Featherbed Swingarm question

Thanks.

Thought of another question.
Will the bushings in the swing arm survive powder coating or do they have to be removed first?
 
Powder coating involves high temperatures to link the PC resins. I am not sure what those temps are, but I am certain it would not be good for the "Clayflex" bushings, which are some sort of rubber or synthetic bonded to the bushing.

If I were to PC the frame, I would remove the bushings, but I would not PC the frame or swingarm.
 
www.accessnorton.com

Boy, Do I hate powder coat!

I seriously devalue norton bits that are noted to be "PC" powder coated not...Politically Correct. Sometime devalue to zero! Try tin knocking or weld & braze and it's quite lousy. FOR ME ...a bike has to be worth a few thousand less for being PC. Any experts care to share how to rid these...
www.accessnorton.com www.accessnorton.com
Most plastics are soft by 400f, not sure how rubber acts at those temps. But a shame to plastic coat a good piece of machinery.
If you actually care, read this: https://www.hanserpublications.com/...9905531_9781569905531_SAMPLE PAGES_Sommer.pdf
Try para 4-38 it may help?
 
I don't know. Every featherbed I've touched had my spindle & bushing upgrade kit installed (4 of them).
 
texasSlick said:
Powder coating involves high temperatures to link the PC resins. I am not sure what those temps are, but I am certain it would not be good for the "Clayflex" bushings, which are some sort of rubber or synthetic bonded to the bushing.

If I were to PC the frame, I would remove the bushings, but I would not PC the frame or swingarm.
Click to expand...
 
grandpaul said:
I don't know. Every featherbed I've touched had my spindle & bushing upgrade kit installed (4 of them).
Click to expand...
This was my slimline swing arm kit. IMO not really durable enough to use long term on a street bike. But not yeilding and more rigid for race bike.


I killed the web page as I was getting to many ricky racers wanting a copy for their hot rod (street) bikes.
 
dynodave said:
This was my slimline swing arm kit.
Click to expand...
Nice!

I think I saw that on your site many years ago, then read some online back-and-forth regarding needles not being a good solution in a swingarm (since I didn't know any better, it just stayed floating in the back of my mind).

Then, I got my first featherbed and decided I could easily order the bushings, and weld the end plates on. What made it all fall into place was meeting a custom knifemaker who let me use his lathe and taught me to thread bare stock.

I'm certainly NOT claiming sintered bronze bushings are better than needle rollers, it's just what I saw as easier and cheaper (my two favorite words) to produce.
 
Ducati uses needle bearings but 2 on each side and they are probably a bit beefier and larger diameter than the 1/2 " featherbed S/A shaft. I've not heard of the Duc ones being problematic.
 
There are plenty of Japanese bikes using needle rollers too.

Removing those rubber bushes can be pretty hard.
 
I had a KTM 625 which I used for hillclimb racing once. The swingarm needle roller bearings were seized solid with rust and I mean solid. Probably from a PO jetwashing it as it was a motocrosser before it's supermoto conversion.
I don't see any benefit for needle rollers in that application really as there is so little rotational movement. I wouldn't have thought they would take a shock load as well as a bush either.
As an upgrade I thinks it's one of those "trick" bits and the reason they're called "trick" is that's what the buyer has been..."tricked"

That said I've probably been tricked into swapping my indestructable metalastic bushes for Manx style ones on the Dommie.
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

Richard Tool
Looking for input Featherbed swingarm bushes
Replies
4
Views
176
acotrel
acotrel
C
Fitting Jawa engine into featherbed frame
2
Replies
29
Views
545
acotrel
acotrel
Britstuff
Slimline Featherbed Footrest Bar / Spindle Length
Replies
7
Views
514
Britstuff
Britstuff
Flatspot
Featherbed frame dimension question
Replies
4
Views
159
ashman
ashman
ashman
Norton Commando/Featherbed conversion
Replies
1
Views
565
ashman
ashman
Back
Top