Swingarm Install Continued

Joined
Aug 3, 2026
Messages
8
Age
47
Location
ireland
Bike
honda st1100
Hi am back again looking for more Guidance am a Newbie with Bikes Riding for years mostly done own Mechanics on cars. nothing Major , Am little confused got Swingarm seeming ok lots movement up down, got sleeve on correctly, attached pumkin/ final drive & lower shock nut all just hand tight , but lost all up down vertical play, googled said maybe shaft not ligned up correctly loosened nuts again checked pinion piece turned freely seemed on long shaft carefully hand tight again but again no Vertical movement up & down anymore like before moved several inches is it supposed to be like that now is it because the shock takes all the movement it can do now , Excuse my Lack of understanding just want it correct & safe before moving on?
 
You have to install and torque the rear wheel in place before you tighten the 4 nuts on the final drive.
Thanks for replying did read that but everything moves freely up until I insert lower bolt on shock absorber , thought was caught up on final drive pumpkin but not the case , I only hand tightened the 4 final drive nuts on seems there not the problem as soon as I removed shock lower bolt can move swingarm freely vertically straight away, as soon as I hand tight shock bolt nut in place can't move swingarm , up down again , do you get what I am trying to say, is that the way it sopossed to be because am getting conflicting advice Google Ai & Firefox web search?
 
Thanks for replying did read that but everything moves freely up until I insert lower bolt on shock absorber , thought was caught up on final drive pumpkin but not the case , I only hand tightened the 4 final drive nuts on seems there not the problem as soon as I removed shock lower bolt can move swingarm freely vertically straight away, as soon as I hand tight shock bolt nut in place can't move swingarm , up down again , do you get what I am trying to say, is that the way it sopossed to be because am getting conflicting advice Google Ai & Firefox web search?
Did you install the rear wheel before you put the low shock bolt in?
That goes in before you install the rear wheel and torque it.
If your shock isn't a pogo stick, you will not be able to move the swingarm.
Just did one 2 weeks ago when I had to replace an alternator.
I prefer to listen to folks that have done several times not AI ... ;)
From the book (notice the order) -
ST1100 Swingarm Removal.jpg
 
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Hi am back again looking for more Guidance am a Newbie with Bikes Riding for years mostly done own Mechanics on cars. nothing Major , Am little confused got Swingarm seeming ok lots movement up down, got sleeve on correctly, attached pumkin/ final drive & lower shock nut all just hand tight , but lost all up down vertical play, googled said maybe shaft not ligned up correctly loosened nuts again checked pinion piece turned freely seemed on long shaft carefully hand tight again but again no Vertical movement up & down anymore like before moved several inches is it supposed to be like that now is it because the shock takes all the movement it can do now , Excuse my Lack of understanding just want it correct & safe before moving on?
Thanks Phil , can't stand the AI but it everywhere ,
that ABS model first 3 parts not apply am old school no fancy Trickery , ok couldn't stretch for the ABS model at time. No. 4 lower shock mounting bolt so that be one of the last pieces to go on in Reverse taking a Semi educated Guess. I will Try that Method so. probably be couple days from now

Hi am back again looking for more Guidance am a Newbie with Bikes Riding for years mostly done own Mechanics on cars. nothing Major , Am little confused got Swingarm seeming ok lots movement up down, got sleeve on correctly, attached pumkin/ final drive & lower shock nut all just hand tight , but lost all up down vertical play, googled said maybe shaft not ligned up correctly loosened nuts again checked pinion piece turned freely seemed on long shaft carefully hand tight again but again no Vertical movement up & down anymore like before moved several inches is it supposed to be like that now is it because the shock takes all the movement it can do now , Excuse my Lack of understanding just want it correct & safe before moving on?

Hi am back again looking for more Guidance am a Newbie with Bikes Riding for years mostly done own Mechanics on cars. nothing Major , Am little confused got Swingarm seeming ok lots movement up down, got sleeve on correctly, attached pumkin/ final drive & lower shock nut all just hand tight , but lost all up down vertical play, googled said maybe shaft not ligned up correctly loosened nuts again checked pinion piece turned freely seemed on long shaft carefully hand tight again but again no Vertical movement up & down anymore like before moved several inches is it supposed to be like that now is it because the shock takes all the movement it can do now , Excuse my Lack of understanding just want it correct & safe before moving on?
 
If I'm reading you correctly, you're putting in the lower shock bolt *with the shock in place* correct? If so, then as Phil said, you can't move the swingarm up and down at that point because you'd have to overcome the shock spring force, which you're not gonna do by hand.

You asked previously:

is it because the shock takes all the movement it can do now
and the answer is yes.

then remember post #2 about having the wheel in place and torqued down before tightening the final drive bolts (also see item 5) in the service manual procedure Phil posted). That's because you want everything to be settled in without any weird counter forces before locking the final drive down to the swingarm.
 
I'm no expert, but when I removed the rear wheel on my 1300 (I know you are talking about an 1100) the swing arm was immovable until the wheel was reinstalled and the bike's weight was supported by the shock absorber. Once you install the lower shock bolt, the swing arm will have to compress the shock's spring in order to move. That is nearly impossible to do with the bike's weight supported by jack stands and/or the center stand.

Oops, @dwalby just beat me to the punch.
 
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