The trouble I've had when attempting things like that is that the act of welding tends to cause the piece to distort as it cools. Did you have to heat the entire piece before welding?

DOHC wrote:
Have you considered using a rotary shaft seal instead of an o-ring? It seems like a shaft seal might be both lower friction and less likely to wear out.

Yes i do but two o-rings on both sides with a lot of grease and a mini fender on the underside of the swing arm do the same job.
The needle bearing has a very special OD of 27 mm, BKM2024JAU (KOYO), and i had to do some extra bore diameter of 28 mm
but i think about it to do it later, thanks for the tip.

DOHC wrote:
I also wanted to say that this is the cleanest mono-shock conversion I've ever seen. Your clever and elegant use of the existing frame brackets is fantastic.

Thank you very much for your kind of words, it makes me a little proud.
I love the bolt on way and if i went back to twin shock the mono shock frame can stay there to strengthen the frame area.
The technical testing center inspector in Germany hate frame weldings and deny the inspection sticker without an welding report,(money pit).

Just reaching out to see the general opinion of using stainless exhaust studs. I know that stainless screwed into aluminum doesn't play well together. That's where the locktite comes in. Should I use the traditional plated or are the stainless studs hard enough for use? I want EVERYTHING to be "purdy" Im using a Delkevic front section pipe and these things are beautiful stainless. I cant use the back/muffler cause of my 300 swingarm. Tom

Not really into the cafe style. I like my bobbed out cruisers. And honestly, the stock suspension on one of these things isn't much better than having a sprung seat! Even growing up I preferred riding a hard tail 3 wheeler like a Honda 200s as opposed to a 200x with rear swingarm. To each their own I guess.

Your swing arm sleeve ID = 14 mm / OD = 22 mm
This Suzuki sleeve has the same ID/OD, 2 x € 10.50

www.cmsnl.com/suzuki-gs550e-1981-x-e01-e...145001/#.XESdRrmWw_w



Shorten your old grooved sleeve parts on both sides on a lathe by the lenght of the new Susuki sleeves
Your old sleeve work like an spacer between the new sleeves.

Happy wrenching

That sleeve in in the UK and I am in Central New York. Unfortunately I've had too many problems buying internationally through eBay. Looking to find a part that is closer to home. Doing my own machining would prob be cheaper than the shipping alone. LOL. Speaking of metal work. Scirocco, you mentioned changing needle bearings and switching to a Suzuki sleeve. But said some metal work would be involved. What would need to be done. Opening up or bushing down the swing arm to accommodate the different bearing? Shortening the sleeve? Both?

Although I am just thinking of filling the worn area with weld and surface grinding it to the proper diameter.

Hey guys, hoping to tap the KZ Fountain of Knowledge. I tore my swing arm apart; And found a bad bearing and a grooved sleeve. I have the needle bearings ordered but can't find a sleeve anywhere. Ebay had one but was far worse off than mine.

Does anyone know where I could find one?
Would another model's sleeve work?
Are these sleeves hardened? If not then I could weld it and put it on the surface grinder.

Appreciate any info you can throw my way.

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configuration18" disc hubs are hard to find for the KZ1000, only made them 2 years 77-78.
Find a hub, Buchanan spokes sells all the spokes you want 16" OR 18"
And rim rings.
Or if your financially loaded? $5,000 can but this set up! both wheels and swingarm, discs etc. it's on a FB site.
This guy uses Harley hubs, 5 hole pattern, same as disc side.
www.facebook.com/jrspeedracing/posts/10156922415859036

I'm picking up? Your not in the USA? Wider rear you need wider swingarm. The GS1100 Suki is a good swap. will handle 160 / 180 if pulled back on chain adjusters.
Plus an offset sprocket.
But Cheap parts! Believe it or not Harley! 18" x 5" x 180 wide wheel with 530 chain size which would help with clearance. disc brake, which you have.
I built this about 6 yrs ago when I lived in a different house. Sold it out of State.
Nothing like a wide wheel on an old Kaw

Pulling everything off frame was straightforward enough, except for the swing arm bushings. The service manual's instructions to thread a bolt into the bushing and pull were not effective so I must turn to the collective wisdom of the internet to provide inspiration on how to solve my problem.

Most of the solutions I found involved fastening some manner of a slide hammer and pounding the bushings out. Folks mostly seemed to have used vise grips to build a slide hammer or drilled and tapped the bushing to match a slide hammer they already possessed.

Having reviewed other's solutions to my problem, I needed to identify a course of action which was both expedient and (more importantly) cheap. Time to soak the bushings in liquid wrench while I ponder.

Since I do not posses a slide hammer and am not fond of drilling out the bushing to 5/8-18 to accommodate a rental slide hammer, I decided I shall fashion one myself. Seems simple enough, a slide hammer consists of a threaded rod, a large mass, and a stopper.

Voila!


A few bucks of hardware later I have my slide hammer and am feeling pretty proud of myself. A M5x0.8 threaded rod, the heaviest impact socket I've got, a couple washers and a flanged nut.

After applying some heat to the frame around the bushing and a far bit of persistence, this setup actually worked. But only on one side. The right side bushing was more stubborn and required a different solution.

Inspiration struck and I rotated the impact socket around and used the tool like a flywheel puller, tightening the nut with an 8mm wrench.



The little threaded rod held up and the bushing finally came out.



Time for a celebratory beer!