This has been a long time coming.
Anyhow, I'm gonna talk about what it took, what sizes are what and continue to update it until I have a fully functioning suspension. I got the 250R front end rebuilt for the build using the 350X stem, but we'll save that for later in the build thread.
I don't have allot of money, but I do have parts and time
Although I would have got this done sooner or later, I asked Jason Hall enough questions to get in his mind and I thank him for the help. But, there are still questions for many of us, so feel free to comment or ask "why?"
Anyhow, I used an 06 TRX450 swinger which is supposedly about 3/4"s longer than 05 or earlier.
I'll use the inch system to make life easy on everyone. So, it comes stock at about 9 and 1/4"s with the dust caps and thrust washers. About 9 and 1/8th without the dust caps and just under 9"s wide with it bare.
The 350X opening varied from a few frames I had but all about 8 and 9/16ths. So even with the swinger completely bare, you are still about 7/16ths too wide on the swinger with no outside seal, dust cap, thrust washer - nothing! How the average guy can fit it on there is beyond me. You MUST use machinery.
Anyhow, I wanted the stock collars/thrust pieces, I believe they help play a role in supporting the long spacer that only rides on one needle bearing. Then I wanted a 1/16th S.S. shim next to it and that would equal the frame opening.
BUT, here is my question, 200Xand 350X swingarms have a full width spacer, it is just a bit longer than the width of the assembly so it can allow the swinger to pivot. The 450R has 2 separate spacers that ride on the needle bearing and outer thrust collar; So whats to stop the thing from binding up? Do people leave the bolt a little loose? On a 250R, we have thrust washers that allow you to tighten your swingarm bolt so I thought about what I'd do here to allow me to lock down my bolt and allow the swinger to pivot without much side to side play (that took a bunch of math )
I'll make a spacer for the swinger bolt and you have to open the hole up to 15MM's from the stock 14MM's.
Anyhow, I built a plate for the bottom and trammed in the mill, this alone took 2 hours or more just to set up:
Once set up, I took off the amount I needed to allow everything to work MY WAY :
Without this machine, I don't know how you could do this accurately, the idea is to IMPROVE and update the 350X, not hack new parts into it:
Now this is the space I spoke of before with the black magic marker, I will machine a sleeve just a few thousands LONGER than the outside of my swingarm assembly.
And here is a shot of the spacer and OEM thrust washer/collar and my S.S. washer that will take the side play up:
If anyone can explain to me HOW they accomplish this without spacers/thrust bearings, I'd love to hear it.....
Right behind that collar will be the OEM inner seal but used outside because we now have now water/dirt protection.
So this is what it looks like, this one is for me and a crate engine........
And no, the 1/2" plate was just a jig
Next will be a set of "ears" for the lower pivot. I'll see what shock works, what they affect and so on. I have the 450R shock, 250R and a Cannondale FOX Podium but it's mounting is wrong. However, I have the aluminum and machines to make any linkage I want.....
All I want is a 350X I can jump further and higher with some confidence!