Swingarm Spindle Pricing Differences?

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Tornado

Tornado

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About to place an order for a fresh Swingarm Spindle and bushes. Checking all my usual sources...the spindle (long, std sized for pre mkiii) runs about 50£ from AN, about 19£ from RGM and about $119 CDN from MotoParts Inc in Alberta. All same part numbers.
Puzzled as to these differences...are there quality differences to be concerned with?
 
Well, they are all going to use the same part number. That just denotes where it fits on the bike.

I’m not to sure about the RGM one.

I don’t know who MotoParts is.
 
Think I'll go with RGM...it is just a shaft of metal milled to appropriate dimensions afterall.
Plus they also have the stainless exhaust lock rings that Comnoz recently reported as a good choice due to thermal expansion properties.
 
Maybe the AN/Motoparts shafts are made in the UK and the RGM is made in Asia.

Although nowadays there's a good chance that all three are from the same source and rebranded/priced to "indicate" better quality! ;)
 
Tornado said:
Think I'll go with RGM...it is just a shaft of metal milled to appropriate dimensions afterall.
Click to expand...

The AN spindles are hard chromed. I expect RGM ones are too.

£50 (£60 for those of us who have to pay VAT) does seem a bit pricey nevertheless.
 
I got one from Walridge about a month ago, pretty sure it came in an AN bag, price was $57.00 CAD.

B
 
RGM on the way. @Interbak: I did check Walridge but the RGM price was too good (19£ = $34 cdn). Plus they also had the stainless lock rings for 34£ each I wanted for my upcoming de-balance pipe header project.
 
Got my RGM spindle today. Appears to be stainless, unlike stock which was chromed? Otherwise seems nicely made. New bushings are stock. Also picked up two 3/4" threaded exhaust rise nuts in stainless with squared type fins. These were $34 USD each, not £34 as I wrote previously. This for a future project to convert from the balanced headers (already picked up a pair of really nice condition pipes for $20). I also recieved RGM steel type exhaust seals as the blurb on their site indicated these should better secure the nuts compared to the copper seals.
Will see!
 
SS can be softer and I wonder about the wear factor. On the other hand there is the elimination of the rust factor.
 
The RGM one supplied to me 2 or 3 weeks ago is strongly magnetic so not stainless, the OD is silver but slightly dull matching other hard chromed items I have and the core showing in the cotter pin slots and the ends is grey and hard from heat treating.
 
the swing arm spindles should not be hard chromed or made from stainless , a high quality bearing steel will be used

the working surface finish is ground after machining and heat treatment to give a polished bearing surface
 
Tornado said:
Got my RGM spindle today. Appears to be stainless, unlike stock which was chromed? Otherwise seems nicely made. New bushings are stock. Also picked up two 3/4" threaded exhaust rise nuts in stainless with squared type fins. These were $34 USD each, not £34 as I wrote previously. This for a future project to convert from the balanced headers (already picked up a pair of really nice condition pipes for $20). I also recieved RGM steel type exhaust seals as the blurb on their site indicated these should better secure the nuts compared to the copper seals.
Will see!
Click to expand...

I use those RGM exhaust nuts and like them a lot.

Note: you need the special tool for them too.
 
Frankie17 said:
the swing arm spindles should not be hard chromed or made from stainless , a high quality bearing steel will be used

the working surface finish is ground after machining and heat treatment to give a polished bearing surface
Click to expand...

Could be polished or hard chromed on the one I have but definitely heat treated.
 
Finally got the swingarm all back together with new spindle, seals and bushes. What a pain that skinny bolt is to engage in the left side cap on the MKII's. B/c I had the primary inner off (for gearbox work), I had good access the the left side cap and it was still tough to do! Also did the Keigler clamp mod. After filling with oil (used STP Oil Treatment as the lubricant as per recommendations found in other threads), looks like the drool is beginning again from the really poorly designed seals. There's just no tension from the skinny bolt to hold the caps tight/compressing the outer rubber o-ring seals and the inner seals just seem to float against the frame plates with no clamping force at all. What were they thinking?!

Oh well, it is what it is.
 
Tornado said:
What were they thinking?!
Click to expand...

The porous sintered bronze bushes need topping-up at the normal service intervals to maintain their self-lubricating qualities.
I don't believe the factory ever intended the assemby to be an 'oil bath' because it isn't necessary as the bushes retain their own supply of lubricant.

I believe the main reason they went to the 'sealed for life' (late Mk2/2A & Mk3) pivot was to prevent owners and mechanics from filling the assembly with grease instead of oil.

Anyone who is perhaps bothered by the seepage of excess oil from the pivot I'm sure could fit the 'sealed for life' pivot seals in place of the original 06-0446 dust covers and O-rings.

https://andover-norton.co.uk/en/shop-details/16472/swing-arm-pivot-seal
 
I think I read somewhere (OldBritts tech articles?) that retro fitting the welch caps to pre- MKIII arms required machining of the end openings on the swingarm. Either way, this only addresses leakage from the ends, not from the inner seal which just lightly contacts the frame plates.

Seems to me if this is too much an irritant, then replacing the oil lite bushings with a grease-able type or even a graphite type (greaseless) would be the right move. There are a few threads on these solutions. I actually bought a pair of grease-able bushes from another member who had a few lots of them made up specially for the commando. Didn't put them in this time...wanted to give the OEM setup a fresh try.
 
Tornado said:
Seems to me if this is too much an irritant, then replacing the oil lite bushings with a grease-able type or even a graphite type (greaseless) would be the right move. There are a few threads on these solutions.
Click to expand...

The standard Oilite bushes have proved to be long-lasting even when neglected.
I honestly don't know why this causes so much concern for some or why the apparent compulsion to fit bushes that can use grease!
 
when i pulled the shaft on the basketcase, i found grease. the fit was still tight, but the shaft had surface corrosion. i had a new shaft made using 4340 steel nitraded. i filled it with oil, as noted it needs to be check because the oring seals inside will never last..
 
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