Ok, well the tools I have used are twisted and have deformed to the point of destruction, not wanting to shear one off and be left with the tip in the socket bolt head that is tougher material than the bolt, I guess the bolt is possibly 8.8 or even 10.9 but the toool is probably harder. Access to the bolt is recessed by approx 1.75”. Heating it won’t help given that the bolt will expand faster than the alloy surrounding it and probably alibi dissapate the heat through the swing arm first. Drilling it out will be easy but only if the head is seized, if not then a longer drill will be needed but centralisation would be an issue due to the depth of the thread which is some 4” away.
Plenty of release agent in the hole, with the bike on the sidestand (to help it run into the thread) then heat the swingarm around the bolt area. I use a heat gun, not flame. I have used a rattle gun before, but most of the time a decent bar on the end of the socket has worked. Sometimes screwing it in first (sounds odd and doesn't feel like it moves) works. Once it moves, don't try and remove it in one hit, half a turn out, then 1/4 back in, the 1/2 turn out etc. allows the penetrant to get in to thread.
Here are the photos. As I said they're probably not a lot of help. You can just see the hole in the swinging arm below the brake line. It goes straight through to the shock eye with no shoulder. A close up of the hole. You can see the head of the bolt at the bottom of it. The removed parts of the bolt and the knackered shock bearing. As you can see, I cut through the head of the bolt where it bears against the top hat bushing, the other side was much easier. I replaced the bolt, the bearing and the top hat bushes. Total cost was just under £44. Mine had been there for 6 1/2 years and over 39,300 miles, there was no way it was shifting. I had tried all Nelly's tricks to no avail.
Peter, I am in exactly the same boat, I snapped 3 allen sockets, tried a rattle gun, a heat gun and even had a 'professional seized bolt remover' fail after 2 hrs! Before you go down the expense of a replacement swingarm - try cutting the bolt out as Derek has described, I will be trying this method when I get some spare time.
I'd try http://www.ocservice.co.uk they are in Winchester Hants speak to Mark nothing is to hard for him, They are a Auto Machine shop
Same thing here. Dealer as made several attempts to get that bugger out. Wasted a wrench in doing so. Now waiting for a new bolt so they can drill it out and replace it ... all because of .... https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/posts/1340670/
I got mine out myself after 'The Thread Dr' (mobile bolt/thread remover) failed to get it out whilst bike was at duc Alton! I used a multi tool to cut either side of the shock, took a few hours, then hammered the head of the bolt out (that was the bit that was stuck) The threaded section undid with a LH drill bit, hardly bit into it at all.
Moral of the story is to remove and re-grease yearly , for those who want to keep the bike, others will let it seize for the next owner to have the problem.
Is it possible/desirable to replace with stainless or titanium to reduce the tendency to seize in place??
Stainless in a suspension/Stressed environment is a No No. Titanuim would be great but too costly for one bolt pattern Secondly the Alloy around the bolt actually causes the problem as it grows around the head of the bolt,
Peter do you think that if there was a larger clearance around where the bolts head sits it would stop this problem!
The tight clearance is intentional. The shock bolt screws into the swinging arm on the LH side but is supported only by the head of the bolt on the RH side. A looser clearance would mean it is cantilevered and subject to shear.
Maybe what we need is a smaller headed bolt with an inert (i.e. plastic) sleeve over it, so there is no catalytic corrosion going on. I have a feeling my bolt may well be stuck now, but have stuck my head in the sand for now, a job for another day
After doing mine, upon reassembly I used Duralac compound, which is originally designed for Alloy yacht masts to prevent them galling into the step socket in the salt water environment they live in, its also used by the performance car brigade to prevent their fancy rose jointed suspension galling I've scheduled to pull my lower bolt when I service the rear hub over winter so I will see then if its any good, the other very simple thing Ive done is plug the hole in the swingarm (wheelside) to prevent water getting in that side and sitting against the bolt head
I resisted against sealing it up because it's a hollow box section swingarm you cannot.Anyhow I would rather any water that did get in there drain away and dry rather than giving it aquatic conditions .
Sorry I meant the bolt hole itself rather than the arm.... I used a simple rubber plug to keep the muck and water away from the bolt head end
I replaced my shock with a Maxton unit. I swore and cursed at that bolt for a week before giving in and contacting Manchester Ducati. I learned that the bolt is slathered in loctite in the factory which needs "melting". It breaks down at about 150C... so you've got to heat that bugger up! Trouble is, the aluminium swing arm soaks the heat like crazy, so it's quite difficult. So, you need to find someone with a good gas torch and be brave. Don't melt that swingarm!
