Swinging arm spindle

[Graham Smith]

!958 swinging arm frame...I am having difficulty in removing swinging arm spindle. Is there an easy way to do this?

[simon.holyfield]

So you have one of the large nuts off and the spindle won't push out?

[Graham Smith]

That's it Simes

[simon.holyfield]

I'll let others wade in here as mine comes out easily, but it's a plain bit of 3/8" round bar. Slide hammer?

[Simon.Gardiner]

The s/arm spindle in my '56 frame won't come out either. It wouldn't when I used it to build up a bike 40-odd years ago. As I needed transport quick and there wasn't any real play when the nuts were done up properly I used it as it was. It's not been touched since (20k+ miles and lots of regular use further on) and the s/arm is still fine.
Replacing those bushes is not a job I'm looking forward to doing 'cos it's an absolute pig of a job. The spindle will be seized in the steel inner of a pair of metalastic bushes, any force applied to the spindle gets absorbed by the rubber. I think the method I've seen most often used is to carefully cut through the spindle ends, inside the frame adjacent to the s/arm, to get the s/arm out. Then burn out the rubber to extract the remains of the spindle, and carefully cut through the steel outer shells to get them out. (Not forgetting to get the spacer off the remains of the spindle.)
Some folks might be able to machine some of the components away if they've got the kit, but it's still a swine of a job, if you absolutely have to do it.

SG

[nevhunter]

You've described it accurately. Sacrifice the long shaft or whatever and save the essential parts. When you assemble it, coat the inner surface of the bush and the stud with a thin coat of Galvanising Zinc rich paint. and it will be OK next time. Grease in there may allow the steel to turn instead of the rubber absorbing it. With all of these rubber bushes, tighten fully with the parts half way from the two limits of travel and they last longer. Nev

[Gui.dorey]

Mine doesn’t budge either (54 NH). As there is no appreciable play and the rear fork swings freely, I decided to leave it as it is. I shall see when the bike is back on the road if I notice anything, but the nightmare of getting it disassembled really put me off.

[Mick D]

Hi

I had the same issue when I restored my 58FH. My method was to flood with penetrating fluid, (50/50 mix of ATF and acetone), remove one of the securing dome nuts and torque the other, this pulled the shaft through the metalastic bushes. Stop while there is still thread exposed on the side without the nut. Reapply penetrating fluid and repeat the process from the other side. Many cycles later the shaft would rotate in the bushes, at this point I pulled the shaft alll the way through them using one dome nut and a series of spacer tubes and washers. It was a long process but no components were damaged and I was able to free the spindle / PRF and retain my original bushes.

Regards Mick

[BobWard]

I have done two swinging arms like this where the frames were poorly stored. After removing the domed nuts it is necessary to carefully jack the frame apart a few mm then hacksawing through the spindle followed by drilling the rubber out of the bush working you way around the bushes this enables the removal of the spindle now hacksaw through the outer metal sleeve of the bush which has been left behind which will make a small cut into the inner lip. Now with a sharp narrow chisel separate the sleeve from the swinging arm recess by bending it inwards till you can get hold of it with pliers. I did try burning the first bush with map gas but had no success, both spindles were badly rusted between the bushes making them impossible to drift through the bushes after soaking lower frame and swinging arm in a tank of diesel for two weeks. Bob

[Graham Smith]

Many thanks for your suggestions. One thing I have is time, so will try your method first Mick D.