control arm bushings

[spcamno]

I know these bikes has some issue with the rear swing arm bushing but after carefully inspect ours I noticed that the front control arms (both upper and lower) has a slight little play in it.

Anybody knows what material they use for bushing?

Should I really care about replacing them or fabricate something to eliminate the excessive play?

[Weldangrind]

That depends upon which atv you have.

I pounded one of the swingarm bushings out and carried it in to my local motorcycle shops until I found a replacement. I did the same thing for my son's pit bike.

The new bushings had much thicker inner and outer tubes, with very solid elastomeric material in between; definitely better stuff. They were less than $8 each.

[spcamno]

Thanks for your reply again Weldangrind!

Did you notice any improvement in the ride or handling?

We have a mini hummer for my son and got another one here which I finally got it running:

http://chinariders.net/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=8649

Do you remember which bike those bushing off fit your atv?

Thanks

[Weldangrind]

I can't tell you if there was any improvement, because I changed the bushings before ever riding our 200 Beast. The real reason was that one bushing was missing. :roll:

The replacement bushings were from Yamaha, and I believe that they were originally spec'd for a PW80.

The bushings on my son's 125 Dirt Bike were another story; the stock bushings were really sloppy, and the swingarm would move from side to side. :!: I found bushings at Honda, and they were originally from some old Z50 model or similar. I'm not too sure; Darwin at 3-D cycle in Abbotsford just let me root through a box of bushings until I found a match. The new bushings were a big improvement.

[TurboT]

Thought I'd weigh in here.

I think the front control arm bushings were also in the question. Is this on the mini hummer or the other? I know the front ends are different between the mini beast and the mini hummer, but you have one there were not sure the make of.

I know my beast "a arms' are always loosening up. I've never taken them apart to see what is inside them.

[spcamno]

Thank both of you again for your post, you guys always gave me positive answers!

Anyway, back onto the topic: Yes, I notice some play on both bike while a slightly little more on the mini hummer.

I have never own any quads before and can't really compare these to a brand name one so please bare with me if I ask too many questions.

I know any excessive play in any suspension and steering components will lead to sloppy handling / ride and not sure if I should really care about them before we never ride really hard on them (usually just cruise around and never use for jumping or do any stunt) but my concern is if the bushings deteriorate to a point that will cause an accident.

Should I worry about them and take it apart like Weldangrind suggested take it to motorcycle shop and look for match.

Thanks

[TurboT]

I think your question is entirely up to you!

If it's something that is concerning you, by all means dive in and see what you can make better.

The rear swing arm bushing, if failing, will cause your chain to fly off all the time so you'll be forced to do something about that.

As for the fronts, eventually I'd think it would become dangerous if there is too much movement, but if it's minor and you can live with it that is your decision.

I've not had my front ends apart to see what is in there yet, or where to find any replacement parts that fit.

[Weldangrind]

I'll chime in and say that if you're going to remove a bushing, make sure to do it gently in case you can't find a replacement right away. One way to remove a control arm bushing is to find a piece of threaded rod that will easily pass through the center, and then find something that will contact the outer edge of the bushing on one side and the tube it slides into on the other. You could then attach a nut on either side. Upon tightening the nut that pushes against the bushing, it should slide out the other side.

The best material to use would be steel tubing. I buy steel tubing for welding projects from either Metalmart or Metal Supermarket; they sell by the foot.

[TurboT]

I used to love taking brass bushings out of the back of crank shafts with white grease, a piece of metal tube and a hammer! :)

I realize that won't work in a through and through hole but just thought I'd share my delight in the hydraulic method. :)

[spcamno]

Thank both of your replies!

The front bushing is not really something needs to be fix right away but it will be nice to see what's inside and what can be done to make it better.

I already bought some white "Delrin" plastic and it should fit the rear on the mini hummer.

I think the ride will be little harsh due to its much harder almost no flex when compares to rubber but I am hoping it will last the life time of the bike (or at least during the time we own it).

Anybody tried that "Delrin" plastic before?

Are they hard to work on?

I was told you need special bit to drill or bore it may be I will do a test cut and see how it react when using regular saw and drill bit.

[Weldangrind]

I'm not sure if it was Delrin that I used on our 150 Monster quad for the swingarm, or some other UHMW plastic, but it drilled easily. It was also easy to shape with a flap disc on an angle grinder, or even just a file.