2016 R1200RT Drive Shaft Splines

[charlesodle]

How often should the drive shaft splines be lubricated? There in nothing in my owner's manual for maintenance of splines. What does BMW recommend?

Thanks

 

[alegerlotz]

There is no spec for it in the maintenance guide, and they don't appear to be lubed from the factory.

That being said, most people who have owned an older RT lube them every so often. Personally, I do them ever 24K miles (essentially ever other final drive oil change).

The MOST important thing when doing this, however, is to make sure that you use the proper grease on the rubber boot and ensure that it seals properly so no water can get in there. Lubing your splines, but letting water enter the swingarm is much worse than never lubing the splines but keeping them completely dry... IMO at least.

 

[akbeemer]

I lube the FD splines every 12,000 miles. I was pulling the driveshaft and lubing the output shaft splines every other winter. This also allows for checking the u-joints. Since I had my driveshaft rebuilt with zirks installed I will be pulling the driveshaft every winter to lube the u-joints, at a minimum.

 

[LFarling]

I lube the FD splines every 12,000 miles. I was pulling the driveshaft and lubing the output shaft splines every other winter. This also allows for checking the u-joints. Since I had my driveshaft rebuilt with zirks installed I will be pulling the driveshaft every winter to lube the u-joints, at a minimum.

We could only hope for a driveshaft with zirk fittings. Nice you have one I would assume a earlier model year?

I had thought someone had made mention that Ted Porter or someone was working on zirk fitted shafts for LC bikes?

I do agree I will do my second spline lube upper at 24K and 12K for the FD and keep that schedule. It is really just patience in doing it, and if your lucky you can time it with a brake job or a tire change.

I had thought at one time spline lube was a constant, and a listed (user mandated) maintenance, I just cant remember what years/series.

 

[akbeemer]

We could only hope for a driveshaft with zirk fittings. Nice you have one I would assume a earlier model year?

I had thought someone had made mention that Ted Porter or someone was working on zirk fitted shafts for LC bikes?

I do agree I will do my second spline lube upper at 24K and 12K for the FD and keep that schedule. It is really just patience in doing it, and if your lucky you can time it with a brake job or a tire change.

I had thought at one time spline lube was a constant, and a listed (user mandated) maintenance, I just cant remember what years/series.

I have a 17 R12GSA. When I pulled the driveshaft last winter I found that both u-joints were showing early signs of pending failure. I talked to Ted Porter and he said he was expecting to get rebuildable driveshafts for the LC models. As winter became early spring there was evidently some issue with the production and Ted no longer would make a prediction about when he will get them. So, I sent my driveshaft to a machine shop in Green Bay, WI. They rebuilt the shaft and installed zerks (plugs actually; I put in the zerks). They charged $230 and shipping was $25 each way. Much cheaper than the $1256 BMW wanted; it may be more now. I just pulled the driveshaft again this month. It only had 4,000 miles on it, but I wanted to check it and lube it. I’m having a sidecar installed next month and wanted to do the job before the lift was no longer an option. So far everything is copacetic.

 

[LFarling]

I have a 17 R12GSA. When I pulled the driveshaft last winter I found that both u-joints were showing early signs of pending failure. I talked to Ted Porter and he said he was expecting to get rebuildable driveshafts for the LC models. As winter became early spring there was evidently some issue with the production and Ted no longer would make a prediction about when he will get them. So, I sent my driveshaft to a machine shop in Green Bay, WI. They rebuilt the shaft and installed zerks (plugs actually; I put in the zerks). They charged $230 and shipping was $25 each way. Much cheaper than the $1256 BMW wanted; it may be more now. I just pulled the driveshaft again this month. It only had 4,000 miles on it, but I wanted to check it and lube it. I’m having a sidecar installed next month and wanted to do the job before the lift was no longer an option. So far everything is copacetic.

Great stuff.

I also have a 17(17.5)GS.

I think it is pretty cool your getting ready for a side car.

The 87 year I ride with said it is what he will do when his RT becomes too much. He has lusted after a side car for many years now.

Look forward to seeing your project and thank you for the information.

 

[machinejoe]

I have a 17 R12GSA. When I pulled the driveshaft last winter I found that both u-joints were showing early signs of pending failure. I talked to Ted Porter and he said he was expecting to get rebuildable driveshafts for the LC models. As winter became early spring there was evidently some issue with the production and Ted no longer would make a prediction about when he will get them. So, I sent my driveshaft to a machine shop in Green Bay, WI. They rebuilt the shaft and installed zerks (plugs actually; I put in the zerks). They charged $230 and shipping was $25 each way. Much cheaper than the $1256 BMW wanted; it may be more now. I just pulled the driveshaft again this month. It only had 4,000 miles on it, but I wanted to check it and lube it. I’m having a sidecar installed next month and wanted to do the job before the lift was no longer an option. So far everything is copacetic.

I would love to add Zerk fittings. A YouTube video search showed up with a less desirable approach but the end result is ... well ... achieved..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t3cO-BWNvs

 

[boxflyer]

I just installed a replacement U-joint with a zerk that you can put a standard grease gun on. The grease gun fits thru the splined end of the driveshaft when you have lowered the FD for spline service.

Looking at the above YouTube video just a little bit, he only shows making a hole in 1 of the bearing cups. In the comments he answers a question saying that you need to do this access hole in all 4 cups to get grease to all 4, since the cross yoke is not cross drilled.

The U-joint I used has a cross drilled yoke so that the center zerk gets grease to all 4 cups at the same time.

Here is the part I used. https://www.driveshaftparts.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=862&search=gua2

 

[omega man]

I just installed a replacement U-joint with a zerk that you can put a standard grease gun on. The grease gun fits thru the splined end of the driveshaft when you have lowered the FD for spline service.

Looking at the above YouTube video just a little bit, he only shows making a hole in 1 of the bearing cups. In the comments he answers a question saying that you need to do this access hole in all 4 cups to get grease to all 4, since the cross yoke is not cross drilled.

The U-joint I used has a cross drilled yoke so that the center zerk gets grease to all 4 cups at the same time.

Here is the part I used. https://www.driveshaftparts.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=862&search=gua2

Another nice job on the research and installation
OM

 

[boxflyer]

This is the finished product. Kinda hard to see, but I got 4 stainless steel washers, turned them down to exactly 19mm to fit in the yoke bore, then TIG spot welded the 2 sides to ensure that the caps don't migrate out of the yoke.
The original installation has the bearing caps staked into position, so this is what I did instead of trying to weld on the bearing caps themselves.

 

[machinejoe]

This is the finished product. Kinda hard to see, but I got 4 stainless steel washers, turned them down to exactly 19mm to fit in the yoke bore, then TIG spot welded the 2 sides to ensure that the caps don't migrate out of the yoke.
The original installation has the bearing caps staked into position, so this is what I did instead of trying to weld on the bearing caps themselves.

I think I'll order a pair and install them on the next final drive service.
Thank you

 

[migrant]

This is the finished product. Kinda hard to see, but I got 4 stainless steel washers, turned them down to exactly 19mm to fit in the yoke bore, then TIG spot welded the 2 sides to ensure that the caps don't migrate out of the yoke.
The original installation has the bearing caps staked into position, so this is what I did instead of trying to weld on the bearing caps themselves.

I commend you on this work and am curious how you made sure the end yoke lined up with the shaft centerline. Was it by installing the cups, stopping at the bottom of the stake mark? Or using a fixture in a lathe and a dial indicator, or ??

One of my first jobs after the Navy was in a driveshaft specialty shop in San Francisco, hence my curiosity. Not trying to be a wise guy. When someone would bring in a driveshaft with staked yokes we either turned them away or built a new shaft. Back then ('70s) most driveshafts had circlips or snap rings so we considered staked shafts as disposable.

 

[boxflyer]

That's a good question...
Both the end yoke (free end with splines) and the fixed yoke (on the long shaft) have been turned with a machined finished outer surface that I used as a reference for setting the bearing cups.
Seating all 4 cups to the same position on the yokes was the only way I could determine a centered cross piece in the assembly.

There may be lots of other ways to establish centered installation, like using a centering fixture that are available in custom axle or driveline shops, but using the factory machined surfaces was all I had.
Sorry I didn't use a very complex setup.