Swingarm woes

[Kane]

Okay, after two years of screwing around and finally making my zilla what I'D call bulletproof, I had to go and fuck with it. I ported it and dropped a Lectron carb on and now I have TOO MUCH power. Yeah I said it, too much power.

Now I keep snapping chain adjuster studs. No matter how tight I make the carrier bolts they get pulled toward the engine. I've even tried crown washers, all they did was dig furrows in my swingarm. I've had to change the studs 4 times in as many hours and now am up to a 12m for studs. The 10m studs I had were too strong for the original backing plate and broke through so I had to make a 1/4 replacement plate, but that broke the 10m's.

What the fuck am I doing wrong? If there are sooooo many zilla's out there with huge engines having no problems I HAVE GOT to be doing something wrong.

My carrier bolts are new and the nuts are Nyloc. I've also tried castle nuts and regular nuts.

This 'bout the dumbest design I've ever had to mess with. Stupid Suzuki.

[Skully]

Kane,
I'm with you on the Suzuku carrier design, that has got to be the worst ever!! My only suggestion would be to look for a round carrier swinger.

Jim

[yankeespeiro]

i just ordered the round swingarm from http://www.burgardcycle.com/LT500R.html it was the cheapest i could find my zilla had the same problem but i should get the swingarm mon or tues. not quite 800$$ with shiping and berings. does it look anything like these pics? to much power is a bitch with this shitty design!!!!! lol

[Kane]

Aint that the shit. Yeah, mine looks a bit like yours, only mine has bigger studs now.

I AINT paying more for a swingarm and carrier than I paid for the whole quad. I'll make my own swinger. The A-arms I made have held up to serious abuse so I figure I can fab a safe swingarm.

Been thinking about using a similar design to allow use of the stock carrier but using a "push" design on the adjuster studs. I.E. having them come from the front of the carrier. That, or just buy an aftermarket round carrier and making a swinger to fit.

[sblt500r]

heres an aftermarket swingarm that uses the stock carrier. but if i was going to pay $700 for a swingarm, i would get a round style bearing carrier.

http://www.bykeengineering.com/byke_...ng_002_008.htm

i must be lucky, or my engine makes alot less hp then yours! as i have never had a problem with the chain adjustment coming loose. it just takes way to long to adjust

[Kane]

Hmmm..... A steel version of the SAME POS design? Why? The Burgard round carrier swinger can be had WITH the carrier for $10 more. I bet they dont sell too many of those clunkers.

[Timbo]

Kane, I had a similar problem with my Zilla years ago (I bought it new in 1988 and broke them about 4 times). It was completely stock, but would still break-off the 2 small studs. I decided I wasn't getting the 4 carrier through bolts tight enough, and as you clutch it hard with traction it would move forward on the left side and pop those little studs off. The carrier bolt heads are too small to get real torque on them without slipping off, so I pulled out the carrier and drilled it out to a couple sizes bigger (it's got plenty of meat there), and taller heads on the bolts, and nuts. Then I drilled and tapped the studs like you did, never had another break since. You really have to reef on the through bolts with long handled tools ( I used grade 8 and welded nuts on the bolt heads so my 6 point socket has a lot to hold onto under the swingarm, and no you don't see it). True it was stock, but I used all the power it had. I snapped the factory chain in half once while rolling slightly backwards down a hill ( great loamy traction) and dumping the clutch back up the hill ( Holeshot tires). It snapped it and pitched it out the back. I have since added the complete Duncan National kit (man that hurt the wallet) and so far no chain or carrier bolt issues. The factory studs are not made to hold anything, just there to ease chain adjustment like a dirt bike has. The through bolts have to pinch the carrier tightly and do the holding. It makes adjusting the chain a lot easier too, using big tools and not worrying about slipping off and bleeding.

[Kane]

I started using case-hardened bolts (around a grade 12) last year after snapping two in half. I was breaking chains left and right until I went on to Sidewinder. Havent broken any since. Expensive but worth it and then some.

I use a 2' breaker bar and socket when I tighten my pinch bolts. Probable why they've begun to dig furrows in the swingarm as the carrier gets pulled forward.

I've been running zilla's since 1990, but this particular problem has only been giving me the stink-eye since I built it up this past winter.

[flotek]

i dont think its a power related issue althoug h that would probably increase the effect of drawing the carrier toward the engine . thsoe things are junk and its common i used heavier bolts and it always creeped and need adjusting and the adjustment is a pisspoor design ,yo ucan easily get them crooked/ misaligned .its a shame they arent like a Yamaha were the adjusters keep the carrier pulled back so tightening and alignment adjustments can be fine tuned by a turn of 10mm wrench .if i was going to jerry rig one would make a beefy bracket drill and tap the carrier make it work against itself and toward the rear of the swinger body and was similar to the yamaha adjustment so it so it could net be drawn away and could be pulled back toward the rear ,kinda hard to explain what im thinking

[Kane]

I get your general idea. Actually, whether it be Yamaha's or Honda's or even ATK's design,,,,,ANY other design is far better than the Suzuki one. Well, maybe not the ATC200X and a couple other Honda's. Those had the adjusters sliding the whole swinger back.

As a side note.................Yamaha didnt invent the carrier design they use. It saw use on the Kawasaki Tecate 3 before Yamaha picked it up. It IS a decent design.