Daytec Swing Arm Install - Hot Rods Bike-Works Magazine

01. We had just blazed up I-15 from the fog-choked Los Angeles basin into the bright sunshine of the Southern California high desert, where Hesperia and Daytec are located. Craig is pushing his bike over to the R&D shop in the Daytec compound.

01. We had just blazed up I-15 from the fog-choked Los Angeles basin into the bright sunsh

We rolled out of foggy, drizzly Los Angeles early Tuesday morning on our way to Daytec Center "up the hill" in Hesperia, California. We had run into Phil Day a few weeks earlier and he informed us of his "cure" for the high-speed wobbles that dressers have been plagued with for many years. Craig Murrow, one of our ad sales associates, has a '01 Twin-Cam dresser and he was one of the parties listening to Phil describe the cure. Craig has ridden his bike to Sturgis and back the last 4 or 5 years and has had first-hand experience on the dreaded wobbles that start at about 85 miles an hour. "You can drive through them (wobbles) if you stay on the gas," he said. But not all riders have that kind of confidence to "stay on the gas." It would be much easier to fix the problem. That's why we were cold, wet, and heading up the hill to Daytec.

As we crested the summit of the Cajon pass the sun breaks and through the clouds, the scenery lit up and the temperature rose. As we threaded our way through Hesperia, we thought of watching the rear of Craig's bike as we motored up the hill. While his bike did not break out in any wobbles, the back end certainly did some serious shimmying around--especially on some of the high-speed sweeping turns. This led us to believe the ride back down the hill would be interesting, providing we got out of town while there was still some light. But true to Phil's word, Craig had a whole new bike; a much more solid bike. As we came down the hill after being at Daytec all day, Craig had a grin on his face that would have taken a 2x4 to remove. There was one small problem: The whereabouts of a bare wire that no one spotted or even looked for while the bike was on the lift. We did, however, see signs of that wire on the way down the hill with a few episodes of the bike shooting sparks out from underneath. The reason or cure for the ill handling or "bagger wobbles" is not one thing alone. It is a combination of many small items that when present altogether, make for a handful of a machine at any speed above the posted limit. The main component of the cure from Daytec is the company's robust swingarm. The stock swingarm, which is constructed from rectangular tubing, will twist under strenuous circumstances, thus contributing to the wobbles. Installing a Daytec swingarm in addition to the following procedures developed by Phil Day will make your bike solid under any road conditions and speed. But like we said earlier, the cure is a combination of little adjustments done in the correct sequence using quality parts. Quality parts include the swingarm with a new 1-inch diameter axle and new isolator mounts for the swingarm, as well as a new turnbuckle adjuster for the front and the rear of the bike.

02. Once inside the R&D shop, Phil and Aaron, who you'll see soon enough, got to work tearing the bags from Craig's bike. They also drained the primary oil. The in-ground lift shown here raises the bike up to a comfortable working height. It also serves as an adjustable platform to make the bike perfectly level, which plays a big part in the cure.
02. Once inside the R&D shop, Phil and Aaron, who you'll see soon enough, got to work tear
03. The new Daytec swingarm, already powdercoated along with a new set of swingarm mounts, was laid out on the adjacent lift table. Note the extra bracing (arrow) near the pivot.
03. The new Daytec swingarm, already powdercoated along with a new set of swingarm mounts,
04. Craig's bike was rolled over to the lift and positioned so the framerails would set between the adjustment blocks (A) and over the rear adjustment bar (B).
04. Craig's bike was rolled over to the lift and positioned so the framerails would set be

05. Here, Phil Arlotti (A) is making sure the bike is sitting square so it can be secured in the clamps of the lift. Aaron Burk (B) hasn't warmed up to our camera just yet and was playing hard to get.
05. Here, Phil Arlotti (A) is making sure the bike is sitting square so it can be secured
06. The bike was positioned properly and parts started to come off, like the exhaust and wheels. Aaron has figured out that we're harmless and has come around to our side of the bike.
06. The bike was positioned properly and parts started to come off, like the exhaust and w
07. One of the fascinating aspects of Daytec is the tool boxes. Every special tool Phil devises is housed in a custom-made oak box built in-house by the shop carpenter. This box (on wheels) houses the rubber-mount fixturing/checking system, which is again built in-house.
07. One of the fascinating aspects of Daytec is the tool boxes. Every special tool Phil de

08. With the front wheel and brake removed, the first pieces of the alignment tooling were placed on the frontend.
08. With the front wheel and brake removed, the first pieces of the alignment tooling were
09. What Phil and Aaron were leading up to is a system to check the alignment of the wheels and driveline. The stabilizing rod (arrow) bolted to one of the brake caliper mounting bosses and placed against the engine on the other end will lock the frontend perfectly straight.
09. What Phil and Aaron were leading up to is a system to check the alignment of the wheel
10. Here, Aaron is removing the rear wheel and shock absorbers in preparation for the rear tooling. The jack under the wheel helps guide the wheel out of the swingarm without the risk of scratching the paint or chrome, not to mention lower back stress lifting that wheel.
10. Here, Aaron is removing the rear wheel and shock absorbers in preparation for the rear

11. With the wheel and shocks out of the way, Aaron fitted the rear hangers for the alignment tooling. There are two hangers that bolt to the frame using the top shock bolt locations, and then a solid bar fits through matching holes. There are two sets of holes in the hangers for different applications.
11. With the wheel and shocks out of the way, Aaron fitted the rear hangers for the alignm
12. The rear axle was placed back in the swingarm through the axle adjusters and the rear tooling. The turnbuckle (A) will hold the swingarm in location for the measuring.
12. The rear axle was placed back in the swingarm through the axle adjusters and the rear
13. To start the evaluation/measuring process, the first order of business was to level the frame. Here, Aaron is holding a round bar (A) against the underside of the frame. On top of the bar, he is holding a Starret precision level (B).
13. To start the evaluation/measuring process, the first order of business was to level th

14. The frame needed to be adjusted to bring it level. Phil is turning a bolt (A) threaded into the mounting plate that when turned, will raise the frame until Aaron indicates the frame is level. The dotted line indicates the leveling bolt's location.
14. The frame needed to be adjusted to bring it level. Phil is turning a bolt (A) threaded
15. Now that the frame was level, Phil checked the level of the rear tooling by placing the Starret level across the tooling bar. The rear axle has been pushed up against its adjustment stops, and then checked. If the level was off, then something would be bent, like the swingarm or frame. Craig's was level.
15. Now that the frame was level, Phil checked the level of the rear tooling by placing th
16. Now that the frame and rear tooling was level, Aaron used a set of trammel points to check that the axle was adjusted correctly. Remember we didn't move the axle adjusters. Craig to his credit had the rear axle pretty much dead on. Aaron checked both sides of the swingarm to ascertain this fact.
16. Now that the frame and rear tooling was level, Aaron used a set of trammel points to c

17. The front tooling has been leveled and the strut was locked down. Next, Aaron and Phil used a tape measure to check total chassis alignment. Here, Aaron (holding the smart end) holds the tape at the axle centerline, while Phil checks the measurement at the front axle.
17. The front tooling has been leveled and the strut was locked down. Next, Aaron and Phil
18. The initial measurements have been completed. Phil has determined that Craig's bike was out-of-whack 1/16-inch side to side. This is not bad at all, but it's still enough to hinder the handling quality. The tripod in the photo was built to place near the axle to rest your hand against for taking an accurate measurement.
18. The initial measurements have been completed. Phil has determined that Craig's bike wa
19. With the knowledge that the chassis was off a slight amount (this slight amount can be adjusted out), Aaron started to remove the swingarm and pivot shaft bushings.
19. With the knowledge that the chassis was off a slight amount (this slight amount can be

20. On rubber-mount bikes, the swingarm pivot bolt locates the rear of the drivetrain as it passes through the bushings and rear of the transmission housing. Once the pivot bolt is removed, the transmission will drop. Included with the tool kit is this wooden wedge that is placed between the transmission case and the frame jig to prevent it from dropping.
20. On rubber-mount bikes, the swingarm pivot bolt locates the rear of the drivetrain as i
21. Even after Aaron has removed all of the mounting bolts, it still required a certain amount of effort to wrestle the swing-arm from the grasp of the frame.
21. Even after Aaron has removed all of the mounting bolts, it still required a certain am
22. The old (A) and the new (B) isolators are the mounts that allow the driveline to move in a forward plane. Notice the new isolator has a rise to it going from left to right, while the old isolator appears straight across. The isolators have a preset scale to them that allows for some sag when assembled on the bike Once it's assembled, the isolators will be centered.
22. The old (A) and the new (B) isolators are the mounts that allow the driveline to move

23. Here is the back of Craig's bike with the swingarm, mounts, and pivot shaft removed. He already had a stabilizer installed on the bike. The new Daytec swingarm won't affect it whatsoever.
23. Here is the back of Craig's bike with the swingarm, mounts, and pivot shaft removed. H
24. While Phil and Aaron worked on the bike, Craig wanted to change out his rear pulley and rear drive belt, and upgrade to a 1-inch axle. This necessitated changing out the rear wheel bearings, plus Phil had said something about making the primary leak proof.
24. While Phil and Aaron worked on the bike, Craig wanted to change out his rear pulley an
25. Aaron proceeded to strip the primary drive from Craig's bike. Here, he's pulling the inner primary cover off. Notice the masking tape (arrow) wrapped around the splined portion of the transmission mainshaft.
25. Aaron proceeded to strip the primary drive from Craig's bike. Here, he's pulling the i

26. Ah ha! Here is the source of Craig's problem spotting the shop floor back at the office. The mainshaft seal was distorted, allowing oil to seep out.
26. Ah ha! Here is the source of Craig's problem spotting the shop floor back at the offic
27. Phil Day devised a way to make the primary's oil tight by O-ringing the bolt holes that are wet (arrows)--this means they have oil on the back side of them. We will have a more in-depth look at that process next issue.
27. Phil Day devised a way to make the primary's oil tight by O-ringing the bolt holes tha
28. After the inner primary got a thin coat of Halomar and a new main shaft seal, Aaron was ready to start reassembling Craig's bike.
28. After the inner primary got a thin coat of Halomar and a new main shaft seal, Aaron wa

29. While Aaron was working on the primary, Phil was over at the machine shop having Craig's PM caliper mounting bracket opened up to 1-inch and new wheel spacers made to accommodate the new axle. Just going to a 1-inch axle over the stock 3/4-inch size gains almost a 70 percent increase in material area, thus adding to the rigidity of the rear end of the bike.
29. While Aaron was working on the primary, Phil was over at the machine shop having Craig
30. Back over on the primary side, Aaron was just about ready to button up. Here, he applies a liberal coating of Halomar to the starter jackshaft bolt, helping to prevent primary oil from leaking past the jackshaft.
30. Back over on the primary side, Aaron was just about ready to button up. Here, he appli
31. The new Daytec swingarm comes with the new bushings installed and requires some finesse to get in position. Aaron and Phil maneuvered the swingarm where it should go.
31. The new Daytec swingarm comes with the new bushings installed and requires some finess

32. The swingarm pivot bolt was coated in Never-Seize--the copper variety--and pushed (by hand only) through the isolators, swing-arm, transmission, and on out the other side. Phil said don't use a hammer (swinging press) because if everything wasn't lined up correctly, tapping the pivot bolt into place could result in a burr on the shaft or damage to the transmission case. The pivot bolt should slide into place.
32. The swingarm pivot bolt was coated in Never-Seize--the copper variety--and pushed (by
33. We're on our way getting things back together. The swingarm was in place and torqued to the correct specs. As the rest of the bike was reassembled, Aaron and Phil paid close attention to the measurements and adjustments so that the driveline was aligned in the frame.
33. We're on our way getting things back together. The swingarm was in place and torqued t
34. Here, the rear tooling is now assembled on the new swingarm. The axle adjusters have been set equally on the bench. The new rear axle and tooling was in place and the tool checked for level.
34. Here, the rear tooling is now assembled on the new swingarm. The axle adjusters have b

35. Going back to the frontend, Aaron again checked it for level. All of the pulling and pushing from changing out the swingarm could have knocked the frontend out of level.
35. Going back to the frontend, Aaron again checked it for level. All of the pulling and p
36. Aaron had the trammel points out again and was insuring that the rear axle was parallel to the swingarm pivot. Ours was a slight bit off and was brought into line by using the rear axle adjuster on the short side.
36. Aaron had the trammel points out again and was insuring that the rear axle was paralle
37. After the rear axle and pivot bolt were aligned and parallel, Aaron and Phil checked the rear axle to the front axle measurement. They found out there is about 1/8-inch out of square.
37. After the rear axle and pivot bolt were aligned and parallel, Aaron and Phil checked t

38. Phil is removing the front engine-mounting bolt so that he can adjust the front to rear axle measurement. If the measurements are that far out of whack, the bolt could hold up the amount of movement needed.
38. Phil is removing the front engine-mounting bolt so that he can adjust the front to rea
39. The front stabilizer link (A) is used to adjust the front to rear axle measurement. By adjusting the stabilizer link, the axle measurements have been made equal. You can just see the offset of the motor-mount bolt hole (B).
39. The front stabilizer link (A) is used to adjust the front to rear axle measurement. By
40. To bring the front motor mount into line where it won't load, Phil loosened the bolts (arrows) that bolt the mount to the frame. He shifted it over until the holes were lined up, and then bolted everything down.
40. To bring the front motor mount into line where it won't load, Phil loosened the bolts

41. The next measurement is the vertical alignment. This is controlled by the top stabilizer link, which anchors to the top motor mount and the frame. The one on Craig's bike was worn out and sloppy, thus adding to the ill handling of the bike. Aaron presets the measurement of a new stabilizer link by measuring the old and the new side by side.
41. The next measurement is the vertical alignment. This is controlled by the top stabiliz
42. One of the last items to deal with at the rear of Craig's bike is the rear fender. The new Daytec swingarm lowers the bike by 1-inch when installed, but the solid bracing of the swingarm near the pivot bolt will hit the lower portion of the fender. Here, Aaron is marking the fenderfor trimming.
42. One of the last items to deal with at the rear of Craig's bike is the rear fender. The
43. There is something to be said for measuring two or three times but only cutting once. Aaron is in the process of trimming the lower edge of the bike's fender with a cut-off wheel. Aaron then smoothed the cut edge and painted it with some black paint to perfectly match the rest of the bike.
43. There is something to be said for measuring two or three times but only cutting once.

44. While Aaron was slicing and dicing the rear fender, Phil and Craig were fitting the front wheel back in place.
44. While Aaron was slicing and dicing the rear fender, Phil and Craig were fitting the fr
45. The shocks that Craig had fitted to his bike would not work with the new stiffer swingarm. Phil had a set of Progressive Suspension 440 shocks on hand and let Craig have them for a good price.
45. The shocks that Craig had fitted to his bike would not work with the new stiffer swing
46. Now we're on the downhill side of this project. At this point, Craig's bike is coming back together. Phil and Aaron have been into this about six hours.
46. Now we're on the downhill side of this project. At this point, Craig's bike is coming

47. For the rear wheel install, Aaron once again used the uprights and the scissor jack to raise and position the wheel in the frame, without tweaking the back.
47. For the rear wheel install, Aaron once again used the uprights and the scissor jack to
48. The last measurement with the trammel points is to make sure the rear axle is parallel to the swingarm pivot bolt.
48. The last measurement with the trammel points is to make sure the rear axle is parallel
49. With the rear axle torqued to 100 lb-ft (new 1-inch axle) the chrome axle covers (arrow) were bolted to the swingarm.
49. With the rear axle torqued to 100 lb-ft (new 1-inch axle) the chrome axle covers (arro

50. Aaron is showing some teeth as he and Phil reassembled the Bassani exhaust system. The rest of the sundry parts like the saddlebags and seat were bolted back on. Now we're ready for the test ride.
50. Aaron is showing some teeth as he and Phil reassembled the Bassani exhaust system. The
51. As Aaron rolled Craig's bike off of the lift, Phil Day came by the R&D shop and gave us a quick tip on suspension. Phil bounced up and down on Craig's bike a few times and told us to watch the front and then the rear of the bike Each time Phil bounced the bike, you could see the suspension rise and then settle. He told us that a working suspension should do this rise and fall each time in both the front and the rear. And for a properly set up suspension, the settle part should be one third of total travel.
51. As Aaron rolled Craig's bike off of the lift, Phil Day came by the R&D shop and gave u
52. The moment of truth; the test ride. Craig left the Daytec Center and headed down the road. We waited and waited and after about 20 minutes, he came back with a grin that would have taken the better part of night to wipe off his face. His first word was "solid" followed by "let's roll home." On the way back to Los Angeles, the wiggle had vanished from the back of Craig's bike. We pulled off the 15 into a gas station so I could ask how his bike was doing. He just smiled again. That smile said it all.
52. The moment of truth; the test ride. Craig left the Daytec Center and headed down the r