Thinking of building an extended swingarm...

[fabiodriven]

It's for my 85 Tecate. My only question is, if I only extend it 2-3 inches, should I change the location of my shock mount?

[SWIGIN]

no, all mounting points should be left alone

[fabiodriven]

Nice, well I went out in the shed after I posted this earlier and started looking at my 2 spare swingers. I dunno where it came from, but I just grabbed one, started cutting and welding, and now I'm over halfway done! I'm going to the hardware store right now just to get more stock, but it should be done tonight. I'll post some :pics: later.

Well, I was almost done and I got rained out. Pretty bad thunderstorm, too. It was nice and sunny, then all of a sudden thunder and lightning. It's funny, just as the song "sunshine go away today" came on, it started to rain. I poop you not-

Anybody know what that silverish grey color is on the Tecate swingarms? It looks like the same color my 86's frame is painted.

[250rulzes]

It's aluminum unless some j-hole tried painting it? Polish that baby up, it should look good after that!

[fabiodriven]

OK, it's done! I painted it Kawi blue. I'm not really crazy about the paint color, but it was either that or black. I figure if I don't like it I can paint it later, it'll do for now. The fabrication work came out awesome! I couldn't be more happy with how it worked. I extended it 2 and five eighths inches. While I was doing it I figured I'd do the swingarm bearings. I had them lying around anyways. I popped them out with a ball-joint press and I'll put the new ones in tomorrow. Some of the welds could be better, but all I used was my 110 volt little welder with flux-cored (gassless) wire.
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r275/fabiodriven/swingarm/P8070036.jpg

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r275/fabiodriven/swingarm/P8080037.jpg

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r275/fabiodriven/swingarm/P8080038.jpg

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r275/fabiodriven/swingarm/P8080039.jpg

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r275/fabiodriven/swingarm/P8080040.jpg

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r275/fabiodriven/swingarm/P8080041.jpg

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r275/fabiodriven/swingarm/P8080042.jpg

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r275/fabiodriven/swingarm/P8080043.jpg

[Yamatrike400]

Cool! looks somewhat similar to mine! IMO yours is better looking though :beer

http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r52/squirrellrancher/07-07-08_1615.jpg

[fabiodriven]

Hey, that is pretty similar

[250rulzes]

oooooooooooopppppssss! My bad, was looking at his 500 in the avatar....put foot in mouth first, read later...thats my motto?

[Hoosier_Daddy]

I have an extra swinger and want to extend it 2" myself. Where can i find the stock to use to add to it?

[fabiodriven]

oooooooooooopppppssss! My bad, was looking at his 500 in the avatar....put foot in mouth first, read later...thats my motto?

I think the 500 has a steel swinger too...

[fabiodriven]

I have an extra swinger and want to extend it 2" myself. Where can i find the stock to use to add to it?

I got mine at the local harware store. It's just 1x1 angle steel, I think. It was like $13 for a 3 or 4 foot length. I'll take another look at it tomorrow and find out how thick it is and what-not.

[Hoosier_Daddy]

I got mine at the local harware store. It's just 1x1 angle steel, I think. It was like $13 for a 3 or 4 foot length. I'll take another look at it tomorrow and find out how thick it is and what-not.

Cool, never thought of that!

[fabiodriven]

OK, it's done! Well, mostly. I still have to make some new mounts for my chain guard and disc guard. I got rid of the blue paint because it looked awful. I'm putting a before pic so you can see the difference. While it was apart I did the swingarm bearings and obviously I had to put a new chain on it and a longer brake hose. All in all, it came out pretty good!

Here's the before pic-
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r275/fabiodriven/Tecate%20250/P7290030.jpg

Here are the rest-
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r275/fabiodriven/Tecate%20250/P8090039.jpg

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r275/fabiodriven/Tecate%20250/P8090040.jpg

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r275/fabiodriven/Tecate%20250/P8090042.jpg

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r275/fabiodriven/Tecate%20250/P8090041.jpg

Here's one of my brandy-new NOS swinger guard just to make you Tecate guys jealous. I was saving it for a special occasion-
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r275/fabiodriven/Tecate%20250/P8090043.jpg

[cr480r]

OK, it's done! Well, mostly......All in all, it came out pretty good!

I really like it.. It makes me want to put another 1st gen Tecate together ..


Here's one of my brandy-new NOS swinger guard just to make you Tecate guys jealous. I was saving it for a special occasion-


haha.. nice try.. I have one sitting next to my computer... got it for $9..

[fabiodriven]

I really like it.. It makes me want to put another 1st gen Tecate together ..



haha.. nice try.. I have one sitting next to my computer... got it for $9..

Thanks for the compliment 480!

Yeah, I scored mine for about 10 bucks. There's one "buy it now" on ebay for $125!!

[fabiodriven]

So I went riding with this new setup for the first time today, and I'm not crazy about it. It's really bumpy in the woods, it doesn't climb hills as well as it used to, it's hard to carry a wheelie now, and it not as fast in a straight line. I think the straight line lacking is due to the gearing change with the smaller tires. I can definately see where it would be much better for MX, it handles much nicer. I have a new rear sprocket on the way. I'm actually debating on putting it back the way it was for now. Once my 500 is done I have another 250 I'll be putting together. Then I could have the MX one and the trail rider.

[Taiser]

Great job!!

Yeah in the bush a long swinger can be a detriment and wheelies... LOL! It will be much more stable though, especially if you add spacers to the wheels but unstable is what you want (at least me) for zipping around trees and rocks. Now if you were in the dunes....

[fabiodriven]

Yeah, Taiser. I hear ya with the whole "unstable is what you want" thing. I think I liked it better that way.

[cr480r]

Great job!!

Yeah in the bush a long swinger can be a detriment and wheelies... LOL! It will be much more stable though, especially if you add spacers to the wheels but unstable is what you want (at least me) for zipping around trees and rocks. Now if you were in the dunes....

a +2-3" is nothing on a 1st gen Tecate... they are very short when stock. I have a +4" on mine and I can still "zip" around any tree and bust out wheelies at will through every gear... I agree on the wheel spacers though... I have a 40" (+5.5")axle on mine and its more trouble than its worth in most situation...

[fabiodriven]

Yeah, I might ditch the spacers and leave the swinger, put my 20's on and see how that goes.