Removing and reinstalling rear wheel

[rboe]

Oh man, I've been spoiled rotten with shaft drive motorcycles. Removing and reinstalling have been a breeze.

I took the rear wheel off this afternoon to put on that fancy red tape. It didn't come off as nicely as I'd like but putting it back on was a bear. Son of a gun, I could install the chain then the brake caliper didn't want to get on. Put on the caliper and no room to install the chain.

What is the trick this?

 

[Deanohh_imp]

I hang the chain on the swing arm over a rag when I take it off. I put the chain on with tire on the ground then lift wheel to get the caliper started then insert greased axle.

 

[rboe]

That is pretty much how I did it but I didn't have enough width to insert the caliper. I figure there is way to do that is easier than the way I'm trying to do it. Right now I'd call AAA instead of trying to change a tire in the field.

 

[Deanohh_imp]

Do you mean the caliper carrier where the axle goes through seems too thick for the space between the bearing bushing and the swing arm?

if that's it, make sure the driven flange is all the way into the wwheel hub. Also the swing arms can flex a little so you might push with your hand or foot and widen the gap enough to slip the pieces in.

 

[meowguy_imp]

Do you have the Shop Manual and did you follow the instructions in it for the removal (p13-7) and installation (p13-14)? I am just curious if there was anything incorrect in those instructions.

Basically it states; on the center stand...

13-7 Completely loosen the drive chain adjusters, then remove the axle nut and washer. Remove the rear axle while holding the rear wheel. Derail the chain and remove wheel.

13-14 Install the wheel into the swing arm, install the drive chain on the sprocket, and set the brake disk between the pads. Apply grease and install the axle. Install the washer and nut, adjust the chain, and torque the nut to 83 ft lbs.

This is all theoretical for me, I have not attempted it yet.

 

[jchoby_imp]

The shop manual is pretty vague on the subject...

 

[meowguy_imp]

The shop manual is pretty vague on the subject...

Other than showing a video, I don't know what more the Shop Manual could state. That is why I asked the OP if it had been used and is so, was it lacking in detail in one place or another.

 

[rboe]

Shop manual is VERY vague. Not unlike step 4 in another shop manual stated: Remove the transmission.

Kinda like: remove the sparkplugs and the back three are tucked under the firewall.

The main difficulty was in getting the swing arm torque block into the slot of the caliper. It has to come back a far amount. Easy to do with no wheel in place since you can simply drop it on the block. If I attempt to put the Caliper on the block and slide the wheel in place there is no room to either drop the chain up or down. If I had three or four hands I might be able to hold the chain open (so it was around the sprocket but not yet installed).

It's a very crowded place back there (and the spacers would get kitty wampus at times making everything harder but that is one aspect of the job I expect to happen.

If you guys knew how easy it was to drop and reinstall the rear wheel on a Moto Guzzi Quota. As easy as falling down.

The whole affair reminded me of trying to reinstall the rear tire on a buddies CR450. We had similar problems and there were two of us. At some point magic happened and it kinda fell into place but I don't recall exactly what we did.

 

[the Ferret]

I find wheel removals on double sided swingarm bikes to generally be a one person job, but wheel installations on same work better with 2 people. Besides being heavy for one hand everything is so tight and needs to be held so vertically in alignment its a challenge for a single person.

 

[meowguy_imp]

Quote:At some point magic happened and it kinda fell into place but I don't recall exactly what we did.
Don't you just hate that.

I find just going away and leaving it sit for awhile helps too.

 

[rboe]

I had to tidy up as it was the end of the day. I don't have a shop so it's sun light or no light. We're still trying to heal the collar bone so in theory I'm supposed to be taking easy on the right arm; so in theory I'm a bit of a gimp still.

But in theory; one should be able to use their head instead of their brawn to fix these things. Besides; she's too new to use much brawn on.

And yes, it is a bit annoying when you spend so much effort on something and the damn thing falls into place while you are looking at it crosseyed. Yesterday I had to use some muscle and some tapping with a plastic dead blow mallet (I have a ten lb and 8 lb sledge hammers for Harley work) but feel like I should not have had to resort to that. sigh

 

[Deanohh_imp]

I don't know what you mean by ....drop the chain up or down

if the chain is looped over the end of the swing arm, the top run of the chain is right there to place onto the sprocket.

for some its easier if you unbolt the caliper from the carrier bracket. Then the bracket is lighter and easier to manage.

after you do it a few times you don't have to loosen the adjusters. Just pull axle and roll wheel forward.

 

[rboe]

I tried a couple ways to assemble the rear wheel. A: getting the chain around the sprocket then trying to get the caliper installed. B: installing the caliper then trying to get the chain around the sprocket. When installing the chain it will be either from the top or bottom of the sprocket which means one length of it needs to slide on the outside of the sprocket to get it installed on the opposite side of the sprocket (the top or bottom). This action of either dropping the chain down the side or trying to work it up did not succeed because the gap was too narrow. Kept getting blocked by one or more sprocket bolts and the swing arm.

 

[Deanohh_imp]

I just revised post 12. Does that help? Hanging the chain on the swing arm is essentially holding it open so you don't pass the chain through where the axle goes.

or, you can drape the loop of chain around the inboard side of the sprocket, on a rag so it doesn't scratch the hub, and put it up on the sprocket just before inserting the axle

 

[The Spaceman_imp]

I removed the rear wheel when I installed my SuperSprox sprocket. The biggest problem I had was avoiding dings on the wheel from the caliper as it came off. I got one tiny ding. The annoying part is the manual warned that it could happen and I did it anyway.

 

[rboe]

Ya, I gotta couple small dings. Annoying. Dean, thanks, I'll review that this evening.

 

[The Spaceman_imp]

The wheel paint is beautiful, but it sure is soft. I'm wondering what will happen when they take tire irons to them.

 

[AzBob_imp]

Changing the rear wheel on a regular swingarm bike is a pain in the butt. I put my foot under the tire to lift the tire/wheel and move it forward/back, and use my hands to put the chain on the sprocket and align the caliper bracket. There's really no other way to do it without a second person, IMO. The only real magic to the whole thing is the wheel has to be just about exactly parallel to the swingarm the entire time, or else stuff won't fit. Even a slight twist to the left or right means the brake caliper isn't going to fit.

 

[rboe]

Ah, Bob, I bet my wheel was off center enough to shoot me in the foot.

I was using a tool to wedge the tire up. Folks like us, not built like Arnold, have to learn tricks over the years to compensate for less brawn.

 

[CB4ME_imp]

Oh man, I've been spoiled rotten with shaft drive motorcycles. Removing and reinstalling have been a breeze.

I took the rear wheel off this afternoon to put on that fancy red tape. It didn't come off as nicely as I'd like but putting it back on was a bear. Son of a gun, I could install the chain then the brake caliper didn't want to get on. Put on the caliper and no room to install the chain.

What is the trick this?

Rboe,

Impossible to install wheel tape without removing the rear wheel? I ordered ProGrip wheel tape and thought I could apply it with my wife rotating the wheel.