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How to check and lube rear splines on an early Kbike (pre paralever)

98lee

3 Red Bricks
Staff member
My method for doing driveshaft splines is a bit different than other’s. (For many reasons)

First: If you are strong enough and have good centerstand technique, put the bike on the centerstand on top of a 2x10 or 2x12.
This will allow you to remove the rear wheel without having to remove and replace the rear fender/license plate holder. You will JUST be able to work the wheel out between the exhaust and the fender if you tip it at the right angle. Removing the wheel completely will make all the following steps way easier (like getting to the final drive bolts). If you can’t quite get your bike on the centerstand with the board under it, try rolling the rear tire onto a SEPARATE 2x.This will put the bike at a higher starting point and make it a bit easier to get it up on the centerstand. Remove rear wheel.


Second: Be aware that there is a boot between the swing arm and the transmission. This boot is between 25 and 35 years old and can be dried out and brittle! You do not want to extend it past it’s normal operating range by much or you run the risk of tearing it. That will triple the amount of work you will have to do (remove peg plates and swingarm) and add $46.39 and a couple weeks to get the boot, so it is worth trying NOT to tear it. Put a jackstand or block under the swingarm that limits it’s downward travel to at most 3/4” below were it is hanging while still connected to the final drive and shock. Do this before proceeding!!!


Third: Remove 2 rear caliper mounting bolts. Make sure they are the bolts between the caliper and the ears on the final drive NOT the bolts that hold the two halves of the caliper together! Unclip brake hose from swingarm. Lift off caliper and suspend it from the frame with wire tie, coat hanger, or piece of cord. Do not stress brake hose!!!
Follow the speed sensor wire forward and unclip it from the clip on the swingarm. Then disconnect it from the connector just forward of your coolant overflow bottle. Pull about 6” of slack back to the final drive. If you have ABS, do the same for the ABS wire.

Fourth: Remove the four bolts that attach the final drive to the swingarm. LEAVE THE SHOCK ATTACHED! Separate final drive from swingarm and driveshaft by pulling back about 1”. Shock will support final drive. Rotate final drive 90 degrees on shock so that splines are pointing toward you.

Fifth: If YOU were not the last one to lube the splines or if it’s been more than 10,000mi. since the driveshaft has been thoroughly cleaned, remove it. The driveshaft to tranny output has a sort of snap ring on it. It cannot be just pulled of, it must be pried. Do NOT use pliers on the snout of the driveshaft (That can create stress risers on the shaft that could lead to failure).
The easiest way to release the driveshaft(by far) is to take an 1 1/8” (or so) hose clamp and tighten it over the snout of the driveshaft, using the end of the swingarm as the fulcrum (with a piece of sheetmetal, leather or cardboard protecting the end of the swingarm) pry the bump of the hoseclamp towards the back of the bike. A sharp snaping motion works better that slow pressure. It doesn’t take that much effort. 1/2” of movement will release the shaft. Hold final drive out of the way and withdraw driveshaft from swingarm. You might have to rotate the shaft a bit-as the universal reaches the last couple inches of the swingarm.

Sixth: Clean and inspect both sets of splines on the driveshaft and the one on the final drive. If you are wondering what perfect splines look like, look at the splines at the universal end of the driveshaft. That is what the final drive end of the driveshaft started life as. See the nice wide flat tops of each spline? If the splines come to a sharp point, they’re done, toast, junk. There are still a few good used ones available. New driveshafts are available ($400) New final drives are cost prohibitive ($1200).


Seventh: Liberally lube all three splines (both ends of driveshaft and final drive) with TS-60 from TS Moly sold by Ted Porters BeemerShop. Fill all grooves to top of spline. Grease is a lot cheaper than parts. Straighten universal. Put bike in gear. Lift swingarm to level. Insert driveshaft into swingarm, engage splines by rotating shaft, push it in until it stops. Take a large plastic dead blow hammer or a block of wood (against the snout of the driveshaft) and a heavy hammer, and give the snout of the driveshaft a quick rap to snap the snap ring over the transmission output shaft. This should cause driveshaft to go in approximately an additional 1/2”. Try pulling and pushing on shaft to make sure snap ring is engaged.

Eighth: Engage final drive in driveshaft. You may have to rotate brake disc to get splines aligned.

Nineth: Put everything back together (don’t forget the wires) except rear wheel.
Final drive mounting bolt torque 34 ft/lb.
Brake caliper mounting bolts 21 ft/lb.
Tenth: Clean rear rotor with Braklean. Pump up rear brake with pedal.

Eleventh: Install rear wheel. Torque wheel bolts 75ft/lb.

Go for test ride. Come home and have a beer while you try to figure out why you don’t have any left over parts. Maybe it’s because you only took off 4 wheel bolts, 2 caliper bolts, and 4 final drive bolts.



:dance:dance:dance
 
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