Broken swing arm
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
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From: Bedford UK
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 3,121
Likes: 489
From: sunny florida
There's one big difference with ride str-8 and yours, the axle adjusters help but you also need to beef up your axle spacers on the inside of the swing arm, if you look at ride str-8 he made new axle spacers that were much wider on the side that touches the swing arm to help spread the torque out and to keep from pinching the metal, I'd look around at a machine shop and see if you could get the spacers made and you should be good to go, I know guys with over 80,000 miles on 01's with ride st-8's design without issues
Those looks similar to the ones I got from Custom Chrome.
Here's the original axle adjusters
Here are the better ones which give support inside the swingarm fork.
It's the next best thing to upgrading the swingarm if it hasn't cracked or broke yet.
I have to give credit to Howard and Motorcyclemetal.com for bringing this to my attention when I bought some shocks from him.
Here's the original axle adjusters
Here are the better ones which give support inside the swingarm fork.
It's the next best thing to upgrading the swingarm if it hasn't cracked or broke yet.
I have to give credit to Howard and Motorcyclemetal.com for bringing this to my attention when I bought some shocks from him.
Last edited by tj316; Jun 30, 2010 at 02:55 PM.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,928
Likes: 1
From: Desert S. West
There's one big difference with ride str-8 and yours, the axle adjusters help but you also need to beef up your axle spacers on the inside of the swing arm, if you look at ride str-8 he made new axle spacers that were much wider on the side that touches the swing are to help spread the torque out and to keep from pinching the metal, I'd look around at a machine shop and see if you could get the spacers made and you should be good to go, I know guys with over 80,000 miles on 01's with ride st-8's design without issues
Edit: After seeing them close together in the pics I can see the Ride Str8t units are much better.
Last edited by BoomerBob; Jun 30, 2010 at 02:36 PM.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 3,121
Likes: 489
From: sunny florida
BoomerBob, his are stainless steel but I think the axle adjusters are fine that you bought, it's the spacer I would change, if you can't get them made another thought is I know some guys who went to Lowes and bought galvanized oversized 3/4" washers had it welded to the spacer then removed the amount they added on the other side, you only have to worry about your pulley side of your swing arm because on the other side your caliper is up against the swing arm not your spacer
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,928
Likes: 1
From: Desert S. West
BoomerBob, his are stainless steel but I think the axle adjusters are fine that you bought, it's the spacer I would change, if you can't get them made another thought is I know some guys who went to Lowes and bought galvanized oversized 3/4" washers had it welded to the spacer then removed the amount they added on the other side, you only have to worry about your pulley side of your swing arm because on the other side your caliper is up against the swing arm not your spacer
Thread Starter
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Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31
Likes: 2
From: Rio Linda
Thanks to everybody here for their help. It is great to have a place to go and hash out some of these issues.
So I finally talked to the GM at the dealership and he told me he was not going to help me out because of 2 things. Number one none of his techs would ever overtighten anything and 2 my bike is an 01 and when bikes get older, you know, things break.
When I told the owner of my Ford dealership that he couldn't believe it. We are constantly negotiating with costomers over 'coincidences'. As a tech for 18 years I have seen many coincidences, they happen, but we always end up taking it in the shorts to help with customer satisfaction.
So I finally talked to the GM at the dealership and he told me he was not going to help me out because of 2 things. Number one none of his techs would ever overtighten anything and 2 my bike is an 01 and when bikes get older, you know, things break.
When I told the owner of my Ford dealership that he couldn't believe it. We are constantly negotiating with costomers over 'coincidences'. As a tech for 18 years I have seen many coincidences, they happen, but we always end up taking it in the shorts to help with customer satisfaction.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 3,928
Likes: 1
From: Desert S. West
If only all the dealerships felt that way we'd be in good shape. Unfortunately they are far and few between.
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Tourer
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 353
Likes: 5
From: Beasley Texas
found out today that mine has a lowering kit. (bought the bike used...know nothing about these kits)showed the broke off end to a tech at the dealership while there for my parts. he said take those off..the added length caused it to break. gonna find/make a bushing and an outer washer for the pulley side that is as wide as the swing arm itself.my question is should the axle adjuster have any up and down slack in the tube? those new type looked the same as far as the that goes. could a person weld spacers on top and bottom to fully support the inside top of the tube or would it hold without.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,897
From: Bedford UK
found out today that mine has a lowering kit. (bought the bike used...know nothing about these kits)showed the broke off end to a tech at the dealership while there for my parts. he said take those off..the added length caused it to break. gonna find/make a bushing and an outer washer for the pulley side that is as wide as the swing arm itself.my question is should the axle adjuster have any up and down slack in the tube? those new type looked the same as far as the that goes. could a person weld spacers on top and bottom to fully support the inside top of the tube or would it hold without.