hurts filling the neck with some grease, at least you will be assured there isn't any moisture acumulate in there after.
When I replaved the bearings in mine, they appeared to be a bit tarnisihed from something and I suspected moisture along with the cheap grease used it was like vasiline.

[poppy]

Very nice tackling all that! Congratulations!