Lube the splines...

[Kiwicol]

Hey guys, I'm doing the spline lube thing and also trying to track down a grinding noise, think I found it too. Couple of questions please, all my studs backed out, so I'm thinking why can't I re-install them like that? Just torque them to the stud setting. The noise isn't coming from the bevel box, thank god, it appears to be from the drive shaft banging into the inside of the drive shaft cover. Anyone else had an issue where the shaft housing was being hit by the drive shaft? I might have to take the front off as well to see if I can spot anything inside it. Couple of pics for ya, the wooden thing is a jig I made up this morning to hold the box in the right place to go back together. Worked good when I took it apart.

 

[Kiwicol]

I pulled the front off and out as well, bit of crud in there and stones. They've been flicked up off new seal and found their way into the driveshaft housing. It's open at the back, so It's always going to happen. Put some moly on each end of the drive shaft and I'm now into reassembly. So, any suggestions about installing the stud and capnut as a bolt?

 

[mo8414]

It would probably work but you got to ask your self why they didnt just use bolts if securing it like that was good enough. I couldn't tell you why some things use a bolt and some use a stud but there has to be a reason behind it.

Personally I'd heat up the nuts and remove them from the stud. Make sure you loc tite everything with medium strength loc tite when reinstalling. It would be a hell of a thing to have come loose.

 

[Journeyman]

The drive shaft will flop around when you have it disconnected and while trying to re-engage it with the final drive. I doubt that is what's happening when assembled though- could be wrong. Since you inspected the top end (my first suspicion), could the joint be failing and have some slop in it? Or, are you saying it's the stones- sounds likely.

Hmm, I see what you're saying about just treating the studs as bolts. I think the concern would be that over time repeatedly screwing and unscrewing them into the housing might weaken those female threads in soft metal. It's designed to bottom out in the holes with Loctite to hold them stationary. By tightening the caps on the studs you are then able to get a proper torque setting that you wouldn't be able to accomplish the other way, unless you didn't quite fully sink the studs. Again, I think that puts all the force on those female threads.

Let us know if the grinding goes away after you've reassembled everything and what you decided to do about the studs.

 

[mo8414]

The drive shaft will flop around when you have it disconnected and while trying to re-engage it with the final drive. I doubt that is what's happening when assembled though- could be wrong. Since you inspected the top end (my first suspicion), could the joint be failing and have some slop in it? Or, are you saying it's the stones- sounds likely.

Hmm, I see what you're saying about just treating the studs as bolts. I think the concern would be that over time repeatedly screwing and unscrewing them into the housing might weaken those female threads in soft metal. It's designed to bottom out in the holes with Loctite to hold them stationary. By tightening the caps on the studs you are then able to get a proper torque setting that you wouldn't be able to accomplish the other way, unless you didn't quite fully sink the studs. Again, I think that puts all the force on those female threads.

Let us know if the grinding goes away after you've reassembled everything and what you decided to do about the studs.

That makes a lot of sense. It's a lot less wear and tear on the aluminum female threads since in theory, the studs are not supposed to come out when removing the bevel box. They would rather you wear out the replacable threads on the studs. Good call

 

[Kiwicol]

Thanks guys. i cleaned up the studs and put some blue loktite on them. Went back together in about 3 minutes by myself. That jig holds it exactly where you want it and you can just move the wheel hub to line up the splines.
The engine end universal was fine too, I've no idea what the noise is / was, but everything is super clean and coated in Moly, so hope that fixes it.

 

[Kiwicol]

Took it for a wee ride down the road, just to make sure I'd done everything up and to check for the noise. Only go to about 30kph and no noise, smooth as silk. Normally I hear it from about 50kph to 90kph and after that the wind noise is too much. Thing is I'm deaf as, and when I'm riding I can't have my aids in and I'm wearing a big helmet and I can hear it loud, well, could hear it. Will see what tomorrow brings, too hot n sweaty to gear up for a trial ride. If it's gone, I'd say it was the splines chattering, but there's no wear evident on them at either end.

 

[Kiwicol]

Some more pic's of the jig in case anyone is interested.