Topic: Real talk about swingarm collar/bushing clearance

[chadbenson]

I’ve seen and read so much conflicting information about what the ACTUAL swingarm bushing to collar clearance is I can’t make heads from tails. The Honda shop manual says it’s limit is .02” inches and yet I’m seeing some folks on the forum say it’s supposed to be         “The clearance in the bushing-to-collar interface is .0008" to .0016"

That’s a HUGE difference!!! Now obviously you want the clearance to be just enough to allow grease to surround the collar while installed in the bushings, but what’s a real world expectation here?

[bryanj]

.02 is 20 thou or 1/2mm and way to big so that has to be a misprint. 2 thou or a slinding fit with no play is more like it and the collar has grooves to let grease get round( or at least should have!)

[chadbenson]

🤔 It shows it to be .02 in both the clymer and the shop manual! I am so confused.

[low-side]

Service limits are always huge.  The standard spec looks largish but more reasonable.  If I'm setting that up with bronze bushings and modern grease I'd shoot for .001" to .002"; if I was using stock steel bushings and some really heavy old school chassis grease I could probably live with .004" or so.

[bryanj]

Instead of looking at max wear look at standard new sizes,
Max pin with min bush= same size no clearance
Min pin with max bush = 3 thou clearance

Says it all

[70CB750]

The rear cross engine bolt has an influence on the clearance too.

I installed Kenosha Kid bushings in Red and checked the play after few hundred miles.  It needed a washer to make it tighter.