Rear Wheel Removal

[Peteg]

I pulled the rear wheel on my Valk twice. Thought I was doing ok for a newbie, until I saw this guy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcKTQ_MDIU4&t=307s

[Chrisj CMA]

He’s got a good setup, but tightening the axle nut with the wheel supported underneath is not ideal

[Peteg]

Chris, it's hard to tell exactly everything that's going on without actually being there. After you made the comments on my setup picture, I was really careful the second time I did the wheel. I'm pretty sure I never had the lift engaged while torqueing the axel, even the first time before you brought it to my attention. With the 4 bolts loose in the pumpkin it's kind of natural to unload everything after the splines are engaged so you can bring the pumpkin into alignment, easily slip the axle  the rest of way through, then torque it without any bind. I do agree as many problems as there are with these splines you don't want to torque the axle with a jack pushing on it and the loose pumpkin. I try to use the jack to position the wheel to engage the splines only. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Maybe my next vacation will not only be worry free, but also trouble free???

[Chrisj CMA]

Chris, it's hard to tell exactly everything that's going on without actually being there. After you made the comments on my setup picture, I was really careful the second time I did the wheel. I'm pretty sure I never had the lift engaged while torqueing the axel, even the first time before you brought it to my attention. With the 4 bolts loose in the pumpkin it's kind of natural to unload everything after the splines are engaged so you can bring the pumpkin into alignment, easily slip the axle  the rest of way through, then torque it without any bind. I do agree as many problems as there are with these splines you don't want to torque the axle with a jack pushing on it and the loose pumpkin. I try to use the jack to position the wheel to engage the splines only. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Maybe my next vacation will not only be worry free, but also trouble free???

Good job. I always tell people to learn the “why” not just the “what”. Once you understand why you take the steps you take and not just memorizing the steps you can safely improvise to make the job easier.

[Jim Moore]

What is he tightening at 3:45 in the video? The four nuts that hold the final drive in place? Why did he loosen them?

[Chrisj CMA]

What is he tightening at 3:45 in the video? The four nuts that hold the final drive in place? Why did he loosen them?

The four final drive nuts have to be loose to achieve final drive alignment when the axle nut is torqued.

[Chrisj CMA]

What is he tightening at 3:45 in the video? The four nuts that hold the final drive in place? Why did he loosen them?

The four final drive nuts have to be loose to achieve final drive alignment when the axle nut is torqued.

I had a mechanic tell he he doesn’t mess with those four nuts. Just wheel on / wheel off. Needless to say He never touched my Valkyrie. Plus. It’s so easy to do why would anyone NOT pull the final drive and drive shaft at every tire change for inspection and re greasing?

[Valker]

What is he tightening at 3:45 in the video? The four nuts that hold the final drive in place? Why did he loosen them?

The four final drive nuts have to be loose to achieve final drive alignment when the axle nut is torqued.

I had a mechanic tell he he doesn’t mess with those four nuts. Just wheel on / wheel off. Needless to say He never touched my Valkyrie. Plus. It’s so easy to do why would anyone NOT pull the final drive and drive shaft at every tire change for inspection and re greasing?

I had a nearby Honda dealer change my rear tire once. A few thousand miles later, the final drive stripped the splines. I asked if he loosened the final drive-"We never do that". I've done my own since.

[Peteg]

I'm with you guys. It's just so easy to do and inspect everything at the same time you maintain the dif. I also find it facilitates assembly and getting my new 5/8" spacer in and the new red eye oring set prior to final align and axle torque. I'm a little surprised  that experience indicates you need to loosen the 4 studs. It would seem if the pumpkin started in alignment with all 4 bolts torqued it would take an extreme impact / accident to rotate the pumpkin out of alignment. Oh well, that's a theory I'll never test!

[SPOFF]

The first time I replaced the rear tire I was ignorant of the four nuts and stripped out the rear spines. The parts alone to rebuild it were around $750. And this was 20 years ago! I've been dropping the exhaust every time for 27 years but now the studs are so buggered up from fighting the header pipes back on I have trouble getting the nuts on. Either I learn to drop the back wheel without removing the exhaust or I crawl underneath and replace all 24 studs! By the time I wear out this latest tire I'll be 72 years old. I'm tired of crawling underneath.  

[Valker]

I'm with you guys. It's just so easy to do and inspect everything at the same time you maintain the dif. I also find it facilitates assembly and getting my new 5/8" spacer in and the new red eye oring set prior to final align and axle torque. I'm a little surprised  that experience indicates you need to loosen the 4 studs. It would seem if the pumpkin started in alignment with all 4 bolts torqued it would take an extreme impact / accident to rotate the pumpkin out of alignment. Oh well, that's a theory I'll never test!

It's not the final drive that gets out of alignment with the swingarm, it gets out of alignment with the axle which puts a strain on the splines/gears. You tighten the axle to specs with the four nuts loosened to align the axle with the final drive, THEN tighten the four nuts to secure the axle/drive UNIT to the swingarm.

[Valker]

The first time I replaced the rear tire I was ignorant of the four nuts and stripped out the rear spines. The parts alone to rebuild it were around $750. And this was 20 years ago! I've been dropping the exhaust every time for 27 years but now the studs are so buggered up from fighting the header pipes back on I have trouble getting the nuts on. Either I learn to drop the back wheel without removing the exhaust or I crawl underneath and replace all 24 studs! By the time I wear out this latest tire I'll be 72 years old. I'm tired of crawling underneath.  

I almost never remove the exhaust to change the rear wheel. I loosen the four hanger bolt/nuts near the rear passenger pegs and slightly wedge the exhausts out less than an inch.
Since you mentioned the worn exhaust studs, those are replaceable along with being able to get new nuts for them.
I have a lift table now so at 70 I don't have to get under mine either.

[Chrisj CMA]

The first time I replaced the rear tire I was ignorant of the four nuts and stripped out the rear spines. The parts alone to rebuild it were around $750. And this was 20 years ago! I've been dropping the exhaust every time for 27 years but now the studs are so buggered up from fighting the header pipes back on I have trouble getting the nuts on. Either I learn to drop the back wheel without removing the exhaust or I crawl underneath and replace all 24 studs! By the time I wear out this latest tire I'll be 72 years old. I'm tired of crawling underneath.  

I almost never remove the exhaust to change the rear wheel. I loosen the four hanger bolt/nuts near the rear passenger pegs and slightly wedge the exhausts out less than an inch.
Since you mentioned the worn exhaust studs, those are replaceable along with being able to get new nuts for them.
I have a lift table now so at 70 I don't have to get under mine either.

If you raise the swing arm so the axle comes out over the exhaust you don’t have to mess with exhaust mounting nuts and there’s less stress on the u joint

[Jim Moore]

If you raise the swing arm so the axle comes out over the exhaust you don’t have to mess with exhaust mounting nuts and there’s less stress on the u joint

What is your technique for that? I'm picturing lifting the bike, removing the shocks, then jacking the rear end at the bottom of the final drive.

Sorry for all the questions guys. I just bought this bike and I'm trying to figure it out. Hopefully I'll become a contributing member eventually.

[Chrisj CMA]

If you raise the swing arm so the axle comes out over the exhaust you don’t have to mess with exhaust mounting nuts and there’s less stress on the u joint

What is your technique for that? I'm picturing lifting the bike, removing the shocks, then jacking the rear end at the bottom of the final drive.

Sorry for all the questions guys. I just bought this bike and I'm trying to figure it out. Hopefully I'll become a contributing member eventually.

I made a metal bar that replaced the left shock. It’s shorter than a shock. Before I had that idea I just used a ratchet strap hooked to the left side lower shock mount to raise the swing arm

[Jim Moore]

I made a metal bar that replaced the left shock. It’s shorter than a shock. Before I had that idea I just used a ratchet strap hooked to the left side lower shock mount to raise the swing arm

Got it. Thanks.

[HayHauler]

If you raise the swing arm so the axle comes out over the exhaust you don’t have to mess with exhaust mounting nuts and there’s less stress on the u joint

What is your technique for that? I'm picturing lifting the bike, removing the shocks, then jacking the rear end at the bottom of the final drive.

Sorry for all the questions guys. I just bought this bike and I'm trying to figure it out. Hopefully I'll become a contributing member eventually.

I made a metal bar that replaced the left shock. It’s shorter than a shock. Before I had that idea I just used a ratchet strap hooked to the left side lower shock mount to raise the swing arm

Don't you have a write up documenting the process?  I seem to remember that red metal bar in one of the pictures.

Hay 
Jimmyt

[Chrisj CMA]

If you raise the swing arm so the axle comes out over the exhaust you don’t have to mess with exhaust mounting nuts and there’s less stress on the u joint

What is your technique for that? I'm picturing lifting the bike, removing the shocks, then jacking the rear end at the bottom of the final drive.

Sorry for all the questions guys. I just bought this bike and I'm trying to figure it out. Hopefully I'll become a contributing member eventually.

I made a metal bar that replaced the left shock. It’s shorter than a shock. Before I had that idea I just used a ratchet strap hooked to the left side lower shock mount to raise the swing arm

Don't you have a write up documenting the process?  I seem to remember that red metal bar in one of the pictures.

Hay 
Jimmyt

It’s a power point slide show in shop talk. Chrisj rear end service

[HayHauler]

If you raise the swing arm so the axle comes out over the exhaust you don’t have to mess with exhaust mounting nuts and there’s less stress on the u joint

What is your technique for that? I'm picturing lifting the bike, removing the shocks, then jacking the rear end at the bottom of the final drive.

Sorry for all the questions guys. I just bought this bike and I'm trying to figure it out. Hopefully I'll become a contributing member eventually.

I made a metal bar that replaced the left shock. It’s shorter than a shock. Before I had that idea I just used a ratchet strap hooked to the left side lower shock mount to raise the swing arm

Don't you have a write up documenting the process?  I seem to remember that red metal bar in one of the pictures.

Hay 
Jimmyt

It’s a power point slide show in shop talk. Chrisj rear end service

THANKS!!!  Memory isn't what it used to be.  Great write up, by the way.

Hay 
Jimmyt

[Jim Moore]

It’s a power point slide show in shop talk. Chrisj rear end service

Thanks. That's a great writeup.

Another question if you don't mind. I have a home-built support and bike lift to get both wheels off the ground. What's going to happen when I pull the rear wheel off? Is the bike going to try to topple forward?

Btw, I think I'm going to pull the exhaust off for this tire change, just to see how it all goes together. I'll do a full rear end service next tire change.

[Chrisj CMA]

It’s a power point slide show in shop talk. Chrisj rear end service

Thanks. That's a great writeup.

Another question if you don't mind. I have a home-built support and bike lift to get both wheels off the ground. What's going to happen when I pull the rear wheel off? Is the bike going to try to topple forward?

Btw, I think I'm going to pull the exhaust off for this tire change, just to see how it all goes together. I'll do a full rear end service next tire change.

It can get unstable when you remove the rear wheel if you don’t have the lift in the best spot.   Just have a car ramp or something available to stick under the front wheel if needed. I also have some wooden jack stands that can go under the crash bars.  That’s also why to use a tie down strap.

If you’re not going to remove the final drive. Be sure to loosen the four nuts that secure the drive to the swing arm.

[Jim Moore]

Hi Guys,

I'm ready to tighten the axle nut. I have the four final drive bolts loosened. I can raise and lower the bike as required. What am I trying to align before I tighten the axle? Thanks.

[Valker]

Hi Guys,

I'm ready to tighten the axle nut. I have the four final drive bolts loosened. I can raise and lower the bike as required. What am I trying to align before I tighten the axle? Thanks.

Tightening the axle IS the alignment.

[Chrisj CMA]

Hi Guys,

I'm ready to tighten the axle nut. I have the four final drive bolts loosened. I can raise and lower the bike as required. What am I trying to align before I tighten the axle? Thanks.

Four nuts loose. Right hand shock removed. Wheel off the ground and not supported. Torque the axle nut and then immediately torque the four nuts. Nothing else matters when you do it.

[Jim Moore]

Thanks guys. All done. As a note, the Rabaconda worked great on the big, heavy Valkryie tires.