K-dawg wrote:Currently I pulled off tire, final drive and Im taking a look, but to be honest I'm not completely sure how to assess if what I have looks good. . . . the final drive pinion bearing, to me it kinda feels sticky.

Point-Seven-five wrote:
"I soak the bearings in kerosene and scrub the old grease out with my wife's toothbrush.  "

 - I think my wife uses a perfect toothbrush for the job too!


"A very important point when you reassemble everything is to make sure that your drive shaft u-joints are properly phased.  If not, you are risking drive shaft failure when one of them self-destructs from the stress."

Is there a specific way to install these and know they are phased properly? meaning I haven't noticed any obvious visual indication that they go in a specific way.

Laitch wrote:

K-dawg wrote:Currently I pulled off tire, final drive and Im taking a look, but to be honest I'm not completely sure how to assess if what I have looks good. . . . the final drive pinion bearing, to me it kinda feels sticky.

What you have looks good. The splines have squared top profiles. In the paralever drives, splines don't wear as fast as in the monolevers. The "sticky stuff" looks like lubricating paste.  Unless that's caused by a nest of excreting aphids in there, I'd wouldn't be pulling it out and cleaning it.

Laitch wrote:Here are a couple links for you. One for driveshaft phasing and one for pivot bearing lubrication.

Point-Seven-five wrote:Put the shaft on your workbench and phase it properly.  At he point where the two halves of the shaft come together make two paint marks.  When you install the shaft align the marks and your shaft is phased.

Point-Seven-five wrote:I'm not understanding what you are trying to do.  There is no need to remove the swingarm if that is what you're talking about.  

The forward part of the drive shaft is held in place on the output shaft of the transmission with a spring ring that sits in a groove on the output shaft.  Grab the end of the drive shaft with a pair of Vise Grips and give it a hearty yank and it will come out of the swing arm.  Then you can make your phasing marks and lube the splines at the transmission end of the drive shaft.  

When you put it back together, insert the front part of the drive shaft in the swing arm with your mark in a spot where it can be easily seen.  Push the drive shaft back onto the transmission output splines until the spring stops it.  A good whack or two will then push the driveshaft onto the output splines.  When you have it in place you will not be able to easily pull it out.  Then it's a simple matter to slide the rear section of the drive shaft splines into the forward part with the proper phase alignment.

One final note on phase alignment of the u-joints.  When you have the shaft on your bench you will notice that you cannot get the u-joints in perfect alignment.  They will be off by about half a spline.  This is to allow for the deflection of the rubber shock cushion in the forward part of the drive shaft.  The shaft rotates anti-clockwise as you look at it from the rear of the bike.  To allow for the rubber cushion the rear u-joint should be slightly ahead in an anti- clockwise direction of the front joint.  Again, this is looking at the drive shaft from the rear of the bike.  

When you have the joints aligned this way, the resistance of the rear wheel to the torque on the front part of the drive shaft will twist the rubber in the shaft so the u-joints go into perfect phase.