Swingarm Greasing

[Pliskin]

Decided to do swingarm maintenance, after checking few youtube videos I saw that it wouldn't be that hard to do.

Hardest part of the process was removing Cotter pin. Located on lower shock connecting with swingarm. No matter how hard i tried pulling it out i just couldn't. The best way is to position the cotter pin like in the picture. Use pliers to hold the bottom part firmly and gently with hammer tap it down from the top.

Also removing the chain guide. Unscrew the bolt from the other side. Because these nuts are affixed to the plate.








From above pictures you can see there was no grease inside in fact it was very dry. Metal grinding is visible too.

I think they tightened the right nut on the swingarm too much.

This morning I decided to wash the swingarm and paint it a little while it's out. By the way it's 30c today (86f) just beatiful outside.

After checking it again it doesn't look that bad.

the rubber bit is now more visible.




What do yo guys think? I was thinking of greasing it and probably later get new bushings. I would highly recommend to do this type of maintenance if you have 2006 Zong. Best to do over 2 day period.

[SpudRider]

Thanks for documenting your work with photos, Pliskin.

If the rubber is in good condition, I wouldn't bother to replace the bushings. I would grease the inside of both bushings. I would also grease the swingarm bolt before I re-assembled the swingarm.

[Pliskin]

Spud Thank you for you input. I am going to use lots of grease that's for sure . Couldn't do any work yesterday it was 37c here (98.6f). But the swingarm looks good with the fresh coat of paint.

[zingshoen]

spring on the east coast :-) thanks for the infos, pliskin. i will have to grease the zong swingarm, too, and sooner rather than later. the masterminds at zong should have put a grease nipple somewhere.

[FastDoc]

well done and great pictures.

Grease it up and you're good to go.

Assemblt detail like this is one of the lowest points in the Chinese manufacturing process, but it's something we can finish ourselves.

FWIW I have heard of KTM's delivered without proper headset lubrication, and I'm sure there are other examples as well.

[Pliskin]

Thanks Zingshoen and FastDoc!

Originally Posted by zingshoen

the masterminds at zong should have put a grease nipple somewhere.

I agree. I've seen on youtube how to install them yourself. I should be good for at least 2 years now.

Originally Posted by FastDoc

FWIW I have heard of KTM's delivered without proper headset lubrication, and I'm sure there are other examples as well.

Now that you've mentioned it, a thought crossed my mind while I was removing the swingarm that maybe they didn't put any grease or maybe very little, anything is possible.



I did few rides on Zong so far and I can tell you the difference is noticeable. It floats over rough surface, still trying to get used to it.

[SpudRider]

I'm glad to hear the greasing did such a good job. As always, your yellow Zong looks great! When you have time, please post more photos.

[Pliskin]

Thanks Spud. Will upload few pictures soon.

[Lucien]

Thanks!!!

[zingshoen]

pliskin, what s the torque on the swingarm? just coz i want to avoid overtightening...

[Weldangrind]

When I'm working with a China swingarm, I support the bike under the engine, remove the rear wheel and the rear shock. I then tighten the swingarm bolt as I move the swingarm up and down, checking for resistance. The goal is to remove all of the lateral play, without vertical binding.

Once I'm at that point, I double-nut the swingarm so the torque doesn't change. Otherwise, the nut tends to loosen with ratchting action.

[Pliskin]

Originally Posted by zingshoen

pliskin, what s the torque on the swingarm? just coz i want to avoid overtightening...

I don't know about the torgue, as I use closed spanner. Start from 7 or 8 o'clock, stand behind the nut and pull towards your chest. But of course I put a spanner on it after few days of riding just to be on a safe side.

Weldangrind has given excellent answer. I do agree tightening it without the wheel on is better practice.

[zingshoen]

Thank you, Weld, that makes perfect sense! Thank you, Pliskin, for getting back to us!

I m just concerned with overtorquing. Is it possible to overtorque a large nut by hand? Or is that the result of an air impact gun?

The Zong GY-2 manual has an entry under "Nut of rear rocker arm", giving two sizes (M12 and M14) with 30 and 70 nm max respectively. I m not sure they mean the swingarm, what do you think? M12 could be the bolt and M14 the nut, though.

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by zingshoen

I m just concerned with overtorquing. Is it possible to overtorque a large nut by hand? Or is that the result of an air impact gun?

It is certainly possible to over-torque by hand. If you really want to know the proper torque, just search Google for a torque chart, and it will provide info based on the bolt diameter.

Rather than torque, focus on removing the lateral play without introducing vertical binding. Let the double-nut method hold the whole deal together. A little Loctite is also cheap insurance.

[zingshoen]

Thanks for the advice, will do!