Can only push bad splines so far...

[SPOFF]

My splines got trashed about 8 years ago due to grease failure and not loosening the rear end pumpkin nuts on the first tire change.   I've lived with them about 1/3 worn out for the past 30,000 miles. But at the last tire change I noticed that the splines had worsened a lot. Today on one of the first rides of the new year, I felt the splines skip a tooth. (A what the hell is that moment to be sure.) It did it a second time as I immediately turned around and headed for home. I'm guessing there would be no third warning before it stripped out completely. 

So the Valk is home and I have a used pumpkin (with 5,000 miles!) waiting to go on. Do you think it would be a good idea to thoroughly inspect (or even replace) the u-joint in case that was the source of the unpleasant thump in the rear end?

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

Couldn't hurt while you've got it ripped down.

[Slvrvalk1]

I do not think that you have to automatically replace the u-joint.  If it was lubricated where the drive shaft is inserted into the yolk, and there is no play in the joint, then I would not necessarily replace it.  If you want to replace it for peace of mind, then go ahead.  I have put 73,000 miles on a Valk before I sold it and did not replace the u-joint.  If you do a lot of hard accelerations, then that would be another reason to replace the u-joint.

Just my $0.02.

Dave

[MP]

For $100, I replaced mine.  The old one seemed good, so I kept it for a spare.  67K on IS.

Splines were bad when I got it.

MP

[SPOFF]

If you do a lot of hard accelerations, then that would be another reason to replace the u-joint.

If I did a lot of hard accelerations, I wouldn't have milked another 35,000 miles out of the splines after I screwed them up.    Fortuntely, I know how to take good care of the splines now and I expect the second set will last the life of the bike.

[Larry]

You could put it all together and see how the slop in the drive train is. If you don't like it, next year when you do your maintenance pull the drive shaft and replace the u joint and the dampers in the rear wheel. Did mine two years ago and it made a remarkable difference in how loose things were feeling. Nice and tight again after. My old u-joint didn't feel that bad out of the bike but was much tighter in the bike than the old one was. I did the dampers separately so I knew what did what.