Engineering and extending my own 83 200x Swingarm-- Cut and weld pics!

[rg97]

Hi all
I've been wanting to put an extended swinger on my X ever since I had it apart for the stroker, and now it's becoming a reality. The original 83 swingarm was crap, the double tube design only lasted that year, and so I bought a tube swingarm from brendon (yaegerb- thanks again!). Once I recieved it, I stress relieved it in my ultrasonic hot tank cleaner (160-170F water for over an hour) (<-- EDIT: Dont believe this... my dad was just messing with me and told me to put this in there). And just today I got the chance to order some rectangular tubing from metric metals online (60x30x2.30mm and free for a 6" sample) and also to glassblast the swinger (see pics). Now what I have to do is:
1. cut the swinger (right in front of the carrier)
2. cut the tubing (2" lengths with a 2.8 degree angle on one side)
3. MIG or TIG the two together
4. Powder coat it white or red

Any input is appreciated... What weld to use, tips, ANYTHING helps... THANKS

[KASEY]

you need to sleeve the inside to get some strength,, I would use some 1x2 I would also cut it right behind the brakeline mount so you have some distance to put the sleeving inside,,

[rg97]

That sounds like a good idea, i can get the exact ID when i cut it, so then i can get another steel
tube from metric metals.

[M.Pargiello]

I have 6 inch sections in my +4, just butt welding will probably end up failing

[fabiodriven]

Why are you extending it?

[El Camexican]

I stress relieved it in my ultrasonic hot tank cleaner (160-170F water for over an hour)

I doubt that soak in the hot tub stress relived your swing-arm. It takes a lot more heat than that and a controlled cooling process to stress relieve steel, but no matter, you swinger is mild steel, not chromoly, so it shouldn’t need stress reliving, just don’t do anything to speed the cooling process after you do your welding. What Kasey said about an inner sleeve is the best way to add strength, but if it was me I’d use something long enough to allow me to drill a couple holes on both ends of the cut swing-arm and plug weld the sleeve as well. I don’t know the size that fits (Kasey likely has done a few of these, so if he says 2 X 1 it probably fits perfectly). If you still aren’t sure you can put a fish plate(s) over the splices as well. Make sure everything is clean before you weld and a little pre-heating with a torch before welding wouldn’t hurt anything.

[rg97]

Why are you extending it?

Because a durablue or a custom made one runs more than i have for a budget.

So instead of throwing a piece of tube that is the same OD as the swingarm and welding that, i'll find some 1x2 tube or similar and put it as a sleeve inside then weld it to the swingarm .

[rg97]

just don’t do anything to speed the cooling process after you do your welding.

Thats a good way to ruin a good weld, stick red hot metal into a bucket of water (unless you're hardening/tempering tool steel)

Thanks for all the replies, I may have had a bad failure if I did what I was going to do

[oldskool83]

i've never been a fan on cutting and extending thing. you could get new tube and just weld it all in there. Round was used for my 200x/250R/400ex/450R swingarm set up.

Maybe that will give you some idea.

Never use a butt weld at all, ever.

[El Camexican]

If you are only going to go with the smaller I.D. tube on the inside make sure you use something thicker than the stock material. I think the heaviest 2 X 1 is readily available in is 1/8” or 11ga. The stronger option is to find a tube that is larger than what you have and place it over the stock tube. That way you can be sure of having a stronger section, but that size may be hard to find. If you do go the 2 X 1 route consider gusseting either the top or bottom of the swinger sides with say a nicely cut triangular gusset that doesn’t interfere with anything else.. This will add a bunch of strength if it covers the added section and extends a couple inches on either side.

[rg97]

The largest thickness 2x1 tube I can find is 3/16". That pretty thick and will work if I decide to do the inside route

[rg97]

El camexican it turns out that my dad was just joking when he told me that the hot tank cleaner would stress relieve the swingarm. Not knowing any better I put that into the thread... and he was joking and wasnt serious about that.
anyways... before I throw out the idea of butt welding it together, has anyone actually had a butt welded +2 swinger fail? I can understand if it was like a +6 or longer but not on just +2

[El Camexican]

El camexican it turns out that my dad was just joking when he told me that the hot tank cleaner would stress relieve the swingarm. Not knowing any better I put that into the thread... and he was joking and wasnt serious about that.
anyways... before I throw out the idea of butt welding it together, has anyone actually had a butt welded +2 swinger fail? I can understand if it was like a +6 or longer but not on just +2

I think I like your Dad!

Don't even think about a butt weld! It is not a matter of if it will break, only of when it will break and my guess would be the first time you go over anything larger than a pot hole. The length of the splice has nothing to do with it. Are you wanting to keep it looking stock? If so there are ways, like covering spliced 2 X 1 with thin plates and gringing the welds flat. BTW 3/16" wall is VERY strong.

[rg97]

So I measured the ID of the swingarm, and the width is .008 out (the 1" tube is .008" smaller than the ID and thats OK to use) but the 2" height is 3/16" too small, so I would probably have to get some 3/32" shim material for each side of the sleeve and square it up... then I might have to shave down some parts if it still doesnt want to fit.

[barnett468]

if you use a shim it will need to be welded to the inner sleeve if you plan on welding the top of the sleeve to the swing arm.

do you plan on drilling like 4, 3/8" size holes on eaxh side of each end of swing arm then filling holes with weld to weld sleeve to arm?

you should also bolt it to a jig.