n da zone
Expert Class
Posts: 215
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posted February 23, 2003 06:49 AM
Supporting the bike without a swingarm?
Question for you REAL mechanics out there. For economic reasons (plenty of time, no money) I am doing a frame-on swingarm polish, but if it doesn't go well, of course the swingarm will need to come off and get done the right way.
I have a rear swingarm stand, and although I am no rocket scientist, I am guessing that once the 'swingarm' comes off the bike, the 'swingarm stand' is not going to work correctly.
I have a 3-ton floor jack, but I am hesitant to place that under the oil pan and lift the bike (just kiddin'  ).
So, where are the lift points under the frame? I have all the plastic off. There's a nice firm spot under the shock mount, but it has two zerk fittings that block that point.
Can you guys suggest a rig (cheap, now - like outta 2x4's) under the rear footpegs, somewhere under the bike on the subframe? That seems like the only strong place left.
Is there a special Kawi frame jack for this? I'll bet there is. But I know there's gotta be several solutions to this problem. Your thought are appreciated.
  
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entropy
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posted February 23, 2003 07:23 AM
n-d-z,
however you jack it up, just use a couple of tall jackstands and 3' of 1" pipe under the passenger pegs to hold it up, REAL solid.
Taking the swingarm off is e-a-s-y (30 min max), do yourself a favor and pull the arm to polish it.
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n da zone
Expert Class
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posted February 23, 2003 07:43 AM
OK, it is getting obvoius by the minute that this isn't going to work.
Way too much work!
Thanks for the idea. I'm off to Lowes for supplies.
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Zhooligan
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posted February 23, 2003 12:50 PM
I typically use jackstands under my foot pegs (in truth my handy andy jack is set up for this!) and I also use a tie down hooked to a beam in my garage that is attached to the sbframe. If you have a car engine hoist it works quite well for this ass well. The other trick is that I have a Baxley Trailers sport Chalk that I run the front wheel into to stabilize the front end.
A little caution and patience goes along ways here.
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zxrcy
Novice Class
Posts: 62
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posted February 23, 2003 05:00 PM
Chain Hoist
One of the best bike purchases I have made is a ceiling mounted chain hoist. Good for all bike maintenance. I have a Hindle front stand and two rears stands. The front stand was such a POS that I went out and bought the chain hoist ($149 Can). The hoist is great because it secures the bike and you don't have to worry about knocking it over. It also gives good clearance for working around the bike. . . forks, rear suspension etc. Only drawback I guess is that you need a garage.
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n da zone
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posted February 23, 2003 06:32 PM
Great ideas!
I took Entropy's advice and bought a 3' piece of 1" galvanized pipe. I ran the pipe across the rear of the bike right in the crotch where the sub-frame meets the rear peg brackets (heh! heh! ... he said 'crotch' ...) , and then layed the pipe on the two tall jackstands.
Then lowered the bike onto the pipe. Viola! It's a beautiful thing!
Then called a professional polisher to finish the work.
I don't mind the occasional tidbit polishing job, but this looked like it could turn out really good or really bad, and I want it really good!
btw, I remember threads about what a knuckle-buster it was getting the top shock mount undone, and in the stock position it is nearly impossible to get a socket straight in to undo the bolt.
What I did was lifted the tank, and undid the vertical bolt on the top that attached the shock to the bike chassis (right under the gas tank), so the shock dropped down about 1/2" . With the shock now a bit lower in the chassis/subframe , you can now go straight in from each side with sockets and undo that top horizontal bolt and drop the shock out of the subframe.
I was glad to find that trick. I won't mention some of the wacky things I was going to try to drop the shock.
But I like that idea of the 'ceiling mounted' lifts. There's a lot to be said for keeping the floor space clear around the bike. I'm going to pursue that one.
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entropy
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posted February 24, 2003 12:05 AM
NDZ,
that 3' of galvanized also works well on intruders  or as a cheater for removing the front sprocket.
If you are gonna do the lift thing, give a thought to a Harbor Freight electric hoist. I paid $80 a couple years ago for a 450# capacity hoist and it REALLY works well. Cool to have it in the garage, makes working on the front or rear a snap.
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GOZR
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posted February 24, 2003 01:20 AM
Easy with some small jacks placed under it's perfect and very stable..
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n da zone
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posted February 24, 2003 04:45 AM
Oh,yeah! I love Harbor Freight. I do like brand-name gear for my main tool sets, but for the non-essential stuff, theirs is cheap, and gets the job done. I'm moving into a new house next week, and I am getting ready to build me a side of the garage just for me and my 'girls'. These hoist ideas sound great. In the past, I have set eyebolts and rope and the usual crappy things, but I wanna do it right this time.
btw, I saw a 'garage floor' thread a few weeks ago talking about coating the floor with that Rustoleum epoxy stuff, and that is the FIRST thing going in! This garage is going to be mine, all mine.
Hey, GOZR I am at work right now, but when I get home I am gonna look under the bike to see what you're using as mounting points for the jacks. Is the bike sitting on the jacks, or do you have a plate or pipe or something supporting some of the weight between the two?
I am just not too familiar with all the stress points on the frame yet. Every day learning something new and wonderful about this bike.
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TurboBlew
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posted February 24, 2003 05:19 AM
Take the seat off and wrap some soft tie straps around the sub frame. Then screw some 300lb eyebolts ($2.99 @HomeDepot) into a joist in your garage ceiling. Attach some tiedowns to the eyebolts and the softstraps on the subframe. Lift the bike on the rear stand like normal or put 2x4s under each side of the stand and lift the bike. Cinch the tie downs tight and remove the stand. The bike will hang with about 4" of clearance.
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vozizm
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posted February 24, 2003 10:09 AM
Gozr...
what is the right stand holding up?....
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GOZR
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posted February 24, 2003 11:09 AM
 Edited By: GOZR on 24 Feb 2003 11:11
On each sides of the Chassis there are spaces for those "nero" jacks.( no plates or anything else )
Very easy to do and very stable. i have been knocking on it . testing stuff and it is a very natural position for the jacks...
I tried to lift the bike by the sub frame but that wasn't secure enought ..
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Zhooligan
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posted February 24, 2003 02:46 PM
Gozr where are you talking about on the chasis? Can you give me a reference or two. I like the idea of doing it that way.
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redelk
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posted February 24, 2003 04:35 PM
This is a tad overkill, but better safe then sorry. Note rear shock is sitting on top of the bike. the rear stand was just to keep the partly unattached swingarm off the floor.
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GOZR
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posted February 24, 2003 04:40 PM
Here it goes 
I see that we worked on the same side of the brain to do that Redlek.. lol
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