Finally got my wheels back. trued and laced. Rims and spokes were made by DUBYA USA, let me wheel guy figure it all out. After getting them back I sealed up using the typical 3M sealant and tape. Made sure to really clean and wipe all the cutting oil and grease out of the drop center and nipples. Even though everything was new, I could see the oil on the nipples and where it had made its way onto the rim. Let it sit for 24 hours to cure, then mounted and air them up. VERY shocked they seated and did not leak. Still holding air btw.
I spent a lot of time trying to find the right valves for the rim. Tons of options out there but I needed two things, 8.3mm stem and 90 degree bend for easy access. I went with
these as they seemed to fit my needs. So far happy with the choice. Rear wheel balanced out very easily using Amazon brass spoke weights.The front was already balanced, lucky maybe.
Next I had to remove the swing arm which required some specific tools in unusual sizes. Most notably was
this - made the whole thing so much easier. Over all the process was simple and 100% easier than other swing arms I've removed and installed on other bikes.
At this point I had the swing arm on the bench/vice and put the wheel and axel in to get an idea of what I needed to cut. I took out more than my tire required, I'm anticipating getting taller tires in future, perhaps. Then I proceeded to cut my $12K swing arm without prejudice.
Next I used a flap disc to even and smooth out the surface for my patch. Note if you cut back far enough you'll run into the casting pillar, I did a bit but smoothed it down with no issues using the flap disc again. I used a piece of paper to make my imprint which I then cut and shaped into my template. I laid that my aluminum plate ( 1/8th" - 6061) and cut it out. Then it was a long process of beating, bending and clamping to get the plate to fit with the least amount of gap.
After I got it fit in there I clamped and tacked it all the way around. This took a long time because I did not want to over heat the swing arm. The final weld passes took even longer for said reason. I was concerned about warpage but also the integrity of the bearings and seals up front.