Recommendations for cleaning shock linkage area

Hi all,

Anybody have any recommendations on what cleaning products to use to remove all the crap glued to the dogbone, linkage triangles, etc. before reinstalling my newly springed and valved shock? Also, once cleaned, should I lube the holes in which the bolts are inserted (for some reason I can't think of the correct name, so please excuse my slightly pervy description). If so, what type of lube is best? Thanks in advance.

WD40 on a rag + elbow grease will remove all but the most stubborn grease/tar/road grime. That and brake cleaner. Scrape as much off as you can first with a flathead screwdriver and wire brush, rinse with brake cleaner, wipe with WD40. Works great for me.

Yes, pushing some fresh waterproof grease into the pivots would be a good idea. The red stuff from WalMart(SuperTech high temp waterproof grease) will suffice. Bel-Ray sticks a little better, IMO.

Engine degreaser or kerosene followed by Brake Cleaner should do the trick.

Oh, I see Seb already beat me to it.
What he said.

Simple Green, Wire brush and elbow greese. I like the Simple Green because it is effective at cutting crud and does not require you to work with toxic stuff.

Also, Aluminum screen door cleaner works.

[image: View Post]VIFFER93, on 28 January 2010 - 03:14 PM, said:

Simple Green, Wire brush and elbow greese. I like the Simple Green because it is effective at cutting crud and does not require you to work with toxic stuff.

Also, Aluminum screen door cleaner works.


Make sure you rinse really well when using Simple Green on your bike, it's an alkaline formula and will corrode your bike!

From S.G.'s site:

Quote

Aluminum - Is it safe to use Simple Green® on aluminum?
When used with caution and according to the instructions, Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner has been safely and successfully used to clean aluminum. Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner, Crystal Simple Green® Cleaner/Degreaser, Simple Green Pressure Washer Concentrates, and Pro Series™ Simple Green® Automotive Cleaner have been used on aircraft, automotive, industrial and consumer aluminum items for over 20 years. However, caution and common sense must be used: aluminum is a soft metal that easily corrodes with unprotected exposure to water. The aqueous-base and alkalinity of Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner can accelerate the corrosion process. Therefore, contact times for unprotected or unpainted aluminum surfaces should be kept as brief as the job will allow - never for more than 10 minutes. Large cleaning jobs should be conducted in smaller-area stages to achieve lower contact time. Rinsing after cleaning should always be extremely thorough - paying special attention to flush out cracks and crevices to remove all Simple Green® product residues. Unfinished, uncoated or unpainted aluminum cleaned with Simple Green products should receive some sort of protectant after cleaning to prevent oxidation.

Simple Green has also developed break-through water based cleaners that are safe for use on metals, plastics, rubber and high tech alloys. Extreme Simple Green® Aircraft & Precision Cleaner and Simple Green® Pro HD are available on both the industrial and retail markets, respectively. These products were initially developed for the aircraft industry and extensive testing shows that they are safe and effective on a variety of metals and other sensitive surfaces even in the most extreme circumstances.

Simple Green® Stainless Steel One Step Cleaner & Polish is another option for cleaning polished aluminum. This product is designed for light duty metal cleaning and polishing.

WD40, on the other hand, will not hurt the aluminum and will actually help protect it if you leave a film behind. :fing02:

Thanks for all the replies, guys.

That's pretty much what I wanted to know. I may stick with WD-40 since I already have some and don't want to risk damaging the aluminum.

About the lube, would you guys lube the pivots, then insert the collars? That's what seems logical to me.

[image: View Post]jaimev34, on 28 January 2010 - 05:07 PM, said:

About the lube, would you guys lube the pivots, then insert the collars? That's what seems logical to me.


I don't lube & insert, - but I do apply grease to parts and then reassemble.








:goofy:

I am going through that process myself, and on a bike that is seriously grungy. The WD40 route is the safest for sure. But there are times I wish I had a hot high-pressure degreaser spray . . . and then just buy a new chain! :goofy: But as bad as the inside of the swingarm may be, nothing compares to the area around the small drive sprocket. And around the sidestand hinge.

I tried 2 brands of degreaser . . . neither seemed to work any better than WD40, so for now I am back to it. It's lower on fumes as well. I haven't tried a heavy app of kerosene, because I'm working inside a civilized area.

I'm sure it will all be worth it in the Spring . . . ;p

[image: View Post]Paladin, on 28 January 2010 - 08:26 PM, said:

But as bad as the inside of the swingarm may be, nothing compares to the area around the small drive sprocket. And around the sidestand hinge.


Amen to that - I just did that exact thing - twice! Did chain & sprockets on 2 96 VFRs, one at 30k and one with over 45k, and I don't think either of them ever had "the goop" removed!! I scrape out as much as I can with an assortment of flathead screwdrivers(learned to get good at it from cleaning chainsaws!), then wipe the visible areas with WD. Cleans up pretty good!

[image: Posted Image]

[image: View Post]SEBSPEED, on 29 January 2010 - 06:08 AM, said:

[image: View Post]Paladin, on 28 January 2010 - 08:26 PM, said:

But as bad as the inside of the swingarm may be, nothing compares to the area around the small drive sprocket. And around the sidestand hinge.


Amen to that - I just did that exact thing - twice!


You did a much better job than I did! :fing02: