Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > Supersports: SS / SuperSport / Supersport 950 > Swingarm freeplay - Is it easy to stop!? - Help needed

[adk]

Hi there,
my 600ss failed it's MOT today - reason they gave was "excessive play in swingarm bearings". MOT man reckons I should be able to tighten up the bearings.
So, a couple of questions - Is he correct, can I tighten/adjust the bearing to remove the freeplay? If so, how does one go about it? I gather you'd have to loosen off the 2 pinch bolts but im not sure what to do after that...
Many thanks,
A

[Iconic944ss]

Maybe ask this in the DD forum as well as I'm not too sure about the 600ss chassis.

Wear areas on the 900 are the bushes pressed into the swingarm, the pivot pin itself and the bearings in the engine housings.

Swingarm can be adjusted to the correct gap to the engine casings but I dont think its likely the bearings can be adjusted at all.

Unless he's a well clued up mechanic I'd of thought it more likely to be wheel bearings but could be either really.

Good luck - Frank

N.B. Skidlids is 'yer man'

[paynep]

If the shims between the swingarm and crankcases are missing the swingarm will have side to side play,which could be what he means. If the pivot pin or roller bearings in the crankcases are worn there will be up and down play.

If you can support the bike other than by the swingarm so the rear wheel is off the ground you should be able to tell what you have. A good way of supporting the bike is to remove the riders footpegs and turn them upside down so they dont fold upwards. Then lower the bike onto a pair of axle stands under the pegs and lo and behold the bike is upbut there is no weight on the rear suspension. Any play in either swingarm or wheel bearings or even shock mounting should be apparent, but don't go too mad shaking the thing or you could shake it off the stands.......
Voice of experience there......

HTH, Paul

[skidlids]

If its just side to side movement along the plane of the swingarm pivot then its more than likely you can re-shim the swingarm, you may find original shims have corroded and fallen apart
There are a couple of different thickness shims available so if it needs doing work out wat you need first

[adk]

Many thanks for all the replies all, it's much appreciated.
I'll try to keep this short - the MOT guy reckons it's dodgy bearings in the swingarm because when he grabbed hold of the top and bottom of the rear tyre and yanked it about there was a very slight clonking noise. He ruled out the rear wheel bearing and then thought it was the swingarm bearings and failed it. I had it all apart last night, there's definately no play in the rear wheel bearings or in the swing arm. Put it all back together and the noise was still there, took the brake caliper off and lo, noise gone! Does this make any sense?
Hopefully I can convince the MOT man this morning without having to take it off to prove it! Does seem a bit of a strange one as when everything at the back end is bolted up it should all move as one I spose but it does seem as though the bracket the caliper is bolted on can move around a wee bit...
thanks again,
A.

[chris.p]

The rear caliper mounting bracket sounds to be the culprit here, there is a stud that sticks out of the inside of your swinging arm, your caliper mounting bracket uses this stud to stop the caliper rotating with the wheel when the rear break is applied. So if the tester grabbed the wheel to check the bearings then the mounting bracket could move and cause the clacking sound.


Chris.