Right side swingarm bolt
- Thread starter garbot
- Start date
please give more details.(how? damage? anyone injured? hope not!)
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Was this the one that was fixed after the recall or the old one?
05chop
Well-Known Member
BROKE Lets get specific with this mean less word doesn't tell us squat.
Description
Okay i was leaving work at night and i was rolling at around 10 mph and gave her some gas to take off. Then i start to feel like my clutch is slipping or jumping cant ride bike so i feel my belt and its loose, so i turn back in parking lot and do slow speed back. Im maintenance by trade so i go to tool box and tighten my belt. So im going down road and smell rubber again its night so i go back and see my tire is rubbing on right side of rear fender. I realize something aint right but cant see and not sure what need to get home later so i adjust belt again off fender. next morning im looking around and notice left side swingarm bolt is flush or little under frame, right side is sticking out little hmmm. I put in allen wrench and rotate and can feel it spin around high and low new tghe it was broke, just pulled it out. Was looking around at what repair would be and noticed the right side of the frame where the bolt goes thru is bent. If you were standing over your bike and looking down, part of the frame is twisted clockwise about 1/4 inch. in other words or i have a 1/4 inch gap on one side of my exhaust bracket. lucky i guess was not injured, but can be dangerous situation. Im not sure of bolt but i had work done on bike last year which was after recall, so i think was new bolt. i am calling then tomorrow. Oh yeah im staying about 20 miles from work .
Okay i was leaving work at night and i was rolling at around 10 mph and gave her some gas to take off. Then i start to feel like my clutch is slipping or jumping cant ride bike so i feel my belt and its loose, so i turn back in parking lot and do slow speed back. Im maintenance by trade so i go to tool box and tighten my belt. So im going down road and smell rubber again its night so i go back and see my tire is rubbing on right side of rear fender. I realize something aint right but cant see and not sure what need to get home later so i adjust belt again off fender. next morning im looking around and notice left side swingarm bolt is flush or little under frame, right side is sticking out little hmmm. I put in allen wrench and rotate and can feel it spin around high and low new tghe it was broke, just pulled it out. Was looking around at what repair would be and noticed the right side of the frame where the bolt goes thru is bent. If you were standing over your bike and looking down, part of the frame is twisted clockwise about 1/4 inch. in other words or i have a 1/4 inch gap on one side of my exhaust bracket. lucky i guess was not injured, but can be dangerous situation. Im not sure of bolt but i had work done on bike last year which was after recall, so i think was new bolt. i am calling then tomorrow. Oh yeah im staying about 20 miles from work .
Fibersnake
Banjo Playing PsychoBilly
Damn not good to hear. Will be interested to see if they did do the recall on the original bolt or not.
I know Sul has broken a couple if not more, and it sucks for sure, but hell his is got so many ponies going, that may be part of the issue (then again maybe just bad bolts and luck).
If we keep breaking bolts including ones that are supposed to be improved, it may have to be a routine yearly maintenace to replace and lube to just be on safe side.
Let us know how you make out with the dealer and BDM. Sorry to hear of it.
I know Sul has broken a couple if not more, and it sucks for sure, but hell his is got so many ponies going, that may be part of the issue (then again maybe just bad bolts and luck).
If we keep breaking bolts including ones that are supposed to be improved, it may have to be a routine yearly maintenace to replace and lube to just be on safe side.
Let us know how you make out with the dealer and BDM. Sorry to hear of it.
power
i have had engine built up also. but how can this bolt break? i guess im asking how can so many things be under engineered on the 05 bikes ? valve train- major, clutch basket break in two- could cause bad accident, swingarm bolt bad accident. I hope bigdog did not make any school busses in 2005. On the bright side ive had engine rebuilt and transmission, changed ignition, after this i know the bike has been assembled properly.
i have had engine built up also. but how can this bolt break? i guess im asking how can so many things be under engineered on the 05 bikes ? valve train- major, clutch basket break in two- could cause bad accident, swingarm bolt bad accident. I hope bigdog did not make any school busses in 2005. On the bright side ive had engine rebuilt and transmission, changed ignition, after this i know the bike has been assembled properly.
Yeah... you can see the pivit bolt setup in these pics. Each side has a bolt that threads into the center pivit.
Then there is the spacer on the right side that as Sul says, takes up the slack between the swingarm and the frame.
The spacer is on the left rear of this pic... round
You can see it just under the belt
Here the spacer adjustor is covered in blue tape
Then there is the spacer on the right side that as Sul says, takes up the slack between the swingarm and the frame.
The spacer is on the left rear of this pic... round
You can see it just under the belt
Here the spacer adjustor is covered in blue tape
dogvet
Banned
Good opinion! I would suspect that that same space around the bolt may be a contributing factor in the frame sideplate bending as well and that's my opinion.
Fibersnake
Banjo Playing PsychoBilly
Good theory Sul,
BTW is that adjustable spacer on all the 05 softails frames or just certain models. I have the Mastiff and should go check myself, though I have not had any problems yet.
Good info nonetheless and thanks.
BTW is that adjustable spacer on all the 05 softails frames or just certain models. I have the Mastiff and should go check myself, though I have not had any problems yet.
Good info nonetheless and thanks.
Fibersnake
Banjo Playing PsychoBilly
Garbot,
I am pretty sure that there has been a few that broke. There was also a recall to change them out. YOu may want to make sure that yours was done under the recall. Also in the O & M, for every service interval (set at 2500 segements), it is recommended to "Check rear swing arm pivot nut".
I have the 05 Mastiff also and need to go check out the spacer myself, but so far no issues on mine.
I am pretty sure that there has been a few that broke. There was also a recall to change them out. YOu may want to make sure that yours was done under the recall. Also in the O & M, for every service interval (set at 2500 segements), it is recommended to "Check rear swing arm pivot nut".
I have the 05 Mastiff also and need to go check out the spacer myself, but so far no issues on mine.
Rottie
Member
Hey guy's, I had the pivot bolt break on my 05 chop at Myrtle last year with my girlfriend on the back. We were pulling out of HBspokes, gave her a like gas and it felt like a bad case of wheel hop!! I rolled on it again and it got worst. So I had BD adjust the belt and bought a new bitch pad that someone acquired the same night. I rode it about three miles up 17 and it started again.. I took it back and we were looking at the alignment when we noticed the side cover and the rim had marks all around it.. That was the end of the week for us..
I took it to Full House that Saturday and they replaced the bolt, belt, side cover !! BD was still debating the rim when I got hit on the bike!! So guess it really didn't matter after that!!! Didn't have very good luck with this bike!! Four speedos, four starters, hit in the back by a cop at a light on a nighttrain and then the drunk driver totaled it...
I took it to Full House that Saturday and they replaced the bolt, belt, side cover !! BD was still debating the rim when I got hit on the bike!! So guess it really didn't matter after that!!! Didn't have very good luck with this bike!! Four speedos, four starters, hit in the back by a cop at a light on a nighttrain and then the drunk driver totaled it...
And that means a complete rebuild on it... just like mine... can't powder a frame with anything on it.
lee
Well-Known Member
that is real bad news - can they / will they provide you with a bike to use in the meantime if it is covered by the recall?
I have an 05 Bulldog so guess I should check mine - question is what can you check? what are you looking for specifically? presumably it looks fine one minute then bam...it snaps?
I have an 05 Bulldog so guess I should check mine - question is what can you check? what are you looking for specifically? presumably it looks fine one minute then bam...it snaps?
dogvet
Banned
This problem is unique to Mastiffs. the belt runs between the side plate of the frame and the side plate of the swingarm. If your bike has the side plates next to one another and the belt running behind the swingarm side plate, it's no problem.
I suspect that torque and hard acceleration are the contributing factors to this type of issue.
I suspect that torque and hard acceleration are the contributing factors to this type of issue.
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