swing arm lock nut tool question

Joined
Apr 7, 2007
Messages
577
Location
Tacoma, wa
I'm gearing up to do some work on my s.a. (ST1100 '98 ) at 80$us for a single use tool, the mother Honda tool is just too expensive for my tastes! I see what appears to be a good offering from the United Kingdon. at 30 $U.S., it's right in the range that I think reasonable. the question is - have any bought one? and is the quality up to the task? ( not going to make a living at doing swing arm maintenance, just a home hobbyist ) http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-Tool-...62?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item19ec40bf56
 
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John OoSTerhuis offers a lending kit for the price of 2 way postage.

Mark
 
I'm gearing up to do some work on my s.a. (ST1100 '98 ) at 80$us for a single use tool, the mother Honda tool is just too expensive for my tastes! I see what appears to be a good offering from the United Kingdon. at 30 $U.S., it's right in the range that I think reasonable. the question is - have any bought one? and is the quality up to the task? ( not going to make a living at doing swing arm maintenance, just a home hobbyist ) http://www.ebay.com/itm/Honda-Tool-...62?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item19ec40bf56

I ordered a lock nut tool from custommachinecomponents on flea bay for $40. It's worked fine thus far. I also ordered a Hex socket kit and a torque wrench from Harbor Freight for around another $40 something.
I'm in the process of changing my u-joint and driveshaft joint. Just ordered my parts last night. But your welcome to borrow the tools when my job is done. However, some other members may live closer to you; I'm in Michigan.
 
after visiting CMC's site i'll probably buy there, if I do decide to buy. my plans are that mid fall i'll start in on this project. and I totally forgot that the st group had tools available on a loan basis. i'll probably contact John O. closer to my launch date. and if the que is too long, adjust my plans. thanks for the kind thought, sturgissteele
 
The torque setting quoted for tightening the locknut assumes that this tool will be used. If you use the published torque setting directly onto any old locknut tool (which can be purchased much more cheaply), the chances are that the bearings will be too slack or too tight - as the tightening of the locknut affects the tightness of the bearings - even if you hold the swing arm bolt absolutely still.

You have made a good point - and the reason I bought the Honda tool. The offset of that 1/2 inch square changes the actual torque being applied to the lock nut.
 
just a wee note, the job's been finished for a few months now. I ended up buying from cmc....their site was not functioning at the time I ordered. so ordered over the phone....it seems to be a one man operation, and when I got him on the phone he was kind enough to ship the tool on his dime....40$ deliverd to my door.
 
This post is obviously too late for the original question which has now been answered but the tool mentioned which was made in the UK is an exact copy of the correct Honda item. It was me who sent the details to the guy across here who made it for me. His name is Vince Goosey and the one he made me is excellent quality and even better when you remember how much Honda want for their version.
Incidentally when using an offset tool with a torque wrench the arm which offsets the tool and into which you place the drive of the wrench must be at 90 degrees to the torque wrench. Then the value is correct and unchanged. If you have the arm as an extension of the wrench or in other words sticking out in line with the wrench then the value will need to be reduced to account for the effective lengthening of the wrench.
I love physics!
 
.... when using an offset tool with a torque wrench the arm which offsets the tool and into which you place the drive of the wrench must be at 90 degrees to the torque wrench....

That is correct. The service manual torque spec is predicated on it.

Edit: BTW, I have both ST1100 and ST1300 swingarm tools and hex-bit sockets available to loan for the price of postage.
 
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John,
I need to change out my u-joint as I've been getting a lot of vibration and now clunking from the drive shaft. I'd like to borrow your tools to change out the u-joint on my 06.
 
John,
I need to change out my u-joint as I've been getting a lot of vibration and now clunking from the drive shaft. I'd like to borrow your tools to change out the u-joint on my 06.

Hi Gary,

I don't have a tool loaner post up at ST-Riders.net for that tool yet, so just email me direct now.

John
 
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I have swingarm tool for 1100 sitting in the drawer. If anyone needs to loan it, just PM me. Hopefully this weekend I'll find time to go thru my tools and I will post loaners.


Mark
 
not to be argumentative ( or to HIJACK a thread) but wouldn't using the torq wrench at an right angle to the extension require a new calculation? just like using the torq wrench INLINE with said extension would? link to help visualize> http://home.jtan.com/~joe/KIAT/fig_10c.jpg the new length that has to be compensated for would be the length of a line, drawn from the t.w. handle to center of the wardware to be torqued (hypotenuse). I read this approach sighted in print all the time, and always reason it out to be wrong
 
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not to be argumentative ( or to HIJACK a thread) but wouldn't using the torq wrench at an right angle to the extension require a new calculation?

No. The torque value spec'd is based on the torque being applied at the offset with the wrench at 90 degrees to the moment arm. Over the years I've verified this with University physics professors and trained mechanics. TruST me.

Edit: you're probably not going to break anything doing it improperly...

Regards, John
 
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If one were to make this tool, is the distance from center to the socket wrench hole on the extension set, or can it be closer/further?
 
you're right John, it probably doesn't not make much of a difference. but after pouring over my own clymers and the factory manuals, I can't find any notation to the effect that, the specified torq. values are applied to the tool (or tool orientation, for that matter). rather all I've read is that these values are applied to the hardware. to be fair, my st library is limited to only these two manuals, so this information could be contained elsewhere.
 
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