Lifting Valk for rear wheel removal

[Tx Bohemian]

Need ideas on how's the safest way to lift my standard to remove the rear wheel/drive.

I have a bike lift and platform lift.  I looked at all the "low tech" lift adapters in the "shop talk" and even made one but it's very unstable on my lift, which I used to lift many different bikes with over the last few years and they were real stable but not so much on the Valk.

My concern is once I remove the weight of the wheel/drive how unbalanced it will be.

How do others do it?

[sandy]

Usually a strap over the seat area (seat removed) holds the bike down sufficiently. Take the side covers off too.

[alph]

i made a heavy 2" square tube dolly that i lower my cycle onto when i've got it in my shed.  the bracket that i use to lift the cycle is the same one listed in the tech boards in this web site, it sets on top of the dolly i made.  that thing is soo stable i can sit on it and not feel afraid of it tipping either way.

[hubcapsc]

I barely jack my bike up off the ground when I take the rear wheel off... I take the rear fender
section off and the shocks off. The shocks off lets you move the swingarm up and down while
you're trying to get the axle out past the remaining obstacles, and the fender off lets your
practically roll your wheel out without having your bike jacked way up in the air... double check
your home-made adapter... I have the store bought version, and I do have the tippy balance point
problems you describe to some extent, but it is usable - I've done all kinds of work without dropping
my bike yet... a lot of people use the homemade version and like it.

If you decide to take your shocks off, think about how you can jack your bike up just enough that the
shocks are neither in compression nor in tension - that's where you want to be when you take
the shocks off...

If you decide to take your rear fender section off, be ready to deal with the electrical connection
plug for the taillight that you'll see is right under the fender at the joint between the two sections.

-Mike

[Chrisj CMA]

If you made a wooden adapter, there are two sets of specs on the old link.  The first set of dimensions are for ans IS the second are slightly different and fit the standard and tourer frame
http://www.herberts.org/wayne/valk/lowtechlift.htm

[John Schmidt]

Then you don't need a jack except to raise and lower the swingarm after the shocks are removed. I've had my centerstand mounted since the first Paducah InZane, and haven't used a lift once to change the rear tire.

Some years back I changed out the rear turn lights and they're narrower now. So, if I have an extra set of hands to help I can remove both saddlebags and guard rails together in one piece. Then I follow the method posted earlier; support the swingarm with a floor jack, remove the shocks, remove the back half of the fender, raise the swingarm and start removing the wheel assembly. Doing it this way has also probably saved a few exhaust manifold studs as well. Using a block of 2x4 as a fulcrum along with a 30" or so piece of 1x3, I just roll the tire in place, raise it with the 1x3 and hold it with my knee while using both hands to align it for inserting the axle. I don't try to mesh the final at this point, just insert the axle all the way(don't bother with the brake at this point), and with the wheel now sitting on the axle you don't have the struggle of trying to hold it, lift it, etc., while trying to engage the final drive. Once it's meshed, pull the axle out far enough to insert the left spacer and brake.

[Ken Tarver]

poor man adapter....mine works good

[JimC]

I have mine up in the air right now, I use a jack similar to Ken's above, with an adapter made of metal, origin unknown, it came with the bike.
If you look at the picture Ken supplied, there are 4 loops on the bottom frame of the jack. I put four small ratchet straps on the loops, and ran them to the rear pegs, and the front crash bar.

It is rock solid on there now, I took both wheels off and it never swayed at all.

Although if you are unsure of how safe your lift adapter is, it might be better to not jack it up high, then remove the rear fender as suggested.
Jim

[Tx Bohemian]

Thanks for all the responses fellas, ya'll confirmed what I was thinking.  It's not necessary to jack this bike way up like all the others to clear the fender to remove the wheel.  This removal of the rear portion of the fender is new to me, a neat idea though.  I have to do some re-wiring on the rear lights anyway and at 54 it's not the easiest thing to be getting up and down anymore like it was when I was 20.

Don't have a center stand so I need to figure out the best way to support this bike from all the suggestions here.  I like the idea of not having to remove the exhaust.

[John Schmidt]

To make it a bit more stable and give a bit more peace of mind, put some jack stands under the engine guards up front. Then lower the bike just enough to sit on them. Makes it solid as a rock.

[Redline +]

I don't have one of those fancy MC jacks, so I use this.



Redline

[John Schmidt]

I don't have one of those fancy MC jacks, so I use this.



Redline

What will you take for that HiBoy up on the lift in the background? A guy down the street has one and I can always tell when he's headed out, running a BB Chevy with some window rattling pipes. Always has a big grin on his face and waves as he tools past. I hate him!!  

[Redline +]

I don't have one of those fancy MC jacks, so I use this.



Redline

What will you take for that HiBoy up on the lift in the background? A guy down the street has one and I can always tell when he's headed out, running a BB Chevy with some window rattling pipes. Always has a big grin on his face and waves as he tools past. I hate him!!  

If I ever get it finished, I'll let you know. Its been sitting on that lift for sometime now. This one will rattle your windows too...no BB Chev though...blown Chrysler Hemi.

Redline

[John Schmidt]

If I ever get it finished, I'll let you know. Its been sitting on that lift for sometime now. This one will rattle your windows too...no BB Chev though...blown Chrysler Hemi.

Redline
[/quote]
WHOA...blown hemi. 

From time to time I've noticed a young guy up the street had a project in his garage when the door happened to be up, now on a frame and in primer. While out on the bike yesterday I happened by and he was working on it so I stopped. It's an early 60's Fairlane(looks like anyway) and the engine he recently had purchased was sitting on a stand in the corner. Turns out to be a 428 with a stroker kit. I didn't stay long, but told him I can't wait until he gets it up and running, then asked him about the induction system he planned to use. He just smiled and called his wife out to the garage, she walked over and unlocked a storage area, pulled off some wrapping and said "here's my honey's birthday present"....a nicely polished huffer with all the plumbing neatly packaged and ready for installation. Now I hate two of my neighbors!   

[Tx Bohemian]

Again thanks for all the help/suggestions. 

Between that and some “bohemian ingenuity” I was able to safely lift the bike and remove the rear wheel/drive using my platform lift and a modified car "scissor jack". (modified years ago because I was too cheap to buy a regular bike jack, this set up cost about $7)

I used Johns idea but in reverse.  I clamped the front wheel in the vise of the platform then jacked the rear of the bike up with the sissor jack, positioned at the kickstand, enough to get the shocks in the neutral position to remove and then lowered the bike which allowed the wheel, that is resting on the platform, to come up enough to clear the axle over the exhaust.  With the rear section of the fender removed the wheel came out quite easy.

I’m trying to locate a clicking noise that occurs every revolution of the tire and was expecting to find some dry splines, which they weren’t that dry - neither end of the drive shaft or the wheel splines.   I did find the plastic thrust washer that fits between the wheel and driven hub a bit mangled in one spot but don’t think this is causing the noise I’m hearing.

All the bearings seem smooth and no play.

The lube in the drive looks bad so I’m going to flush and change that stuff, just maybe… (fingers crossed)

Any other suggestions what to check while I'm this far?  It only has 18K miles.