Removing pivot bolt, suggestions?

[MIA450R]

Hey y'all...

I'm trying to remove the swingarm pivot bolt on my 450R to re-grease it... and having no luck getting it out.

Can this be done without dis-assebling the entire rear axle & swingarm, or do you HAVE to remove everything first?

Thanks for any advice......
mia

[Scro]

You shouldn't have to touch anything besides the bolt itself. Just jack the quad up to where the tires almost want to come off the ground, but are still touching. This will keep as much weight as possible off the bolt. Then take a hammer and start beating. Leave the nut on the bolt so that you don't damage the threads.

[MIA450R]

Hmmm, thats exactly what I tried, and it wasnt budging....

Any suggestions on what to whale on it with?

[nater344]

I used my Snap-on deadblow hammer and it came right out. My Snap-on is plastic and didn't mess up the threads.

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by MIA450R
Hmmm, thats exactly what I tried, and it wasnt budging....

Any suggestions on what to whale on it with?

Im in the same situation... mine is getting torched into a bunch of pieces this weekend. It will NOT come out. It is bent and seized. I move it about 3/8 of an inch and thats all she wrote...:mad:

[Traindog71]

impact hammer with stepped conical bit used for punching holes in sheet metal, those stocker bolts are hollow to save weight and bend slightly over time making them impossible to remove, if I were you, I would replace it with a solid stainless bolt like the one from lonestar or a similar manufacturer

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by Traindog71
impact hammer with stepped conical bit used for punching holes in sheet metal, those stocker bolts are hollow to save weight and bend slightly over time making them impossible to remove, if I were you, I would replace it with a solid stainless bolt like the one from lonestar or a similar manufacturer

Planned on it...

Also had the impact sockets on it, while heating it, while hammering it from the other side.... that the only way it came out 3/8 of an inch, but I dont feel like hitting any harder and breaking my cases. :mad:

[Sjorge450R]

im so glad i just pulled mine this weekend to greese it up.....lol. I hate hearing about these problems.

When my 300ex swinger bolt was stuck, we used a impact gun and a hammer. Took awhile but we got it out.

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by Sjorge300EX
im so glad i just pulled mine this weekend to greese it up.....lol. I hate hearing about these problems.

When my 300ex swinger bolt was stuck, we used a impact gun and a hammer. Took awhile but we got it out.

I dont think all the greasing in the world is going to help it, once its bent it doesn't fit through such a tight tolerance hole.

[wykyd450R]

A great time to replace those pivot bolts with a stainless one. ;)

[Sjorge450R]

Originally posted by 400exrider707
I dont think all the greasing in the world is going to help it, once its bent it doesn't fit through such a tight tolerance hole.

they are known to bend? I didnt know that. I thought that they were just seizing. See that, I learned something new and Im not even in school...lol

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by Sjorge300EX
they are known to bend? I didnt know that. I thought that they were just seizing. See that, I learned something new and Im not even in school...lol

Yes the 400ex ones are very susceptable to this. I didn't think it was as big of a problem on the 450Rs but it seems to be growing in popularity.

Mine was seized, but I did manage to get it to break free from the spacers. It will spin, and it came out about 3/8 of an inch so I know it will slide in the spacer, but when you spin it with an impact, you can watch the back of the motor go up and down from the bolt being bent.

[wykyd450R]

The reason the 450's are doing this like the 400's, is because they share the same bolt.

[400exrider707]

Originally posted by wykyd450R
The reason the 450's are doing this like the 400's, is because they share the same bolt.

I guess that would do it:D

[300exQuadracer]

Originally posted by wykyd450R
The reason the 450's are doing this like the 400's, is because they share the same bolt.

along with the 250r's

when you do replace it smear some good high temp, waterproof grease on their and you should be fine for a couple months

[Pappy]

1st, the tolerances are not close enough that typical tweaks that a pivot bolts endures wont prevent it from coming out. a severly bent one will of course, but that happens seldomly.

the issue is that the collars and or sleeves fuse themselves to the pivot bolt(they rust) the components being of disimilar metals speeds up the process and they can be a b!tch to remove.

while the solid stainless units are indeed stronger, they still corrode right along with the stock ones. pull your bolt often and grease it, it takes a whopping 2 minutes to do

[MIA450R]

I fully intend on taking it off and re-greasing it.... Just, after 30mins of pounding on it with makeshift tools and a smallish hammer, it didnt budge--at all.

It does look like those collars are rusted onto it, tho... so I assumed that it was somewhat seized due to this. I seriously doubt mine is bent, but ya never kno I guess.

What do you recommend to loosen it up from the rust/seizure, and, what tools will work, without destroying the bolt, threads, the nut or the frame?

Thanks....
m

[Pappy]

start with PB Blaster and let it sit...ive seen it take a week of applying it to loosen the parts where they could be removed!

if that fails, your pretty much up crap creek with no paddle. I use a saw zall and cut them out.

[300exQuadracer]

Originally posted by Pappy
if that fails, your pretty much up crap creek with no paddle. I use a saw zall and cut them out.


that is most likely what you will end up doing, then you will need to get new collars for your swingarm too

[N300exJ]

Ive owned my 450r for almost 2 years and ive takin my swing arm bolt out twice to grease it. Never had a problem always slides right out. I use BelRay waterproof grease on anything that needs to be greased and its never let me down yet on any of my quads. what does everyone else use?