Rear wheel splines lining up #%&^%#

[whitestroke]

Second time I've serviced the final drive.  I could not get the tire to slide into final drive splines. I remembered reading after the first time I serviced final drive to put the axle in to line things up and to put bike in gear.  After about an hour of banging the tire into final drive and getting noware. I decided to take the rear tire off and pull the star/hub with splines off tire and see if I could get it to slide into final drive.  As soon as the axle slid out of swing arm on brake side and axle could swivel around everything slid together.
Anybody else have a problem with axle all the way through both sides of swingarm getting rear tire and final drive to go together?
Hope that made sense I'll check in the morning.   too late

[old2soon]

Mark T turned me onto a simple method that removes most of the frustration of reinstalling the wheel. Suspend the wheel with a 1" ratchet strap and it's like 2 extra hands. Thru a wheel opening and over the fender. Hope this is of some help to you.  RIDE SAFE.

[Brian]

Be patient grasshopper. The more you do it the better you will get at it. Having the tranny in gear is a big help. I like the strap idea to hold the wheel up, may have to try that one time. I had used a floor jack to hold it up while sliding the axle thru. Also I don't leave the 4 bolts on the pumpkin to be all that loose till I have the wheel and hub set place. I slide the axle all the way thru first to line up the pumpkin and slightly snug them. Then set the wheel/hub in place, I then loosen the 4 bolts finishing the rest of the axle assembly setting the spacer and brake support in place. I found leaving the pumpkin to move too easily was adding to the frustration. Just my way of lining it up.

[Bone]

I have a scissor jack from a previous auto. Fully collapsed it's only 2" tall. Place it on the floor where the rear tire sits. The CT easily rolls onto the jack. Raise the jack/tire to the height needed. No reaching in straining my aging body.

[old2soon]

My floor jack has a very small contact patch on the lift arm and rolls around somewhat too easy. The strap gets you centered up damn near spot on. By all means raise the wheel/tire combination with your jack and position the strap and make the final positioning with the ratchet on the strap. I don't like straining my milk any more either.  The very first time I serviced the rear end I lifted the wheel assembly into place by hand and it nearly fell together.  The very next time I was damn near ready to give my Valkyrie away.  Did NOT give her away but learned how to work smarter.  RIDE SAFE.

[whitestroke]

The very first time I serviced the rear end I lifted the wheel assembly into place by hand and it nearly fell together.   The very next time I was damn near ready to give my Valkyrie away.   RIDE SAFE.

My situation exactly.  Having the axle in I could not get it to go together.  I removed the axle and it fell together.

Also getting the drive shaft axle to slide in the universal joint side, I needed to drop the swing arm so that the axle splines had a straight shot into the cup.

These were the 2 most time consuming  things when servicing the final drive, I probably spent 2 hours on those 2 things.  Hope this helps someone in the future.  

[Jabba]

I have never used the axle method.  i always roll the tire under the bike and use my feet to lift the rear wheel onto the splines... and it just goes right together.  :shrugging:  Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good I suppose.  It never crossed my mind to do anything else.  When I put the wheel back on, I have the swingarm dropped WAY down... so the driveline is in a bind anyway... and it doesn't let the transmission turn when I need to rotate the wheel just a little to get the drive splines to mate.

:shrugging again:

Sorry for your pain and frustration.

Jabba

[doubletee]

I have never used the axle method.  i always roll the tire under the bike and use my feet to lift the rear wheel onto the splines... and it just goes right together.  :shrugging:  Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good I suppose.  It never crossed my mind to do anything else.  When I put the wheel back on, I have the swingarm dropped WAY down... so the driveline is in a bind anyway... and it doesn't let the transmission turn when I need to rotate the wheel just a little to get the drive splines to mate.

:shrugging again:

Sorry for your pain and frustration.

Jabba

+!   I've only had the rear wheel off twice and that's how I did it each time, too.

[Chrisj CMA]

I have the swingarm dropped WAY down... so the driveline is in a bind anyway...

:shrugging again:

Sorry for your pain and frustration.

Jabba

Thats the main reason I made this.  So I cant put the drivetrain in  a bind.  When its binding, its putting a lot of stress on the U-Joint.  This also keeps everything above the exhaust so there's no messing with the exhaust mounts or anything like that. BTW I roll the wheel under there and lift it with my hands and perch it right into the splines and then immediately insert the axle.  Never has been a problem.  I do use my knees to lift the whole wheel and swing arm together while putting the shocks (or that red tool) on to get things lined up.

[hubcapsc]

I take the part of the fender with the taillight on it off, and barely jack my bike up to
where there's no tension or compression on the shocks, and take the shocks off.

Then I can use the jack to sink the bike to a height where the axle is above the exhaust.

Then I use a turnbuckle the way Jeff uses his OEM-paint-schemed  flat stock, and
yank the axle.

The wheel rolls out, stuff happens and it rolls back in.

During the time that the final drive is going back in I remove the turnbuckle and prevent the
swingarm from falling with a small floor jack, that way I can move the swingarm up and down
if needed to help the driveshaft engage the u-joint.

I should have paid attention when we were working on Stanley's bike... there's a lot of stuff on
the back of an Interstate... does any of it make it hard to take the rear fender section off?

-Mike

[Chrisj CMA]

I take the part of the fender with the taillight on it off, and barely jack my bike up to
where there's no tension or compression on the shocks, and take the shocks off.

Then I can use the jack to sink the bike to a height where the axle is above the exhaust.

Then I use a turnbuckle the way Jeff uses his OEM-paint-schemed  flat stock, and
yank the axle.

The wheel rolls out, stuff happens and it rolls back in.

During the time that the final drive is going back in I remove the turnbuckle and prevent the
swingarm from falling with a small floor jack, that way I can move the swingarm up and down
if needed to help the driveshaft engage the u-joint.

I should have paid attention when we were working on Stanley's bike... there's a lot of stuff on
the back of an Interstate... does any of it make it hard to take the rear fender section off?

-Mike

Hey! I just happened to have a spray can of red rustoleum.  How was I to know it was going to be  a perfect color match 

[Fudd]

I always roll the tire under the bike and use my feet to lift the rear wheel onto the splines... and it just goes right together. 

+1

[whitestroke]

I read in a post months ago to put the axle in.  Sounded like a great way to save my back.  After reading these post, the way to do this is to lift wheel without axle in-gauged and everything slides together no problem. 
Live and learn 

[Ricky-D]

What is failed to mention (and the cause of great difficulty if you don't) is the fact that you should first get the wheel in place on the pumpkin with the rear brake assembly removed from the placement.

If you try to do it all at once, it is very difficult.

With the brake assembly not in the mix, it is very easy to get the wheel in the proper position using the axle to line up everything.

Then after, it is simple to install the brake assembly and button things up.

***

[Rio Wil]

I have no idea how you could have the axle installed in the final drive and through the wheel and the splijnes could not be mated with nothing more than a slight rotation of the wheel to align the splines????? I have used both methods....depends on whether I have had my wheaties that morning and can pick the wheel up and position with my feet or position the wheel with a 2x4 or something underneath it and slid the axle in all the way. Using the axle method, after the axle is installed, I move over to the right side of the bike and pull the wheel into a mating position. Usually a piece of cake either way. Inserting the drive shaft into the ujoint can be a pain in the butt, but it seems that gently feeling around for the right entry works better than pushing hard and trying to force entry and can get it all the way in in a few seconds. Especially if its well lubed. 

( lets see how many people really read these posts)

[Mallett]

I have no idea how you could have the axle installed in the final drive and through the wheel and the splijnes could not be mated with nothing more than a slight rotation of the wheel to align the splines????? I have used both methods....depends on whether I have had my wheaties that morning and can pick the wheel up and position with my feet or position the wheel with a 2x4 or something underneath it and slid the axle in all the way. Using the axle method, after the axle is installed, I move over to the right side of the bike and pull the wheel into a mating position. Usually a piece of cake either way. Inserting the drive shaft into the ujoint can be a pain in the butt, but it seems that gently feeling around for the right entry works better than pushing hard and trying to force entry and can get it all the way in in a few seconds. Especially if its well lubed. 

( lets see how many people really read these posts)

+1...I've never had a problem inserting....I use k-y jelly...on everything...

[whitestroke]

I have no idea how you could have the axle installed in the final drive and through the wheel and the splijnes could not be mated with nothing more than a slight rotation of the wheel to align the splines?????

Sounds right Rio Wil, but like I said I tried for an hour this way. 
Once I pulled the axle out of the brake side of the swing arm (with tire supported) it slid right together.

[hubcapsc]

I have no idea how you could have the axle installed in the final drive and through the wheel and the splijnes could not be mated with nothing more than a slight rotation of the wheel to align the splines?????

Sounds right Rio Wil, but like I said I tried for an hour this way. 
Once I pulled the axle out of the brake side of the swing arm (with tire supported) it slid right together.

I always jamb in the axle, but only until you can just see the end of it where the spacer on
the brake side goes. After the wheel is mated with the final, then I fiddle with the spacer and
the caliper, and push the axle the rest of the way through...

-Mike

[Hook#3287]

Getting the wheel back on never has been my problem, it's getting it off that gives me trouble.  The drive flange always wants to stay with the hub.  But I consider that a good thing cause it means the grease is holding it together.  I can hear the grease separate when I pry it off.  Some might think I'm putting to much grease in on reassembly, but more is better than less and I've never had a drive failure yet.

I use the two jack method to get the tire off and on, and hold the swing arm up, when needed , with nylon rope.  Yesterday, I learned I need to bring the swing arm all the way up, to line up the u-joint and shaft better.

[HayHauler]

I just lower the bike to where the final drive (that is resting on the exhaust) is down low enough to lone up the teeth on the hub.  I then put both legs under the bike and pull the tire/wheel towards me wiggling it as I go.  It slips right in. 
Then I have to get the brake caliper on the disk, and then put the spacer in place.  Now it is time for the axle and to torque it down. 

I let the jack do most of the work. 

Hay
Jimmyt

[Chrisj CMA]

I just lower the bike to where the final drive (that is resting on the exhaust) is down low enough to lone up the teeth on the hub.  I then put both legs under the bike and pull the tire/wheel towards me wiggling it as I go.  It slips right in.  
Then I have to get the brake caliper on the disk, and then put the spacer in place.  Now it is time for the axle and to torque it down.  

I let the jack do most of the work.  

Hay
Jimmyt

After you have the axle in, do you jack the bike up a bit?  It would not be ideal to try to align that pumpkin by torquing the axle with the tire in contact with the ground, or the final drive resting on the exhaust.

[da prez]

 I got some good advice from Arther Ritis. After a rough line up with a jack , I have a rolling head pry bar that is close in size to  the axle which I slide in from the left. The taper end slides thru and then I can wait for Arther to continue.When all is in place , you push the axle thru from the right , and continue as normal.

                                           da prez

[HayHauler]

I just lower the bike to where the final drive (that is resting on the exhaust) is down low enough to lone up the teeth on the hub.  I then put both legs under the bike and pull the tire/wheel towards me wiggling it as I go.  It slips right in.  
Then I have to get the brake caliper on the disk, and then put the spacer in place.  Now it is time for the axle and to torque it down.  

I let the jack do most of the work.  

Hay
Jimmyt

After you have the axle in, do you jack the bike up a bit?  It would not be ideal to try to align that pumpkin by torquing the axle with the tire in contact with the ground, or the final drive resting on the exhaust.

Yes.  I jack it up to take all of the pressure off of the tire and the splines. 

Hay
Jimmyt