Touring Models Road King, Road King Custom, Road King Classic, Road Glide, Street Glide, Electra Glide, Electra Glide Classic, and Electra Glide Ultra Classic bikes.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Swingarm bushing

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Dec 18, 2015 | 09:12 AM
  #1  
harley#1's Avatar
harley#1
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 403
Likes: 7
Default Swingarm bushing

Hi. I am going to put on a progressive stablizer on my 09 classic. when i took of the chrome cap on the right side i see some rubber shavingd by the bolt, a fair amount. why is it there and what does it mean. would this have anything to do with the "wobble". the outher side is good, nothing. thanks.
 
Reply
Old Dec 18, 2015 | 09:16 AM
  #2  
cromagnon's Avatar
cromagnon
Grand HDF Member
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 4,067
Likes: 60
From: Chesterfield, VA
Default

I got the old frame (05). At 128K, my bushings were very worn. After replacing the rear end got much smoother. I wouldn't say I had wobble but there was vibrations for sure.
 
Reply
Old Dec 18, 2015 | 11:00 AM
  #3  
BB59's Avatar
BB59
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 421
Likes: 71
From: Hayward Ca
Default

The rubber is from the rear rubber mounts. The stock donuts are junk and don't last very long, at least in the pre '09 models. I know the front mounts changed in '09 along with the frame but the rear set up looks about the same. The picture below is of the stock donuts off my son's '06 RK after just 35,000 miles. The ones off my '08 RK looked about the same when I changed them out. Worn right through to the metal. Tell me that doesn't transfer some motor vibration to the frame. I changed out both of ours as well as a few of my buddies to the Glide Pro set up. His rear bushings and axle have a lot less slop in them then the stock set up This along with his front motor mount really smoothed things out. If yours look anything like these it would do the same for your bike as well.

With respect to the wobble. If your bushings are worn it would create slop in the rear swing arm assembly which would certainly contribute to wobble.

 
Reply
Old Dec 18, 2015 | 02:29 PM
  #4  
harley#1's Avatar
harley#1
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 403
Likes: 7
Default

I figgered that slop wouldn't help in the handeling. glide pro set up would cost me over 700 up here in canada so i got a set of stock that will have to do for now. thanks.
 
Reply
Old Dec 18, 2015 | 03:17 PM
  #5  
bigdumbnoitall00's Avatar
bigdumbnoitall00
Seasoned HDF Member
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 8,341
Likes: 714
Default

look inyo bushings ny sta-bo.
 
Reply
Old Dec 18, 2015 | 08:31 PM
  #6  
RatBikeRod's Avatar
RatBikeRod
4th Gear
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: Dallas
Default

So the Glide Pro are a good setup? I have 50k on my RKC and have some vibration.
 
Reply
Old Dec 19, 2015 | 09:34 AM
  #7  
grbrown's Avatar
grbrown
Club Member
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
Wink

Originally Posted by BB59
Tell me that doesn't transfer some motor vibration to the frame.
It doesn't! Cut one of them in half and show us what you find.
 
Reply
Old Dec 20, 2015 | 07:45 AM
  #8  
harley#1's Avatar
harley#1
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 403
Likes: 7
Default

UPDATE; took my swingarm off and looked at everything. left bushing ditn't show any visible sign of where. right one where it lays on the frame surface shows some wear but not bad. inside of both looks ok. checked inside bushings where they go through the bearing( bearing is not really a bearing per say it is like the stablizer link on top of the front head or the shift linkage, just a ball affair) both were almost seized solid. took penetrating oil and a deep socket on a extension bar that just went through the eye and mooved back and forth and they loosened nicely then lubed. this wouldn't allow the swing arm to moove smoothly and might translate to eratic up and down movement which might seem like a wobble, just my take on it. so maybe anybody with over 50k should look into this, wouldnt hurt, might help i hope so, i also installed the progressive stablizer i was going to do earlier so we'll see if this helps.
 
Reply
HD Forum Stories

The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders

story-0

7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-3

10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Dec 20, 2015 | 08:41 AM
  #9  
Uncle Larry's Avatar
Uncle Larry
Seasoned HDF Member
Veteran: Army
15 Year Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 157,462
Likes: 57,017
From: Michigan 15 Minutes East Of Hell
Default

Originally Posted by bigdumbnoitall00
look inyo bushings ny sta-bo.
Does this need interpretation ??
 
Reply
Old Dec 20, 2015 | 10:38 AM
  #10  
bigheadted's Avatar
bigheadted
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,976
Likes: 49
From: Northern California
Default

Hey you found the "injury" on your scoot and now you do not need the "band-aid" link any longer. !! Imagine this case right here, you must be a real mechanic, a person wjho actually finds the root cause of a problem before hucking parts at a machine in hope it will fix the problem !! Awesome !!!

I would suggest to replace the rubber parts with new stock ones at a minimum. Aftermarket replacements are available as well that address the issue. It does take a little bit of work removing the swing arm.

Personally I went with the Glide Pro stuff when they first came out on my old 2004 and several riding friends bikes as well. Very pleased with the results. On my "new" 2004 I got hooked up with the entire Glide Pro setup and it works as advertised.

Expensive ?? I suppose but it sure works and no extra link on the bike either.
 
Reply



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:42 AM.

story-0
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-1
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-2
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-3
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-4
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-5
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-6
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-7
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE