Vintage BMW Motorcycle Owners

Hey group! I am working on my 56 R69 replacing the front swing arm bearing and re setting the preload shims. I have 1.5mm shims but they are a bit loose and using my feeler gauge I can't get a 20 thousand (.5mm) gauge in. Should I use a 1.5 on one side and try a 2 on the other side with maybe some sanding to make it fit?
Thanks, Jim

Jim

When fitting the shims, on each side of the swing arm, you want a tight fit of the shims. There is a trick to installing them, however. After you get the first shim in place, and slide the pivot axle almost all the way through, take the second shim, and using a vertical belt sander, bevel the edge in one spot, to an almost sharp edge. It will allow you to get the second shim started, and you can use a light hammer, and light taps on the opposite edge of the beveled shim to drive it in and get it centered so the axle will pass through it.
I assume you have noticed, that on the threaded end of the pivot axle, is a 8 mm x 1.25 threaded hole. Get yourself a long bolt, and pass it through the threaded down tube of the front end, and screw it into the axle.
This will give you a handle, to manipulate the axle left/right/up/down to get it to line up with threads in the down tube, and get the axle started in the threads.

Thank you Vech!