Tecate swingarm swap

[BigGreenMachine]

My swingarm has a warped bearing sleeve where the pivot bearings go and I need a new one. I am lookin to find an extended swingarm but Cal-fabs and Westcoast arms are hard to find and expensive as heck if some1 knows what they have.

I was looking at swapping the Tecate 4 swingarm and axle because of the wider axle and double row bearing carrier options and also because of the swingarm skids which would be an awsome addition because of the knarly trails around here. The biggest reason would be the added lenght of the T4 swingarm since I plan to build up my motor some more. Not sure if it fits because I dont know the measurement at the rear motormount/swingarm pivot. I do need someone to check this out for me as it would be a great mod for any old Tecate. Only things needed to do would be a longer chain and a new UNI-rod mount welded to the T4 arm. I'd use a complete brake line and caliper/rotor from the T4 also. So as soon as possible I need some info on the width of the swingarm pivot point on the T4 and if there is room for the stock T3 shock to fit.

If not then the 86 Tecate 3 swingarm would work and also add about 2 inches of length and I'd be able to use the stock brakes and axle carrier.

Thanks, James.

[BigGreenMachine]

Just looked on Dennis Kirk and found that the replacement bearing kit for the swingarm pivot fits both the 85 and 87 tecate 3 and 4, means that the swingarm bearing sleeves are the same, since most KX cases are closely produced I would guess that the motor width is the same in the rear. Now to find a nice cheap complete rear setup....

[OZQUAD44]

Have any luck with your search BGM?

I'd like to put a T4 swing arm into the back of my 87 T3

Heres a picture of a t4 arm and a t3 arm

Don't be put off by the side of the chain runner on the T4 swinger. I flipped the image and it mirrored it rather than rotating it.

The width at the motor end looks heaps different. Do you think that it is just an optical illusion? Is a T4 swinger longer or shorter than a T3 swinger?

Has anyone got a T3 and a T4?

[BigGreenMachine]

No luck. Didn't look into much after. The best route for you to take is to buy a 400EX rear end and swingarm and have the EX carrier mated to your Tecate swingarm.

[moose 53]

I just measured the t3 and t4 axles and the t4 is not longer .What did you mean when you said the t4 is wider then the t3?I know its heavy duty (bigger diameter),it will take more abuse. I never had any real problems with the t3 axle in my big bore 3 wheelers.

[OZQUAD44]

He means that aftermarket +4" T4 Axles can still be bought, 86/87 T3s can't.

Moose, if you have access to t3 and T4 axles, do you have access to the swingarms?

If so could you please check to see how long a T4 swingarm is in comparison to a 86/87 T3 swingarm.

And if possible check to see if the engine ends of the swing arm a similar dimensions. IE can a T4 swingarm fit on to a 86/7 T3?

[moose 53]

I can get the length of a t3 stock swing arm ,my brother sold it so it will take a while . The t4 swing arm was already extended when I had it,so don`t know how long stock is.The t4 is sold but I can find out wide the swing arm is on the motor side.Should be a simple mod to cut it and make it fit ,Alu welds up very nice with a tig welder.Even if the t3 and t4 match on the motor side the offsets would probably be different so you would need to cut and weld it any way. I put a t3 motor in a t4 and had to shim the t3 alot to make it fit.The t4 motor is wider then the 85 t3.

[moose 53]

Just looked on bike bandit and the 86t3 and 88t4 use the same axle.So the +4 t4 axle will fit in the 86t3 swing arm.

[OZQUAD44]

Not quite sure if that is correct info on bike bandit Moose.

If you go onto the kawasaki web site and look up the part manuals, you'll find that whilst the first part of the number matches the second half does not.

I emailed Dura Blue to see if their T4 axle would fit into the 86/7 T3 Carrier and they said it was a different axle and wouldn't fit.

There aint too many T3s or 4s around here to compare so I was hoping someone at 3WW could shed some more light on the subject

[BigGreenMachine]

OZ, if your looking for an extended axle I think Greenhuman makes them out of billet for about $500. Thats the only option I know of.

Next year I plan to make another aluminum swingarm with the 400EX carrier housing built in so I can pimp the T3 even more.

Hoping to pick up a 200X and turn my T3 into a hillclimb/drag machine in the future.

[kaseobeer2585]

I've just been thinking of hacking up a stock rear arm and extending it. I have a few pieces of plate steel and a welder so I dont think it would be to terribly hard to do. Make up a jig or something to keep everything straight. Does anyone know where the aftermarket axles are extended? Near the pivot point or back near the axle? I figure its worth a shot if I can pick up a rear axle on the cheap.

[moose 53]

Not quite sure if that is correct info on bike bandit Moose.

If you go onto the kawasaki web site and look up the part manuals, you'll find that whilst the first part of the number matches the second half does not.

I emailed Dura Blue to see if their T4 axle would fit into the 86/7 T3 Carrier and they said it was a different axle and wouldn't fit.

There aint too many T3s or 4s around here to compare so I was hoping someone at 3WW could shed some more light on the subject

I looked again this morning and still come up with the same part # for 88t4 & 86t3 rear axle # 41068 .I had both of them in my shop a while ago and it would have been so easy to check then.Would be good to check it out.

[killerklown]

any new info?

[86tecater]

was it really hard to get your swing arm bolt out? I am having a hell of a time getting mine out. Please let me know your tricks and hints to getting it out if you would.
Thanks!