Rear wheel play. Should I be worried?

[Bikemaster]

Just noticed some side to side play in my rear wheel of my R1100 RT w/ 49K. Not much but it's there. Swingarm seems tight. Final drive doesn't seem to move. Kinda feels like it's between the wheel and the final drive. Is this something I should be concerned about now or should I just monitor the situation and keep riding? Any ideas would be appreciated.

[4wheeldog]

Yes, you should be worried. The play is probably in the crown bearing, central to the final drive. It can fail catastrophically if you ignore it.

The lug bolts torque the wheel solid to the final drive......if there is play between the wheel and the drive, you have loose bolts. Very bad, if true. Good luck!

[chopperdan]

I would check 2 things.

 

Are the wheel lugs tight.

 

How much wheel run out do you have?

[Bikemaster]

I would check 2 things.

 

Are the wheel lugs tight.

 

How much wheel run out do you have?

 

Lug nuts are tight. What exacly is wheel run out?

[chopperdan]

It's how much side to side play you have in the wheel

[Bikemaster]

Yes, you should be worried. The play is probably in the crown bearing, central to the final drive. It can fail catastrophically if you ignore it.

Probably not a do it yourself job?

[Bikemaster]

It's how much side to side play you have in the wheel

Once I determine that, then what? Will it give me an idea where the problem is?

[chopperdan]

Well how much is alot if it's less than 10 thousands then I wouldn't worry about it. If it's more then I would say it's in the final drive. If you're on the east coast I can help.

[LJR]

An extra set of hands is helpful in trying to determine where the play is. Have someone shake the wheel while you feel for play.

 

Most likely place is the final drive pivot bearings.

[GordonB]

Just a shot in the dark.....Grab the wheel at 3 and 9 O'clock, as you check for play, look at the rubber boot at the final drive pivot bearing, if it moves ever so slightly, your final drive pivot bearing may be loose and need to retourqed at the least (if your lucky)! FWIW, a process of eleimination.

[BUSTED]

Get in contact with www.brunos.us

 

He rebuilt mine while on the road in Ontario after crown bearing failure.

[powerman]

I agree with GordonB, i would also look at the pivot bearing. a lower cost fix than crown bearing.

[Bikemaster]

I agree with GordonB, i would also look at the pivot bearing. a lower cost fix than crown bearing.

 

I think that's it. Took a close look at it today and the final drive does seem to wiggle a bit at the pivot. Ordered the bearings so I'll let you know what the outcome is after the install. Thanks for all the input.

[GordonB]

You might get away with retourqing you pivot bolt to the specified value, that's what I did and I've put over 11,000 miles on it since with no problems I admit my local dealer did it for me over a cup of coffee, and 35.00$$$$. Not bad for a saturday morning.

[Stan Walker]

You might get away with retourqing you pivot bolt to the specified value

 

Me too, about 30,000 miles ago, just barely able to feel it then. I adjusted the final drive pivot pins and it went away. Recently it has been developing play again, hard to spot visually but you can feel it when holding the wheel at 12:00 and 6:00 and trying to rock the tire.

 

I'm planning to lube my splines over the Xmas holidays. I'll install new final drive pivot bearings then.

 

Stan

[Bikemaster]

Ok, if I try the re-adjust method, do I need to heat anything or just torque the suckers?

[Stan Walker]

if I try the re-adjust method, do I need to heat anything or just torque the suckers?

 

That's a good question.

 

Here is what I did. I heated the adjustable pin & nut and removed both. I cleaned up all the lock-tite on the threads, male and female. I then reassembled using the BMW torque for the pin + a couple of pounds. I used the correct torque for the nut. Both the pin and the nut were of course re-installed using a medium strength lock-tite.

 

Do I think that is the only way? No. I would consider an approach where I heated and loosened the lock nut. Then with heat still being applied screw in the pivot pin another 15 degrees. ONCE. If that didn't remove the slop I would conclude the pivot bearing was truly toast and replace the pivot bearings.

 

Stan

 

That's my two cents (no inflation).

[Bikemaster]

Thanks for the clarification Stan

[Clive Liddell]

Stan,

I have been thinking about your comment: "screw in the pivot pin another 15 degrees. ONCE" and wonder why this form of preload is not used. The pivot pin position can then be marked and the locknut tightened.

 

I have not needed to touch my bikes' pivots (yet?) but have R&R'd a friend's GS where I used a hollow 1/2" drive with a 1/4" drive through it to torque the pivot and with another torque wrench simultaniously do up the locknut. With this setup you can also "resist" any further turning of the pivot due to the locking movement of the nut.

[Stan Walker]

I have been thinking about your comment: "screw in the pivot pin another 15 degrees

 

Well, what I suggested is to do this without cleaning up the old lock-tite. Use enough heat that you can turn the pivot pin in without damaging the threads. It will be impossible to "feel" what you are doing.

 

If you don't turn it in far enough, no big thing, you still feel play, you then replace the bearings and do it the right way.

 

If you turn it in and remove the play, you have postponed the replacement for awhile.

 

If you turn it in too much you will cause the bearings to not roll around the race, but slide causing quicker wear.

 

If you keep turning it in there is some risk that you will damage the threads or deform the swing arm. Probably very hard to do but considering some of the stories I've heard over the years, someone will do it for sure!!!

 

Stan

[GordonB]

You do need to use a heat gun to heat the pivot pin or you'll damge the treads. This is a must due to the loctite.

[BUSTED]

I took mine apart in a driveway with borrowed tools while on a trip after crown bearing failure. No heat gun was used and no damage done. I might've been lucky, or not.

[Bart Anderson]

I might've been lucky, or not.

 

Depends on your definition of lucky. As I posted earlier this year, my right side pivot pin backed out on its own...it was loose enough for me to tighten it a full turn or so by hand, with no tools at all. On later examination when replacing the bearings, there was no evidence of loctite having been applied at the factory.

 

I consider myself very lucky to have noticed it before it backed out all the way.

[BUSTED]

Oh no, there was loctite! That's why I had to look and the only thing I could find to create enough leverage to break it loose was a 10' piece of pipe laying next to the guy's garage!