2013 Rear Linkage pulls off center? Is this normal? sort of a WTF moment!!

[rgranger]

I just am able to use my arm enough to being putting things back together. tore it down before shoulder surgery and noticed that the washers seemed to be wearing off-center. I just inspected the pulls and darned if they are not machined oblong - is this normal? It sure allowed a lot of crap to get into the bearings and screw up the seals. I have a set of the scorpion pulls that are going back on to protect the lower shock.

Also, do I just punch the old seals out from the opposite side?

[john r b]

Rob, Are you talking about the rubber seals or the metal spacers in the linkage arm? I have installed the scorpion linkage guard and pressed them out (metal spacer). Be sure to put them in the freezer for a bit before pressing them back in. I think a hammer and punch will damage the spacer.Maybe a hammer and socket??? Looks like the large washers will need to be replaced. Something is wrong there not normal wear.

[GasGas]

Looks like the washer got pinched between the link and the pivot spacer. It is supposed to fit onto the spacer and be flush with the end. This is what keeps the o-rings compressed.

[rgranger]

John, I had the metal spacers that come out of the original pulls pressed into the scorpions today. That went ok. should have froze them but I had a mech do it for me. holes in the pulls are very off center. the 2013's don't have the o-rings, I don't think, there is a rubber seal on either side of the bearings and they were pretty torn up. I saw stringers of rubber when I wiped out the grease. So, is there any purpose to the hole in the washer?

2013 :
http://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche....EAR-SUSPENSION

2011 :

http://partsfinder.onlinemicrofiche....=0&d=-SWINGARM


That slipped washer was a factory job. I probably have a dozen rides on the bike between work, illness and injury this year.

[StuJohnson]

Rob
Good question about the hole. Maybe to let water out.....

You do want to make sure you get the correct special washers as you can see these washers have the bronze color to them which act a smooth bearing surface. The other term for this type of washer is sintered bronze washer.

See link:
http://www.qbcbearings.com/buyrfq/Th...er_SL_SB_I.htm

[rgranger]

Thanks Stu, I was wondering about that, the washers that I received are black on one side and gold on the other, any does the shiny go toward the outside, I think that is how they came out, but I don't remember them being different.

shiny side toward the pulls (out) then?

[StuJohnson]

Rob - That is a GOOD question....
I can't remember.

Just make sure that before you tighten the bolts that those washers are not off the bushing rod, otherwise they will look like they did when you took them out. If you, don't have a second person helping you, I put a bit of extra grease on them and then they will usually stay in place while you put all back together.

And make sure you Loctite those 4 bolts that hold the Scorpion Skid Plate in!!!!

[rgranger]

Guess what I left at my buddies today, yep, the four bolts for the plate

[Neil E.]

Bad location on assembly messed up the stock washers.
As far as the links go, the important dimension is center to center on the holes. You might have one that wasn't positioned correctly when machined, but as long as the center distance is correct, it will still work fine.
Sometimes the factory will decide to make a change but still use the previous generation casting with modified hole locations.

[rgranger]

Thanks Neil, Girard had emailed me saying the same thing. I guess a combo of things went wrong with the assembly of my bike. I also had some funny wiring issues and the rectifier wasn't connected so it tended to burn out lights. Must have been a monday morning assembly after a big holiday.