does the trx swingarm bolt up with no mods to the crf frame? is there any grinding involved? can a trx rear shock be used? or do you get something else to go back there, or does the crf rear shock still work?
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does the trx swingarm bolt up with no mods to the crf frame? is there any grinding involved? can a trx rear shock be used? or do you get something else to go back there, or does the crf rear shock still work?
At The Back Of The Pack
Arm chair racerAt the back of the pack
No it does not bolt up. There is no grinding involved, but there is milling involved. The frame is too narrow, the swinger is to wide, and no you cannot take it all off of the swinger, you have to take it off the frame also. The pivot bolt is smaller diameter on a trx than it is on the crf, the pivot bolt is also your rear motor mount and obviously needs to be the correct size to work correctly with no play. The trx shock will work, but only if you custom make and weld a new shock mount on the trx frame like me and jason hall did. The crf shock could work, but you would have no way to know what it would be set up for with the trx linkage. Also it will not mount to the linkage, and the trx linkage will not mount to the crf frame without heavy modification. This is no easy task, me and all the other guys have put countless hours of thought, work and money in our builds. There is more thought and money involved in this conversion than you could ever imagine. Good luck on your build, where here to help.
2005 CRF450R Alum Frame build done, switching to inverts.
86 trx250r fmf fatty fmf q k&n v force reeds gold valve rear shock with eibach spring.
86 atc250r stock sand only
88 NX250 mint rainy day
85 kawi js550 stand up basicly stock
87 kawi js550 scary fast for a stand up
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thank you for the reply. i will think about my next step. another weird idea i was thinking of was cutting the stock crf swinger and cutting the rear off of the trx swinger. then welding the trx back half of the swinger to the crf swingarm.that way the crf frame stays in tact and so does the shock. i know im crazy, but crazy people think of crazy things. haha
At The Back Of The Pack
Arm chair racerAt the back of the pack
be nearly impossible to weld the two together and have it be strong. The trx swinger is cast which is very very very hard to tig to anything, or even back together. Best be would be to start from scratch. Thats what I'll do on my next go round with this build. Learned alot on my first build and someday will start again from scratch.
2005 CRF450R Alum Frame build done, switching to inverts.
86 trx250r fmf fatty fmf q k&n v force reeds gold valve rear shock with eibach spring.
86 atc250r stock sand only
88 NX250 mint rainy day
85 kawi js550 stand up basicly stock
87 kawi js550 scary fast for a stand up
Power User
Catch me if you can
^ Well said! Cast aluminum is no picnic. It would probably be easier to build a custom swinger.
Ride height, rake, fitment; It truly is no easy task but were all gonna have to share with these builds while we watch the parts dry up for the OEM trikes...........
Reservoirs mounted right to the upper mount don't help when you need clearance for other stuff!
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I'm gonna play devils advocate here and say not only is it possible, but its been done, and thoroughly tested.
That was an arm I welded up for Louis Mielke, that was CR500 in the front and 400EX in the rear. It never broke, or cracked with 2(?) seasons racing the OTC MX series before he went to a shorter one.
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And a few more so you can see how it started out.
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^ AND, your also a very good if not excellent TIG welder.
I'm SURE you've seen some of the aluminum fed mig welders attempting aluminum repairs; Let alone structure........
All our government does is distract us while they steal from us, misspend our tax $ and ruin our country
Always finding new and exciting ways to not give a hoot in hell
Catch me if you can
No I agree its not something just anyone should attempt, but if you get the thing setup for chain alignment and stuff and make a little fixture (Like Louis did, his was out of a bedframe and then shipped it to me) you can take it a competent welding shop and have them go to town on it. The aluminum actually welded very nicely from what I remember. Infinitely better than any carbon and oil soaked engine cases I've ever had to work on. MIG on aluminum isn't inherently inferior to TIG either, its just a lot harder to be precise with it and you dont have as much on the fly control.
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i knew it could be done. on the raptor site, people cut the aluminum stock swinger and extend them. people stretch the suzuki 400 swingers too.
At The Back Of The Pack
Arm chair racerAt the back of the pack
Yes it can be done...but not by just anyone. And if you were to pay some to do it it would cost more than most bikes are worth to do the welding you just showed pictures of. By the way amazing tig job those welds look amazing on cast.
2005 CRF450R Alum Frame build done, switching to inverts.
86 trx250r fmf fatty fmf q k&n v force reeds gold valve rear shock with eibach spring.
86 atc250r stock sand only
88 NX250 mint rainy day
85 kawi js550 stand up basicly stock
87 kawi js550 scary fast for a stand up
Always finding new and exciting ways to not give a hoot in hell
Catch me if you can
Well I tell ya'll what, if anyone wants an arm like that made, jig it up so its in the alignment and placement you want (Use a bed frame, some all thread stock and strap steel, whatever that holds it and makes it fairly rigid) Ship them down here, and as long as I don't have to cut any material to fill in the weld gaps, I'll glue as many of em together as you want for $150 a piece!
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i think No it does not bolt up because it is no grinding involved, but there is milling involved. frame is also too narrow and swinger is to wide.
It is too good for those users who are not well knowledge. I'll see what I can get out of it or not.ok hope the answer Thank you
First Time Rider
Arm chair racerNew to the board
Very Nice Work!Originally Posted by Billy Golightly
I'm gonna play devils advocate here and say not only is it possible, but its been done, and thoroughly tested.
That was an arm I welded up for Louis Mielke, that was CR500 in the front and 400EX in the rear. It never broke, or cracked with 2(?) seasons racing the OTC MX series before he went to a shorter one.
Always finding new and exciting ways to not give a hoot in hell
Catch me if you can
Thanks! Wasn't really that bad to do since Louis had it all in place where it needed to go for me.
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