Re-Assembling rear end

[CISE]

I pulled off my final drive and lubed it and am reinstalling it.

Dumb a$$ question - shoudl teh drive shaft be inserted in the final drive BEFORE installing driveshat into u joint?

Or will the shaft seat properly once the final drive is bolted into place ?

Thanks

[Michvalk]

Yes The driveshaft HAS to be inserted into the final drive before installing the final drive to the swingarm.
By the way, there are no dumb questions

[Chrisj CMA]

The best reson for installing the drive shaft into the final drive first is so you can be very carfeful about the oil seal that slides into the pinion cup.  Some have done it the other way...drive shaft into the swing arm and then mount the drive on it, but you will never know if you suceeded in pushing the oil seal off its perch and now the pinion cup splines are exposed and the grease will dry up........bad news all around.....do like CISE said and be careful with that oil seal as you install the drive shaft, make sure the insides of the pinion cup are nice and clean

[MP]

The best reson for installing the drive shaft into the final drive first is so you can be very carfeful about the oil seal that slides into the pinion cup.  Some have done it the other way...drive shaft into the swing arm and then mount the drive on it, but you will never know if you suceeded in pushing the oil seal off its perch and now the pinion cup splines are exposed and the grease will dry up........bad news all around.....do like CISE said and be careful with that oil seal as you install the drive shaft, make sure the insides of the pinion cup are nice and clean

That may explain my trashing of my splines.  I install the shaft first.  Had one dry out on me, seal out of place.  I need to change my reassembly order.  Thanks.

MP

[John Schmidt]

That's strange, it never occured to me to install the driveshaft first and then the final drive. Since it doesn't come apart that way I just put it back together the same way it came out....assembled. As difficult as it is sometimes to pull the shaft out of the final, it sure would seem to me the normal method would be to seat it first. As stated earlier, that way you know the seal is where it's supposed to be. Just make sure the swingarm is fairly level when trying to reinsert the driveshaft into the u-joint.

[RP#62]

I tried it that way once because its a LOT easier to get the shaft into the U-joint when you're not fighting the weight of the pumpkin, but, as others have noted, I rolled the oil seal when I installed the pumpkin.  Didn't know it until next removal.  Fortunately, the coupling still had grease in it and there was no damage other than a bigger clean up job.  So unless you're going to X-ray it after assembly to check for proper seal position, its better to install the shaft into the coupling first.
-RP

[olddog1946]

My memory being what it is I can't even remember how I did it on both mine and CHIKO's bikes..going to make a note on the CD and in the manual we printed out...already had to replace one rear end and associated parts due to dealer work, don't want to have to do that again due to my work..

[fudgie]

Really? Heck I always put the shaft in 1st then the hub. Guess I been lucky with the seal, its always fine when I pull it next spring.  ???

[Daniel Meyer]

Install the shaft into the pinion cup, make sure seal is seated correctly.

Stick shaft/pumpkin into swing-arm.

Lift swing arm above horizontal (important), basically as high as you can.

Get pumpkin started with the studs into the swing arm.

Wiggle the crap out of it. It will go home in seconds. I demonstrate this at Inzane. Works every time. If it goes home, the shaft is in the u-joint. It cannot miss.

And remember, tighten those four nuts AFTER the axle is in and torqued.

[John Schmidt]

Install the shaft into the pinion cup, make sure seal is seated correctly.

Stick shaft/pumpkin into swing-arm.

Lift swing arm above horizontal (important), basically as high as you can.

Get pumpkin started with the studs into the swing arm.

Wiggle the crap out of it. It will go home in seconds. I demonstrate this at Inzane. Works every time. If it goes home, the shaft is in the u-joint. It cannot miss.

And remember, tighten those four nuts AFTER the axle is in and torqued.

Daniel, I guess great minds wander(and wonder) in the same circles.    That describes exactly my method, and I use my centerstand along with a floor jack for the entire process. Actually, there's no need to jack the bike way up even if you don't have a centerstand but that's another issue. I use the floor jack to raise the swingarm and hold it there, thereby giving me use of both hands to lift the final and feed the shaft into the u-joint. I also find that if I insert the five fingered flange, it gives me something to grasp and turn the gears in the final while reinstalling the shaft. I leave the bike in gear, then turn the gearing with my left hand while holding the final up with the right. Usually only takes a few moments and it's in.

[CISE]

Thanks everyone!

I was having a brain fart this morning and wanted to check with other lass gaseous minds before I button up the back end tonight.

Next it will be demogging - so there may be more head gas generated questions

[Chrisj CMA]

Really? Heck I always put the shaft in 1st then the hub. Guess I been lucky with the seal, its always fine when I pull it next spring.  ???

Yeah, but that was when you didnt know better.....now that you know better it will be just like Murphy to make the next time you try that be the time it dont work 

[fudgie]

Really? Heck I always put the shaft in 1st then the hub. Guess I been lucky with the seal, its always fine when I pull it next spring.  ???

Yeah, but that was when you didnt know better.....now that you know better it will be just like Murphy to make the next time you try that be the time it dont work 

Guess I shoulda skipped this post then!