Swingarm gouged by wheel/sprocket carrier

gage · November 19, 2008, 07:25:24 PM

I took the rear wheel off because I was hearing some rubbing and it looks like the spacer on the right side of the wheel was not sitting correctly because the sprocket carrier has gouged a circle into the swingarm. Axle was also very hard to get out.

I fear that the spacer, which has some movement, was not resting against the axle adjuster and instead was resting against the lip of the swingarm when the axle nut was torqued. It must have then popped into where it was supposed to be...

To be honest I have no idea what heppened and would really appreciate your thoughts.

The bike is a 2002 S4 with dual sided swingarm.

I'll post pics tomorrow.

TIA

Gage

erkishhorde · November 19, 2008, 07:59:41 PM

If it's anything like the old monsters, there was a spacer like piece that is not symmetrical and has to be put in the same way it comes out otherwise is screws up your swingarm.

Howie · November 19, 2008, 09:26:37 PM

Got a photo? The spacer erkishhorde is talking about should have the flat side towards the swing arm, convex towards the bearing.

Desmo Demon · November 20, 2008, 06:08:09 AM

Quote from: howie on November 19, 2008, 09:26:37 PM
Got a photo? The spacer erkishhorde is talking about should have the flat side towards the swing arm, convex towards the bearing.

Correct.

The spacer should be shaped like this:

If you put it in the wrong way, it can allow the bolts in the sprocket carrier to hit the inside of the swingarm. Some poor guy had this happen to his Ducati 907ie, and this is what it wound up looking like....

ScottRNelson · November 20, 2008, 06:11:57 AM

The only way I know of for a swingarm to get gouged like that is when the spacer is installed backwards. So who do you blame for installing yours backwards?

Here's a photo of the spacer on my bike. The big flat side goes against the swingarm.

Slide Panda · November 20, 2008, 06:14:20 AM

How'd he even get the bike to move Desmo Demon? A buddy was helping me mount a new tire and rear rotor - as part of fitting the wheel back up he put that spacer in back wards. Once the axle nuts were torqued to spec the wheel would not budge at all...

Desmo Demon · November 20, 2008, 06:28:56 AM

Quote from: yuu on November 20, 2008, 06:14:20 AM
How'd he even get the bike to move Desmo Demon? A buddy was helping me mount a new tire and rear rotor - as part of fitting the wheel back up he put that spacer in back wards. Once the axle nuts were torqued to spec the wheel would not budge at all...

I have no idea, actually.....other than with the power of the bike and I imagine the grinding was done a little at a time. I ALWAYS spin the wheel before setting it on the ground, after putting the wheel back on the bike. I do this to check for any resistance or dragging that should not be there. I wound up buying that swingarm assembly from the 907 off of eBay, complete with axle assembly for dirt cheap....I'm not done with it, yet, but this is what it looks like, now...

I'll use it for a 17" wheel conversion on my Paso 750.....if it ever becomes necessary....

gage · November 20, 2008, 06:51:37 AM

I'm gonna have to take responsibility for this one

I didn't even notice the spacer when I took the wheel off and it must have fallen out in my trunk on the way to get the new tire mounted. Upon seeing your responses and the pic with the spacer I went on a little search to see what I could find and there it was underneath my gym bag and ice scraper.

So I like to think that I am not that stupid that I would have put the spacer in backwards but stupid enough not to realize that there should have been a spacer. In any event the damn thing is so loud that I had no chance of hearing any rubbing and to be honest the bike tracked really well the whole time too.

Ah well... It was going to the welder for spools and then the powdercoater anyways.

At least the damage wasn't as bad as the first pic...

ScottRNelson · November 20, 2008, 07:54:37 AM

Wow! That's amazing that it would go back together and turn without the spacer.

When I'm installing a rear wheel on a Ducati, once I get the chain on and the axle through, I spin the tire to make sure everything rotates smoothly. Then as I tighten up the rear axle I spin it again to make sure it still rotates just as smoothly. Once everything is in place I tighten up the axle bolts completely (I should use a torque wrench, but I don't), then do one final check that the tire spins freely.

I would expect that with the spacer not in place it wouldn't spin at all with just hand pressure. And I would expect it to be hard to roll around in neutral as well. Obviously, a powerful Monster motor shouldn't have too much trouble making the wheel spin, though.

The first time I took a Monster rear wheel off in 1998, I put the spacer in backwards and noticed that the wheel stopped spinning as I tightened things up. I didn't even get to the point of fully tightening the axle bolts because it was obviously that something was wrong even as I started to tighten it down. That's when I remembered the guy at the Ducati shop mentioning the conical spacer and which way it needed to go. And that's the last time I tried putting one in backwards.

At least we now have one more Ducati owner who will be absolutely sure to put the spacer in correctly in the future.

Slide Panda · November 20, 2008, 08:06:05 AM

Quote from: Desmo Demon on November 20, 2008, 06:28:56 AM
I have no idea, actually.....other than with the power of the bike and I imagine the grinding was done a little at a time. I ALWAYS spin the wheel before setting it on the ground, after putting the wheel back on the bike. I do this to check for any resistance or dragging that should not be there.

Yeah, I/we do the same thing - and the wheel would not budge by hand, and I can't imaging that you'd be able to push the bike with it like that.

gage · November 20, 2008, 08:22:02 AM

Believe it or not the bike rolled really easily and the tire spun fine by hand too. I think the damn thing just went together with enough clearance at first. and for whatever reason didn't shift over onto the swingarm.

I then adjusted the chain and retourqed the axle nut which pushed things over. Still the bike was easy to push. The part that was rubbing was the outside of the wheel of the inner wheel well.

Thanks for the help! I'm glad I asked because I may have put the thing back together and never have found the spacer kicking around in the trunk of my car.

Speeddog · November 20, 2008, 08:27:38 AM

Without the spacer, the wheel will turn, as long as the sprocket carrier is close to the normal position.
As soon as the carrier moves outboard, damage such as the OP has commences...

Had a '99 M750 in recently that was missing the spacer, the boss around the bearing on the carrier was wearing against the swingarm.
Damage was cosmetic only.

Carriers and spacers are different among Duc wheels, so results of missing spacers are different.

With the spacer in backwards, the big end of the spacer drags on the snap ring that holds the bearing into the sprocket carrier.
That'll bind up the wheel.

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Swingarm gouged by wheel/sprocket carrier