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Here's the finish product. Its reasonably easy to do if you have the tools and patience. There are a lot of steps so it takes some time to get done.


After the second time I serviced the relay arm on my 2005, I convinced myself that there must be a better way. Suspending the bike and removing the centerstand to grease one bearing seemed ridiculous.

The primary reason for my mod is to allow greasing of the front(pivot) bearing without having to remove the Relay Arm from the bike. This means finding a way to get the grease into the bearing (and out) without access to the needle bearings. So I came up with a way to create an internal passage way into the needle bearings. And added a spout to direct the displaced grease at service time out of the bearing.

The tough part is cutting the slots into the bearing outer race so that the line up with the small passageways added to the relay arm itself. This is done AFTER removing the needles from the bearing. You have to pick out that waxy oily crud around the needles. After slotting the bearing and removing any burrs from the slot, use your best sticky grease to pack the needle bearings back in place. Be careful not to loose them; they're slippery little buggers.

The grease path is created though the relay arm with a 3/32" diameter hole through the center of the pivot end of the arm. This connects to the tapped hole (1/4-28 UNF)added for the grease fitting. That fitting is installed into the thin web (low stress area) of the relay arm.

Hear are some photos showing various steps.



The grease vent (Fred calls it the 'Turkish tea spout) is made from a short piece of brass tubing and a slightly larger 1/8" diameter piece of stainless steel. That whole thing is held in place with JB Weld.

The zerk fitting for the dog bone bearings isn't really that necessary. it's more of a convenience. it allows you to grease each of the DB bearings individually by sliding the inner sleeve to one side then the other and pumping fresh grease from inside to out.

The shock mount bearing is done the way you always do it. Remove the sleeve, clean the needle bearings and seal. Regrease, reassemble.

All of this can be done with the bike on the centerstand. Remove the two bolts holding the dogbones in and remove the shock mount bolt. Let the relay arm swing down to give access to the zerk(s). Pretty easy..

Here's my 2014ES getting fresh grease in the pivot (front) bearing.


Installation note: The pressure caused by flushing the bearing tends to push out the seals. To resist that I install a Teflon washer to each side of the relay arm up against the seals and inside the bikes frame mount. You can see a little bit of one in photo above.

I think another benefit of this mod is that now that bearing is packed solid with grease thereby allowing no space for air or water. Don't know for sure but seems reasonable to me.

Nice work, you should buy a few extras and offer a part swap mail order business.

The relay arm is a pain in the ass, especially due to the way the retaining bolts interfere until after the first replacement/service. This looks like a solution in search of a problem. It's beautiful, but seriously we have FJRs that have gone way over 100K miles and never touched the arm. They tend to be dry from the factory, and the bearings can suck, but I have not seen these serviced even at the tech meets.

So for the front relay arm hole, you drilled the zerk hole from one side, took the needles out, and cross drilled through the bearing race (twice) and into the arm until you found the zerk hole?

As I understand it, there are two bearings for the middle hole. So did you put a zerk on both sides of the middle hole? Again, drilled through the bearing race? How do you "flush" or relieve the grease pressure for the middle hole?

Tom, We all get to decide what level of risk to take on regarding bike maintenance. For me it is worth it to do this mod for the piece of mind of having these bearings serviced regularly. I do it every spring when I do the rear brake lever pivot (also a zerk), the shift lever, the clutch lever and front brake lever. I've rebuilt enough FJR relay arms to know that the inner sleeves can get trashed. I have no record of the maintenance on those trashed ones.

Pants,

First question, yes. Although I think I drilled the 3/32 'passageway' hole first, then drilled and tapped the zerk fitting hole. The bearing race slots are put in with a .025" thick grinding wheel, not a drill.

I'll try to explain the DogBone sleeve greasing a little better:

The cavity in the relay arm for the two dog bone sleeve bearings is slightly bigger than the sleeve. The hole I drill for the zerk fitting goes into the middle part of the relay arm between the two bearings. There is only one zerk fitting for the middle bearings. I make no modifications to the middle bearings.

To grease the middle bearings, first push the inner sleeve to one side about 1/16" inboard of the bearing seal. Then pump grease into the zerk until you see grease coming out around outside of the sleeve and inside of the bearing seal. The entire inside of the bearing just got new grease. Then push the inner sleeve back through that just greased seal to expose the seal on the other end. Repeat the pumping to fill that bearing with grease. Push the inner sleeve back flush with the relay arm faces. That entire volume around the inner sleeve should be full of grease now.

Hope that makes sense. It may sound complicated, but it isn't. Greasing the two middle bearings takes about 1 minute after you get the dog bones off.

Russ

jwilly wrote: ↑Mon Mar 25, 2019 10:11 pm Nice work, you should buy a few extras and offer a part swap mail order business.

I have an A model Relay Arm in the shop now that I picked up on Ebay. I haven't pulled the bearings out yet for evaluation.
I should get around to modding it this summer and will offer it up for a swap.

Snowflake wrote: ↑Tue Mar 26, 2019 1:32 pm

jwilly wrote: ↑Mon Mar 25, 2019 10:11 pm Nice work, you should buy a few extras and offer a part swap mail order business.

I have an A model Relay Arm in the shop now that I picked up on Ebay. I haven't pulled the bearings out yet for evaluation.
I should get around to modding it this summer and will offer it up for a swap.

I started the zerk mod on this relay arm this week. The bearings were a little notchy so I ordered new bearings and sleeves and seals for it. Bearings and seals are a little pricy, so I'll have a some $$ wrapped up in this when I'm done. Functionally it will be just like (better than) new. I should get it finished by the end of next week. When I do, I'll offer it up to interested parties.

Boy do I wish Mama Yammie would read this thread. About $0.50 grease zerks, along with $0.02 in a casting modification, would save FJR owners a crap ton of heartburn.

Of course, that would cut out the dealers and mechanics.....

(sigh)

I heard, but have no confirmation beyond one guy, that Yammie put the centerstand bolts in the "correct" way in the last coupla years. A zerk on the front bearing is a good idea, I don't have too much problem with the others as they can be done in half hour on the centerstand (on my lift, of course).

Great job! This needs to come this way from the manufacture

Here's the just finished relay arm getting the middle sleeve filled with grease. All that's left is installing the frame pivot sleeve and seals.

This unit was a well used Ebay item. It got all new bearings, seals and collars (sleeves) so it's as good as new. Better actually.

New owner will be happy, I think, when this arrives on his doorstep later this week.

Hppants wrote: ↑Fri Jul 19, 2019 8:10 am
Of course, that would cut out the dealers and mechanics.....

(sigh)

Or would it...?
I mean i think most riders who care do this sort if service themselves or have a buddy that'll help them out.
The ones that don't care ride to the point of failure and THEN employ a dealer or mechanic.... Or that buddy I mentioned.
In my AO I know just one guy who routinely uses a dealer for service... But of course he's on BMW which makes me think he could probably do his service himself, but the coffee and goodies at the Mottorad are too good to pass up

Gonna try to lubricate my Relay Arm this weekend.

Take a look at this breakdown:

https://www.partshark.com/oemparts/a/ya ... d-footrest

I believe the bolts that I have to cut to clear the exhaust are #51?

Does anyone know what size bolt that is? Anything special about it? I was thinking I might try and find a couple bolts locally before spending $10 in shipping on $3 in bolts.

Also, in the event I need to replace bearings, can anyone tell me what kind of bearing puller I might need? The ones I have are too big, I know this. But I was thinking I might line that up now as well.

Thanks.

The bolts are 90101-10004 M10x30. Local supply should have them. You should be able to find a used relay arm for less than you can buy bearings. The ones at either end are accessible to pound out or use a piece of threaded rod/nuts/washers and an appropriate sleeve/socket to essentially press them out. The middle ones (with the long spacer) are way more fun with or without an internal bearing puller, I had the right internal puller but ended up using a rod against it from the other side and pounding them out. You may be able to use a squared off sharp cornered rod/drift punch to catch the lip of the bearing from the inside, pound it out. Ensure relay arm is clamped solidly in your vice with maybe a piece of wood on each side to protect from the vice jaws. When you press the new one in, use your threaded rod press and an old bearing to seat them to the specified depth (essentially so the seal is flush to the outside). If you're careful prying them out, you can re-use the seals.

Thanks Ray - appreciate the help. I'll head to the local fastener place and pick up an assortment of those with varying "shoulder" lengths. Nylon locking nuts and some flat washers too.

To the O/P - my apologies if you think I jacked your thread, but with or without the grease zerks, one has to remove the relay arm, and I thought this info might be useful to whomever reads the thread.

Pants, No issue hijacking the thread. Happy to see the discussion.

FYI, with the zerk fittings in place you don't have to remove the relay arm to grease that front bearing. That's the whole point of this mod. I believe its a one time deal removing and replacing the relay arm.

Regarding the bolts: Once you get the factory centerstand bolts off(right side) they can be replaced with garden variety 8mm x 35mm (maybe 40mm) hex head bolts and matching nuts. I put a drop of Loctite on the nuts before assembly.

Inspect any bearing thoroughly if you buy a used relay arm. I've found that most are fine, however the relay arm I just modified came with cruddy seals and notchy bearings. The sleeves had prominent grooves in it from the needles. So all the bearings and collars(sleeves) got replaced.

Looking for a used relay arm. None found on eBay. If you have or see one, please let me know.

I have two 'A' model relay arms in my shop now getting the zerk fitting mod. Probably ready next week after I receive the new collars, seals and bearings that are required. I'll post up in the classified section when they're ready.

Just put up two for sale over in the merchandise area.

@ Snowflake

This is a bit of an old thread, with the last post being October of 2019, but I wanted to ask if you are still offering these for sale. I have an 2014 A model on which I am planning to service both the relay arm and the swingarm. PM me if one is available.