Step by Step Guide to Fitting Triumph Single Sided Swingarm into TLS

[Sam]

Its very tight and isn't an easy job unless you have access to lathes and milling machines.

Forget this swing arm for a TLR conversion, the TLR frame is 10mm narrower than the TLS and would mean some major alterations to the Triumph Swingarm.

I choose the 955i/T595 swing arm for a few reasons :-

It's the same length as the TLS (same wheelbase)
It has the hole in the right place for the rear exhaust pipe
The Ducati Wheels fit the hub with a shim to correct the different offset (I prefer the 5 Spoke Design)
The chain alignment is within 1mm
The top of the swing arm has an extra thick platform where the shock will mount (either welded tabs or billet bracket)

In stock form the 955i arm is too wide to fit between the frame sides, let alone between the cast TLS frame bosses.



The 955i arm needs reducing at both sides on the milling machine, -2.25mm on the left and -2.75mm on the right
This gives a revised width from 284mm to 279mm and still leaves enough wall thickness on the sides of the swingarm.

The internal spacer tube needs turning down in length and the right hand side spacer accordinly to give +0.5mm protusion of the bearings each side giving a total arm width of 280mm.









The frame needs the bosses cutting back to +1mm each side, the left hand side still has plenty of meat for the spindle, the right side is down to 7.5mm so needs strengthening. The width between castings (ignoring bosses) is 282mm on the TLS and we need 280mm, hence the +1mm each side.

This is the pain in the arse bit as the frame is too awkward to try and get in the milling machine and even if you could get it set up square you would have to machine at 90 Deg to the boss faces which isn't ideal.
I made a fly cutter driven by a drill which keeps everything square, just the job !























I wanted to use the Triumph Swingarm Spindle and do away with the ugly back/lock nuts of the TLS item and just machine everything to a tolerance fit. To make the spindle fit length wise and address the thinner right hand frame casting issue I made two spacers, the left side is a simple disc 8mm thick only serving as a spacer, the right side is 18mm thick spacer with an M32x1.5 7.5mm long thread as the TLS frame is recessed 10mm more on the right side for the stock back nut to hide in. With this special spacer tightened into the frame it strengthens up the whole pivot area.





Here is where I am now at after a little radiusing of the footrest tabs on the left side to clear the bow of the swing arm.



The posty brought this today which is the next step.

Ducati 998/996/916/748 Ohlins Shock and linkage



I found a CAD drawing of the 916 so I can work out the postition of the top rocker in relation to the pivots and also the distance from the swingarm pivot for the bottom shock mount etc.



That's where I'm at so far, so back to the garage to create some more swarf for a few more weeks...........



.

[BurnCycle]

Too damn cool...

Can't wait to see more.

[h0ssman]

Awesome work

[Kamikuza]

AWESOME ... god I want a job doing stuff like that!!!

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Kamikuza

AWESOME ... god I want a job doing stuff like that!!!

No you don't, keep it as a hobby like I do

Makes the drive home from the desk job even better...........

[llamacide]

Great job brutha!! I'll keep watching!!

[TLMONKEY]

Bloodyhell sam, kept that one quiet didnt ya.
So is that the one jim had?
Hey,
Thinking on, i should have lent ya me mv swinger to see if ya can come up with a better/cleaner way of fitting it

[Kamikuza]

Yeah but then who pays for the big expensive machines

[BikePilot]

Very cool

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Kamikuza

Yeah but then who pays for the big expensive machines

After years of wanting I finally paid £800 for a harrison L5 lathe and over the past few years probably paid the same again in tooling but it's so handy to have and doesn't take up too much room.......

The Milling machine I have is an acient Swedish Arboga bought for £200, I then had to buy a 3ph to 1ph invertor and subsequant motor rewind after the insulation broke down and fried itself, then renewed the X/Y screws and nuts, in all costing more than the machine in the first place but still a cheap miller

So for the cost of a cheap TL I have my own workshop

Ian I bought the sssa and ohlins on ebay, the 955i swing arms are pretty common cos most people buy them then realise they won't fit anything. I chose the 916 shock and linkage as everything is above the swingarm and fits just right for the TL providing you get the mounting points correct which is where the CAD drawing came in.

I need to make a new swing arm bearing spacer tube as I have 0.5mm slop on the bearings and subsequently the left hand bearing sits flush with the arm and not 0.5mm proud as I intended.