Swinging Arm Frame

For chains and chainguards, click here, for other parts attached to the frame see the relevant section.

An entirely new frame with swinging arm rear suspension, or pivoted rear fork in Ariel speak, was introduced in 1954 for the overhead valve singles and twins using non- adjustable Armstrong suspension units and ‘Metalastic’ (rubber bonded to metal) bushes. The swinging arm was fabricated from steel pressings welded to a tube; the frame itself was mainly assembled by metal arc welding that saved considerable time over the industry standard method of brazed lugs. In 1955 the VB was available with swinging arm frame, and the outside diameter of the Armstrong units was reduced.

As all movement is by flexing of the rubber in the bushes, the spindle tends to seize in the metal of the bushes and removal usually requires the use of a hacksaw. The bushes themselves cannot be pressed all the way through and the usual method is to burn the rubber out, then to saw through the outer sleeve. One of the more awkward and time consuming jobs; there is no easy way of doing it!