There is time to change the rear bushings/cleaveblocks on FXR.
I see there are two ways to do it these days:
get the original rubber setup (obviously has to be good quality USA made - VTwin or HD),
or
get the so-called "Swingarm Spherical Bearing Upgrade".

Anybody got experience with those?
Any thoughts, opinions?

 

we been using this system for quite a while and have had no return issues

http://www.sta-bo.com/products/

 

I replaced my rubber clever blocks with OEM harley ones, no issues
What John suggests works fine with a lot of people
There is another kit I think that is all metal parts.... to some people it's just too rigid and get a lot more vibrations on the bike

 

I think this is all metal:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/5-SPEED-SWING...2c9fbc&vxp=mtr

I guess "too rigid", esp on a shovel is not so good...

What John suggests is probably closer to that newer dressers have?

 

About anything But OE is gonna be very Rigid...The best upgrade is a Late model swingarm complete..off a Rubbermount Bagger.
If you want rigid just do this....[Found on Web]

Replace swing arm bushings with parts from McMaster Carr


Part Number 6391K9

Sae 841 Bronze Sleeve Bearing, For 5/8" Shaft Diameter, 1" Od, 3" Length (2 ea, one for each side of the swingarm)
$21.26 each

Part Number 87235K566

Black Polyurethane Tubing, 1-3/4" Od, 1" Id, 6" Length (only need one to cut into 2 pcs, one for each side)
$17.85

The polyurethane I got was 95A durometer, but you can get 87235K565 at 75D scale durometer (harder yet). 95A is pretty darn tough though.

Press together, cut to EXACTING lengths a MUST. This keeps everything centered and snug from side to side. I don't have stock measurements because I have altered quite a bit on my setup to shift my drivetrain approx. 5/8" + to accomodate a larger tire conversion.
You may need to lightly hone (hand sand evenly) to OD to get it to press in the swingarm, but make it tight! I had to press mine in which was good.

 

Question........
Would sleeving late model 3/4" spacers with appropriate length 5/8" bronze bushings work? To me this looks like it would perform the same as the CCE kit at a huge cost savings. I can get the factory late model spacers for about 25 bucks for all 4, and the bronze oilite bushings delivered for about 17 bucks. I'm thinking just glue the bushings in the spacers with red Loctite and have at it. Can anyone think of any reason why this wouldn't work? Now that I think about it, the used late model swingarm I purchased has all the spacers and bearings installed, so could I just get bushings long enough, around 2 1/4" or so, and just sleeve the each side of the swingarm the way it is? If that would work, I could just bolt the swingarm in and go.