Hello everyone, this past weekend I was doing some routine check ups on my 99' 400ex and decided it was time to replace the swing arm bearings. Well the pivot bolt is bent or the bearings are so shot that the bolt is frozen in there! Any sugestions on getting it out! Currently I've been soaking the bolt with rust eating penetrating fluid and hitting it with a sledge hammer to vibrate the fluid down into the bearings. Any sugestions would help me out greatly! You have to love these Hondas, even with me delibritly beating the hell out of this machine it won't break. Ride red everyone!

Thanks

 

Turn the machine up on its side and find a piece
of heavy pipe that will fit over the bolt head and snug up against the frame. The pipe should be long enough that the some of the weight of the bike is pushing it into the floor. Now you can knock the pivot bolt out. The pipe keeps the frame from flexing and absorbing most of hammer impact. Beware though, if your pivot bolt is stuck in there bad enough, you will ruin it. So, it'd be a good idea to already have another one before attemping this so you don't have any downtime. Good luck!

 

I have had situations where I put my frame and swingarm on a 60 ton press and still couldn't get the swingarm bolt out. I ended up using a sawzaw and cutting the bolt into three different pieces at each opening I could get a blade into. I would go ahead and order the new bolt because anyway you look at it you are going to ruin it. Good Luck.
I thing I will check mine out this weekend.

 

Next sugestion, I've already done that, I'm not worried about the bolt anymore. I have all new bearings, couplings, and a new bolt to with it all. The only thing I'm worried about is ruining the swing arm! My next step would be to heat the bolt. with it being hollow I might be able to get it to move that way, I'm wondering what the heat will do to the aluminum swing arm though?

Thanks

 

I had to use the saws all method myself.I cut the bolt between the swingarm and the frame at either end.Once the swingarm is out it is much easier to press or beat the bolt that has welded itself to the sleeve out of your swingarm.

88' 250R many extras

 

i tried everything.
but a guy on here told me to do the SAW ZAW method. it was the only one that worked for me on my 250r.

 

i tried everything.
but a guy on here told me to do the SAW ZAW method. it was the only one that worked for me on my 250r.

 

I had a guy torch mine right out. He was so good that we kept the motor in and everything else. Nothing happened to the motor. He only charged $15

 

do you have access to an air hammer.my s/arm broke last year replaced with lsr any way i had to use a air hammer gun to get the bent bolt out and replace it with a new one....when you get it out check your s/arm over for fatigue because they are known to be weak.. i learned the hard way on keeping my bearings lubed!!!!

 

I do not know if the swingarm pivot bolt is the same on every atv, But if you drill out both ends of the bolt, The swingarm will slide out, Then (if necissary) drill it out of the bearings or bushings in the swingarm. Heating or torch cutting it is a bad idea as the frame/swingarm will be heated and lose its strength. Also, when you heat something it will expand, making the bolt harder to get out.