86 Big Red. Will a 85 Swing Arm work?

[George_Doucette]

I was running my 1986 Big Red 250es and where they upgraded the swing arm and made the axel housing detachable from the swing arm it was rotten were the swinger bolts to the housing (excuse my terminology im a hillbilly). That put a lot of stress on the down tube that the driveshaft is encased in. Well to make a long story short my threewheeler is in the woods with the rear portion hanging buy the shock. Im seeing that the 85 models are different in the sence that the is two pieces to the swing arm set up instead of the 86s' model which is made up of three pieces. I was wondering if the swing arm is interchangeable between the two styles. Because the one piece would be better than trying to hunt down and ship two. Also if anyone has the parts i need id buy them...thanks alot.

[Jason125m]

As far as i know, you should be able to interchange between 85/86 swingarms, just don't hold me too it.

[Tecate Karl]

yes they all bolt to the bike the same the 86-87 is just a little better because it has better seals in it.

[George_Doucette]

yeah it seems like the axel housing being welded to the swinger instead of being bolted would last longer...cool thanks guys!!

[atc350xer]

you'll need the whole '85 brake setup and the axle is different too...

[George_Doucette]

you'll need the whole '85 brake setup and the axle is different too...

okay i see, i dont have brakes and am not going to get brakes...but that sucks if the axel is different...i guess ill have to find the 86 swinger parts

[AtcFactoryRacer]

Honda did away with the 85' style design because it had an external rear brake drum which always leaked water and mud inside causing your rear breaks to fail. Trust me if you ride in creeks alot and through sand i would stick with the 86 rearend, my 85's rear brakes have been a money pit, i replace the large drum seal and it always picks up gravel around the drum and eats the seal up then my drum fills full of mud and i have to tear it apart a spend another 50 bucks in a new seal and rear shoes to be able to stop again. Its cheaper and less maintainence to fix the rearend you have

[Thorpe]

Not sure why everybody hates on the 85 rear end... I never have water issues with mine, and its sees enough mud and water...

I do have a spare swinger sitting here I will let go of cheap...

[George_Doucette]

Not sure why everybody hates on the 85 rear end... I never have water issues with mine, and its sees enough mud and water...

I do have a spare swinger sitting here I will let go of cheap...

yeah i would buy it but apparently the axel is different...

[Thorpe]

I bought it off ebay, not knowing which year it is... If anyone can tell me, how to tell the difference...

[George_Doucette]

I bought it off ebay, not knowing which year it is... If anyone can tell me, how to tell the difference...

do you mean how to tell the difference between the swing arms or axels, 85 swing arm and rear end tubes are made up of two pieces, the 86 model was made up of three...far as telling axels apart i wouldnt have a clue, but im guessing it would have to do with the brake changes or something...maybe length is different between the two.

[Woodsrider]

I bought it off ebay, not knowing which year it is... If anyone can tell me, how to tell the difference...

The easiest way to tell the difference between the '85 and the '86-'87 swingarm is that the '85 has a piece of solid steel tube (rebar size diameter...more or less) that is welded at various points for adding structural strength to the swingarm assembly. If you stand behind the Big Red and look at the swingarm, this "tube" starts at one side of the lower shock mount and then goes to the midpoint of either the driveshaft tube(to the left) or to the opposite side (to the right), and then in a kind of diamond pattern to the front of the swingarm assembly. The later years had just a second straight piece of steel that is parallel to the axle....and like George says, because there is no support welded to all 4 sides of this structure, the tubes that the axle go through, are not permanently attached to the rest of the swingarm assembly, theyt are bolted on. It would be easier to explain this with pictures, but I don't have any. I suppose another way to know is to see if the "axle tube" is permanently attached to the swingarm( 1985) or can be unbolted and removed (1986 and newer).

[Woodsrider]

George_Doucette, where are you in NS? I do have some parts of the '86 swingarm, but I know that I don't have an axle. I have the main part of the swingarm, and it's like new, no rust. Is that what you need?

[Thorpe]

Gotcha... My spare is a 85 then... The long tube (right side) is welded to the diamond support...