Rear wheel play raising it's ugly head

[CaptainKcorb]

Yesterday when I checked the rear wheel for play I discovered that I have about 1/16" play when I hold the rear wheel fore and aft and rock it. A distinct click/clunk can be heard. There is negligible play when I hold it top and bottom and do the same thing. I'd hoped it would be the swing arm bearing play but no joy there, as the rocking seems to come at the drive shaft/final drive junction.

 

I thought I'd see what was involved in tearing it down for inspection but the list of special tools required is daunting. I changed the rear unit oil and found it dirty but there doesn't seem to be an excess of metal in it, and the magnetic plug has the usual minimal amount of crud.

 

Any and all thoughts will be appreciated before I throw myself on the mercy of the local dealer as they're nice guys but unfortunately tainted with avarice by hanging out with the car salespeople. Of particular interest is whether this is a quickly terminal condition or can I take it out on a road trip if it can't be dealt with right away.

 

The bike is a 2000 RT with about 70K miles on it.

 

Thanks,

 

Brock in Maple, Ontario

[Zot]

Brock,

 

I feel for you, unfortunatly I'm up the same "Creek",

not because of excessive end play but because of what I think of as an excessive amount of metal shavings on the drain plug.

Sorry I don't have any "words of wisdom",I'll keep an eye on your post to see if I can learn anything.

 

Good luck!

[Tominator]

Brock

 

PM Message me...I can help. Located in Burlington Ontario

[FlyingFinn]

Yesterday when I checked the rear wheel for play I discovered that I have about 1/16" play when I hold the rear wheel fore and aft and rock it. A distinct click/clunk can be heard. There is negligible play when I hold it top and bottom and do the same thing. I'd hoped it would be the swing arm bearing play but no joy there, as the rocking seems to come at the drive shaft/final drive junction.

 

Drive shaft / FD joint is by far the "most desirable" place for any rear wheel play. It's easy, quick and cheep to fix properly and almost instant and free to "fix" temporarily.

Have slack anywhere else (like the crown bearing in FD) and you are looking at much more costly/complex operation.

 

Do a search on "pivot bearing" and you'll find plenty of information on how to replace the pivot bearings (2) on that joint. Or, you could give it a try and just re-torque the one of the bolts that is torqued down to, was it just 8Nm(?).

Read the instruction and follow them. Then it's easy and no-brainer work and requires no special tools at all. The most "exotic" tool you'll need is 12mm allen head socket, if I remember right. And a torque wrench...

 

--

Mikko

[OoPEZoO]

I hope you find that it is something easier, but for what its worth.

 

I ride a 2000 R1100RT, and last summer I lost my crown bearing right about 70k miles. I replaced it myself, but it certainly wasn't easy.......like I said, I hope you find out its something else. On a good note (at least for you), when I drained my diff oil there was a WHOLE BUNCH of random metal and shavings.

[smiller]

If the play is between the rear brake disc and final drive housing then you need to go into the final drive and check the crown bearing, but if the play is only between the final drive an swingarm then no big deal at all... just adjust the pivot bearing preload (an easy 30-minute job.) At the very worst you may need to replace the pivot bearings (quite possible at 70k) which is more involved but still not particularly difficult.

 

Unless your pivot bearings are really shot I would think you could simply readjust the bearing preload and be perfectly OK for your trip.

[CaptainKcorb]

Well, as the old song goes; 'with a little help from my friends....'.

 

I've borrowed a 12mm allen and a 30mm socket and adjusted the pivot bearing. The 12mm allen is actually a cold chisel handle which mic'd out to exactly 12mm, and a vintage racing buddy had a 30mm so I didn't have to resort to a 1 3/16. All good.

 

The play is gone and I'll be checking it after each ride for a while, and changing the FD oil every 1-2K to keep an eye on it.

 

Popular wisdom seemed to recommend the bronze bushing replacement for these bearings and I'm thinking I'll be getting a set against the evil day that this crops up again.

 

Thanks to smiller,the flyingfinn and the tominator for the assistance and to zot and OopezoO for the kind wishes. I'll be off to Loudon NH on Thursday for a good spring ride.

 

Brock

[Stan Walker]

I'll be getting a set against the evil day that this crops up again.

 

It will. Since these bearing don't really rotate, just move back and forth in a small arc, what you are compensating for is a dent where each ball rides. You have now taken out the play and are forcing the balls deeper into the dents. Chances are that the bearing can't rotate at all now. What that means is as the final drive moves up and down the actual rotation will take place between the bearing and the shaft it is mounted on with the shaft now suffering wear.

 

I had to replace one of the pivot screws as well as the bearings after I did this adjustment to my '02 RT.

 

I would fix this sooner rather than later.

 

Stan