Rear suspension play

[revsplinter]

Anyone pick up the rear tire with it on a stand and feel the rear has slop? Mine only has 6 hours and has a tiny bit of up and down play. I checked with another Varg at the track and he had the same amount of play.

 

[markhamr]

yes just checked mine since you pointed it out
has a minimal amount of play like a notch (less than 2 mm )
I will investigate further
might be nothing too
seems to be in the suspension

 

[revsplinter]

yes its very minimal, but there. Wasn't the top of shock, it was in the knuckle somewhere.

 

[UKLee]

It is a build up of 5 pivot points in the shock mounts and rising rate linkages, a tiny bit in each, Much the same set up as most MX/Enduro bikes with the exception of ktm pds.
I noticed some play in mine at relatively low hours compared to what I would expect on our Yamaha's. Maybe the bearing to bushing clearance wants tightening up by a few microns.

 

[HITNRUN]

Bringing this thread back up. I have a 75 hr MX and a new EX. Both have a bit of play this when on the stand and lifting the swing arm up. But the 75 hr bike has noticeably more than the new bike for useful comparison. I can feel the most resonance/clunk at the bearing on the triangle link that the lower shock bolt fastens to. Maybe the next in line also but hard to tell. On the Stark parts, it just shows the whole new triangle linkage (rocker arm) with everything inc $210.

Looks like a good fix but likely over overkill vs just replacing parts inside like bearings, seals grease maybe bushings?? If so from who aftermarket?

The pull link is least likely IMO because first, I don’t feel much of any movement from it and snd because it’s the last in line. That one is also another $210.

Asking before I buy. Ordering parts today and need to know what others found once inside. Also links to tips for this rocker removal/replacement or inspection. Guessing it’s easy peasy like a regular linkage rocker bike like KTM but making sure??

I saw the Stark hot chick video already. Just looking for any additional insight from others chasing this advanced state of clunk now that I’m getting up in hours. The bike is well cared for but ridden hard always! Maybe washed too much but I’m not blasting the obvious bearings and sensitive areas and always use a leaf blower to dry before parking. I have not disassembled it yet. I also did not check the stock grease when new. Mixed opinions on that.

Please advise if you have actually taken one apart for this reason and what was the most common sense resolution?

Thank in advance.
Bill

 

[happyinmotion]

Just replace the bearings and seals first. The bearings are much more likely to have play than the solid metal linkages.

There's a good thread on how to do this. It's all pretty easy aside from the two needle bearings in the pull rode. Those are a pain.

 

[HITNRUN]

Ok I’m seeing the thread now. Also see Stark does break the parts down to each item. I suppose I will take it all apart tonight and hold off on the order until I get a good count of what’s worn to see if it’s only a handful of aged needle bearings and seals plus full clean and re grease. I agree the bushing shouldn’t be pitted unless I find zero grease.

 

[Theo]

Don't forget to check the upper shock spherical bearing.
You could disassemble everything and, first of all, test each bushing in its bearing. The pullrod to rocker arm bushing and the rockerarm to swingarm bushing should have the same outer diameter since their bearings have the same part number, so you can switch them for testing on the bench.
The bushings should be the easiest to check: I suppose that their outer diameter is ground at the same dimension for the whole length even in the sections that don't get worn being outside the needles mating surfaces. Micrometers could be good tools to compare the diameters in different points; if worn bushings are causing the play, they must be worn on some extended areas, not just in some tiny spots and so micrometers should feel that. Or you could use anything with very good straightness, like the side of a measuring caliper, to check whether light passes between this straight object and the bushings when they are pressed together.

 

[HITNRUN]

Ok so first of all, every fastener on my gen 2 MX 1.0 has regular left handed threads to remove all linkage bolts and the swing arm shaft/bolt . All bearings still have original grease and look ok! I’m not sure why some folks on here have opposing threads for one of fasteners as I read above and therefore was expecting to find. Mine definitely has all regular (left to loosen) threads! One captive nut to hold located on the right side swing arm inside/under the blue cap. Very easy to remove all components to grease swing arm and linkage.

Still don’t understand the play when lifting up the tire?? Maybe as mentioned above, a cumulative effect of all the joints but still noticeable compared to my new 5 hr EX. Anyhow I will clean re grease and re assemble as is for now. Keep watch.


But….
Look what I discovered. See pics of the black plastic lower mud guard that passes by the swing arm and how it’s been rubbing the swing arm when covered with mud and sand. The tolerances are so tight and the thing is mounted properly. It’s not like the plastics are on wrong or anything like that everything is aligned.
The abrasive sand/mud mix can be brutal on aluminum. What do you guys think I should do? It’s already notched into the swing arm. I’m thinking for now JB weld to build it back and then see what I can do
to space it further away. This sucks this.!!

My PDS 2021 ktm has a aftermarket roller to adress this exact problem. Do any of you have wear trough your swing arm like this. Have you checked??

 

[HITNRUN]

Don't forget to check the upper shock spherical bearing.
You could disassemble everything and, first of all, test each bushing in its bearing. The pullrod to rocker arm bushing and the rockerarm to swingarm bushing should have the same outer diameter since their bearings have the same part number, so you can switch them for testing on the bench.
The bushings should be the easiest to check: I suppose that their outer diameter is ground at the same dimension for the whole length even in the sections that don't get worn being outside the needles mating surfaces. Micrometers could be good tools to compare the diameters in different points; if worn bushings are causing the play, they must be worn on some extended areas, not just in some tiny spots and so micrometers should feel that. Or you could use anything with very good straightness, like the side of a measuring caliper, to check whether light passes between this straight object and the bushings when they are pressed together.

Thx I will start cleaning each component and check all with a digital caliper. It does internal and external. I plan to also check the upper shock part of this now as well. Thanks for your input.

 

[HITNRUN]

 

[Theo]

Ok so first of all, every fastener on my gen 2 MX 1.0 has regular left handed threads to remove all linkage bolts and the swing arm shaft/bolt . All bearings still have original grease and look ok! I’m not sure why some folks on here have opposing threads for one of fasteners as I read above and therefore was expecting to find. Mine definitely has all regular (left to loosen) threads! One captive nut to hold located on the right side swing arm inside/under the blue cap.

That's not a captive nut: it's a reverse thread locknut. These guys struggled for a while before realizing it; watch @3:53:

I suggest that you follow these steps in the reassembly:
my post in another thread

Someone else has reported that wear on the swingarm; I have some minor marks.

 

[HITNRUN]

Im not sure what it’s called but it doesn’t come out. You just hold it with a deep socket from turning and loosen it from the other side. It However on mine is definitely regular threaded. They are all LH thread to remove. Zero Reversed threads on this job.

 

[HITNRUN]

This is the one and you can screw the bolt in the threads from either end (normally) clockwise direction . Maybe Shawn Pinneys Stark was an earlier model. This was a last of the line before 1.2 and EX came out.

 

[HITNRUN]

One more tid bit for anyone like me who’s never changed a counter shaft (front) sprocket. Since I’m in here right now doing this and I was planning on changing it anyways I went to do it for the first time it’s hard to believe it made it 75 hours but anyhow, putting a new one on but couldn’t keep the shaft still even using a strong air impact gun.

Then I remembered you can just put this bike in reverse crawl mode and it works like a champ . Put it in forward craw to tighten and torque plus lock tight.