Rear wheel not turning properly after removal.

I recently removed my rear wheel to change my tires and rebuild my rear brakes. Everything went off without a hitch and everything fit back together just fine.

Tonight I went to go for a ride on my new tires and my bike won't move! Trying to roll off gently in first feels like the engine is going to stall and produces some clunking from the rear end.

When the engine is in neutral and I turn my rear tire by hand it turns but only with some force and makes some clunking noises while doing it.

What did I do wrong? Is the drive shaft not lined up? I thought that if everything fit back together that the drive shaft must be in place.

Is there any way to get things lined up without taking the whole wheel off again?

 

Did you adjust the brake rod for clearance between the shoes and the drum?

Did you tighten the axle bolt before tightening the pinch bolt?

Did you put the wheel spacer back in?

Did you just remove the wheel, or did you remove the entire final drive from the swingarm?

 

I'm not sure what brake rod you're referring to. The piece that spreads the brake shoes was flush with the top of them. (Internal side)

I did tighten the castle nut on the axle before the pinch bolt.

Spacers were returned to their respective positions.

I removed the wheel with the final drive attached to it. I have no idea how to take the final drive off the wheel. Which would actually be nice to know because if I want to get the tire balanced I need it removed.
So the wheel came off as one piece with the final drive on it and the drive shaft sticking out.

 

the rod that connects the foot brake lever to the rear wheel/drum assembly

have you adjusted that? Sounds like your brakes need adjustment

 

Yes, I adjusted it until my wheel locked up then back out two turns.

 

back it off some more thats a little tight

did the wheel turn before you adjusted the brakes?

 

So the wheel did turn before you adjusted the brakes?
I think you may have the brake adjusted too tight.

 

You think so?

 

see adjustment proceedure for brakes i posted above

 

You think so?

 

So I don't think it's my brakes. I loosened it way up without any change.

The wheel turns fine for about 90 degrees and then hits a point where it locks up. Then if I push hard it slips past this point and this is where I heard a clunk. It sounds like it's coming from the transmission but I'm not sure.

 

When I was adjusting the brakes I was just wiggling the wheel back and forth to feel for the brakes grabbing so I never noticed the sticking point.

 

You probably didn't get the driveshaft back into the final drive input splines correctly.
The final drive does not need to come off to remove the wheel. Once the axle is out you pull the wheel off toward the right and it disengages from the final drive output splines. Then you can roll the wheel out from the swingearm.

 

This sounds like what I did last time. Any tips for making sure it is in correctly? I am surprised that it still all bolted together flush when it wasn't lined up. Hopefully this didn't cause any damage...

 

Either that, or sounds to me more like the shaft isn’t in the u-joint ) cross-joint properly.

 

IF all you did was take off the wheel and change brakes, you never saw the drive shaft

 

Hey Dalpha22, You have a conversation started in your in box offering local help to look at, resolve your problem.
John

 

pulled the pumpkin with the wheel.

 

Why would anyone pull the diff off the shaft to replace the tire is beyond me. But you still would have to remove rear brake lever off the rod...unless you did it the wrong way and pulled lever off the backing plate? Did you install new brake shoes? You turn in adjusting nut till you get drag while turning wheel. Then back off a turn, push on the rear brake lever , try to turn wheel should not move , let off lever and turn wheel should spin with no drag .

 

Yeah I’m gonna go with something not lined back up in the driveline

 

It sounds like I am in a similar jam.
Did you find the problem? I could use some direction as I also took the shaft housing apart(cause I dont know no better) to get a new tire and balance.
I put it all back together and the driveshaft does not engage. I wish I wouldnt have taken that apart now hindsight and all that.

Well Im gonna attack it again, would appreciate any pointers on getting the driveshaft lined up proper. thx

 

I am going to reply to my own post (cause who in their right mind would!)

indeed the shaft was not fully seated. I could see it, barely, with a flashlight. I could also see that its no small matter to line up the spline on the motor side as it is on some type of universal joint of connection (yes I know how little I know). There is a lot of play up in there, I dont know how I ever got it to sit still and then accept the shaft while lined up with the splines!? All I can say is that it worked and I leardned me lesson.

 

There’s a number of ways—
1. If you have long fingers and arms, pull the boot back and hold the ujoint straight if it’s floppy. Guide just the shaft in with the other hand. If you need to, shine a flashlight up through the end of the swing arm to make sure the u- joint is pointed straight through the swing arm.

2.The other thing that I also find easy to do is to put the swing arm Final drive assembly together… Install the U joint on the end of the driveshaft, then install that whole assembly onto the frame.