Shorten' my swingarm

[Wallynut]

I'm gonna shorten my swingarm myself, got some stuff on order. Just figured I ask, I've already done a few searchs. I know there are guys here that make them any length, but want to give this a try. I believe that I have thought it through as to what needs to be done. I want it shorter and don't want to deal with the chain adjustment hassles anymore.

[yellabanshee]

I am curious why someone would shorten the swing arm, when everyone wants to lengthen them.....

what is the benefit of a shorter wheel base, its gonna be really unstable that

way, especially when ya hit the throttle up a hill....

 

sounds strange

 

why?

[jeenyus]

a longer swingarm helps the frontend to stay on the grounds...it creates a loose traction so the tire spin more but... your cornering abilitys will drop a lil bit. by shortening the swingarm, the weight is concentred on the rear so you get a better traction. and your cornering abilitys will increase because of the wheel base. = wheelies !!! its easier to wheelie with a negative swingarm. it stand up real quick.

[boonman]

I prefer climbing hills with the shorter arm. You get more traction, and with the lightened flywheel, you have all the throttle response you need to feather it up to the top..... Anyways, shortening it, be sure you center the new housing in the swingarm, and make sure you remove the material evenly, or if you don't, clamp it before you weld/tack it together and make sure the measurement from the swingarm pivot to the new housing is the same on both sides, or else your bike will pull to one side or the other forever...... Do it right the first time. I put my swingarm on a milling machine to remove the material. I shortened it by 2.5 inches. It really works nice.....

[Shee-Male]

do an image search on google, I saw someone shorten theirs on a plate steel jig, once the material was removed the jig slid the 2 halfs closer together keeping it square.

[Wallynut]

I was planning on checking how much left to right I need to keep the housing so the chain is straight. Once that is figured out, I was gonna make a wooden jig to hold the swingarm in place, then measure from housing to swingarm pivot to keep it all square. Yea, the last thing I want is a machine that dog tracks. Figured on just tacking it together, then putting it on the bike to see how it all looks before final weld up. Can't wait till my parts get here.

[boonman]

I don't remember what the offset was when I did mine, however, it depends on where you measure it from too. I machined alot of material out of mine.

[Lepew]

Here is some ideas. no need for a jig just need spacers to fit a tube snuggly in the swingarm front tube.

 

 

Cut out the gussets behind the shock cross tube and remove the chain guide bracket. make a template so you can scribe a line where to cut out on both sides evenly. torch off the extra and grind to your line. Put a tube thru the front pivot and asssemble the rear axle in the carrier. Set everything on a level bench and block up the ends of the tube and axle evenly. The face of the sprocket hub where the sprocket bolts to, to the side of the swingarm will be 0.608" . measure from the axle ends, to the tube and adjust evenly. double check your measurements and tack it together. take the carrier out and weld everything together. After it cools you may not be able to get the carrier back in from warpage so heat the top and bottom of where the swingarm welds to the carrier tube about 3/4" to warp the tube round again. weld a brake bracket peg .500" long and .595" round 2 29/32" from the carrier tube center. paint and ride.

 

This should help at least.