swingarm axle

[wheels7]

how do i get it out? I took off the bolt on the left side (as though your sitting on the bike) and so now i see the threads and on the right side theres is what looks like the axle but there is a small piece of metal welded infront of it. I am not the original owner so im not sure if thats oem. but anyways how do i get the swingarm axle out?

[fury1]

what year is the bike? if it hasnt been done for a few years,be prepared for a battle,I used a brass drift on mine with plenty of penetrating oil for a few days and it finally let go and slid out,after some hammering,some guys have other ways to di it,but mine came out and didnt need another way,good luck!

[wheels7]

the bike is a 2001 300 xc it just looks like theres a piece of metal in front of it which side did the axle come out as if you were sitting on the bike?

[Brian VT]

Yup. Just take the nut off and drift the bolt out. The weld just keeps the axle from spinning when you're turning the nut.
If it doesn't want to come out then your bearings are probably toast. Heat, penetrating oil, patience, a dead-blow hammer.
Maybe an impact wrench with a socket that won't damage the end of the bolt (although the bolt may be junk anyway).
Sometimes loosening the motor mounts helps by taking a bit of torque off the axle.

[wheels7]

so it comes out on the same side that the bolt was on? the left if your sitting on the bike?

[Brian VT]

Originally Posted by wheels7

so it comes out on the same side that the bolt was on? the left if your sitting on the bike?

Nope. Hit the end that the nut came off. The axle comes out the brake side.
I'm assuming you've removed the lingage. That could also cause a bit of resistance.

[wheels7]

i havent removed the linkage, do i need to ? there is no way that the axle will come out the brake side there semms to be a piece of metal welded in front of it i will get a picture if i can. the only way out i can see is to grind the weld away but i dont want to do this.

[MattR]

STOP.... DO NOT GRIND THE WELD AWAY!!!

Hopefully, I stopped you in time.

BrianVT is correct. If you look carefully on the right side of the bolt, you will see the head is D-shaped. The weld needs to be there in order to keep the bolt from rotating while you torque the nut (on the leftside). Note: on my bike, the weld makes a very close fit with the bolt head. This is no issue during disassembly, but when you reassemble it... it can be a bit temper-mental about getting the bolt head in relation to the weld.

Undo the nut on the left and put a drift/socket against the leftside bolt face. Now, whack it with a dead-blow hammer and it should move the bolt towards the rightside and out. After you get the bolt out, the weld will then make complete sense to you.

[MattR]

Also, it helps me to remove the rear wheel, disassemble the shock linkage, and remove the lower shock bolt. This will give the swingarm full rotation with minimal restriction and weight. Now, removal of the swingarm bolt should be much easier.

[wheels7]

i wasnt to the point of frustation to grind the weld out i figured its there for a reason though i have been beating the hell out of it to no avail. later i may try to remove all of the other things put for a while im gonna smash on it.