TS 125 swinging arm bushes

Forums Technical Two Stroke: Help needed TS 125 swinging arm bushes

  • This topic has 4 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 10 years ago by Anonymous.
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    • #4767
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      My ’78 TS 125 has some play between the swinging arm bushes & the spindle. The spindle is fine, suggesting new bushes needed.

      Reading up on the arrangement it seems the spindle & steel bushes should stay still in use & the pivoting action comes from flex of the rubber bushes that surround each steel bush.

      Anyone able to comment here?
      Should the steel bushes be a close fit on the spindle and if so are what are they like to change?

      Any thoughts appreciated.

      Drew

    • #4797
      Peter Fielding
      Participant

      Hi Drew,

      Since no one else has responded i will add my comments.

      Normally the later MZs rely on the rubber bushes to control movement and the steel bushes should be trapped firmly against the frame. In my experience (mainly with TS250’s admittedly, the steel bushes are relatively slack on the spindle. I would first make sure that the spindle nuts are done up really tight and the lock nut is also tight to ensure the spindle itself cannot move.

      It would be worth removing the wheel and the shock absorbers. You need to make sure that you rubber bushes are flexing rather than the spindle moving.

      Regards

      PeterF

    • #4811
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      Thanks for the reply Peter.

      All stripped at the moment – will take a closer look with this insight.

      Cheers!

    • #4819
      Laurence Jones
      Participant

      Hi Drew:
      I’d back up what Peter says here. In use isoelastic bushes are held still in the outer and inner bushes and the rubber twists to take up the movement required. Your inner bushes are not supposed to be a tight fit on the spindle but are supposed to be clamped firmly when you tighten the nut up and trapped against the frame so they can’t move. If you have play in the swing arm there are 2 possible reasons: the bushes have broken up and are perished or slack leaving the inner free to spring about in the bush; the spindle is loose letting the inner bush move around the spindle. If the bushes are perished you’ll have to replace them but you’ll have doubtless examined and sorted that by now.
      When re-tightening isoelastic bushes remember to leave the spindle loose and tighten it while getting someone to sit on the bike to ensure the bushes are tightened in their normal running position. This increases life expectancy no end!
      I hope this is of some use to you.
      All the best:
      Laurence

    • #4847
      Anonymous
      Inactive

      Hi Lawrence,

      There is a good consensus here and your detailed comments are most welcome. The function as described makes sense, so will carefully go through the correct tightening procedure once I start re-assembling the bike in a week or two and see what happens. The bushes certainly don’t look perished, nor the inner sleeves particularly worn, so fingers crossed.

      Now to the engine…

      Regards,
      Drew

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