Swing Arm & Drive Shaft Maintenance - *Pics* UPDATED 2-22-07

[Bear]

I was talking with Whistleclean and we both agree that the zerk is a nice touch but where does all the old grease go when you put in new grease? not really a situation where it can ooze out.

besides, the driveshaft needs maintenance at 7500 mile intervals, to really get at it, you have to pull the swingarm.

Hey Spok, was there any parts that you had to replace when doing the drive shaft maintenence? Oil seals or anything?

TIA

Bear

[Spok]

Hey Spok, was there any parts that you had to replace when doing the drive shaft maintenence? Oil seals or anything?

TIA

Bear

Needed new Crush Gaskets. Had to remove the rear exhaust to take the swingarm pivot bolt out.

outside of that, nope.

The rubber boot that covers the u-joints and driveshaft cover connection might need to be replaced upon ispection if you have tears or cracks. mine was fine.

[anrfknm]

i feel sorry for the kid.

thanks for the write up and pictures. that's going to be very helpfull. the best part for me is the way your bike and jack match, very fashionable.

[bross]

Here is the end of the driveshaft peeking out the drive shaft cover. Notice the gear oil leaking out. not sure if thats suppsed to be in there or not, I didn't overfill the last time I changed? anybody care to tell me?

Just doing mine tonight and noticed the o-ring on the end of the final drive shaft was broken. I know I didn't touch the o-ring in removal so maybe that's where the oil is coming from, I had a little drain out as well.

[Spok]

Just doing mine tonight and noticed the o-ring on the end of the final drive shaft was broken. I know I didn't touch the o-ring in removal so maybe that's where the oil is coming from, I had a little drain out as well.

hmmmmm could be. next time it take her down, i'll make sure I inspect

thanks brent

[bross]

hmmmmm could be. next time it take her down, i'll make sure I inspect

thanks brent

I'm sure yours is fine, the only reason I even knew there was an o-ring in there was as I was wiping the old grease off the splines the o-ring pretty much fell out, it was broken.

[relli]

wow-seems like a lotta work every 7500 miles. glad i went with belt drive or am i? have no idea what maintenance is required for a belt

[Spok]

wow-seems like a lotta work every 7500 miles. glad i went with belt drive or am i? have no idea what maintenance is required for a belt

i agree, i waited for well beyond my 7500 mile mark and based on the condition of the swingarm bearings, i will most likely wait that long again.

[CaddmannQ]

Just a word to the wise, When you do this lube job, check the motion on the u-joint. At 19,500 miles the one on my '04 Nomad is starting to go out. The motion is loose on one axis & tight on the other.

Same thing happened to my buddy Mac's '01 Nomad at about 19,000 miles.

It's just a regular sealed (ungreasable) Spicer type u-joint, but get this: For a Nomad they sell you and entire new driveshaft for $300+ (plus labor).

The u-joint is, however, the very same as the rear driveshaft u-joint on various Kawasaki Prairie quads, and that one they do sell seperate. (About $70 though).

I've crossed this part over to a Motor Master #57-8236, which the Tucker Rocky catalog lists for $31.11, and Powersports Network sells a greasable one under the QuadBoss name for $19.95.

If you've ever changed one on a car, you can change this one. Any NAPA shop should be able to do it too.

First driveshaft lube is supposed to be at 7500 miles, and every 15,000 miles thereafter, but I'd lube it & check that u-joint every time I change the rear tire. (About every 7000 miles for me.)

[Spok]

good lesson learned tip the caddmann...thanks. next time its down, I will inspect the u-joints closer

[CaddmannQ]

For anyone interested, I just ordered this u-joint for $18.99 on-line from www.brocktoncycle.com

Part #56-1498
Description: QUADBOSS UNIVERSAL JOINTS (CV JOINTS) FOR KAWASAKI - replaces OEM No. 49050-1002

Shipping from Mass to Calif was $10.50 however, so I bought two to defray that cost.

Still, at under $50 I got two far cheaper than just one from Kawasaki, and I think it will be a better part too.

This is a greasable u-joint with zerk fitting (unlike the non-greasable stock one), but I don't know if it will fit the Vulcans with the zerk installed. I might have to insert the grease zerk & then replace it with a little zerk plug each time I want to grease it.

Not a real problem though, as I can't imagine wanting to grease it more often than I change rear tires.

[kamafool]

Thanks for the pictures and directions. It went just as you and Gadjet said it would. I like it when a fellow cruiser rider saves another some cash.

[Spok]

Thanks for the pictures and directions. It went just as you and Gadjet said it would. I like it when a fellow cruiser rider saves another some cash.

I have to give props to gadget, if not for his directions, i would have paid my dealer to do this simple maintenance

[kingofwings]

Just took a bolt thru my new rear tire. While I'm waiting for the new one, I'm gonna attempt this job. Wish me luck!

[Spok]

egads Frank...that ain't gonna be good for tire life

[bross]

Just took a bolt thru my new rear tire. While I'm waiting for the new one, I'm gonna attempt this job. Wish me luck!

Ouch sorry, that looks painful. Ever get any snow down there, you could always use it as a studded tire.

[kingofwings]

[QUOTE=bross]Ouch sorry, that looks painful. Ever get any snow down there, you could always use it as a studded tire.

WOW!

[CaddmannQ]

Well, a couple more notes on the driveshaft stuff.

First I ordered two u-joints from Brockton Cycle, and I got the wrong ones. They said they'd exchange them no problem, but the ones I really needed are "on back order". They've been "on back order" for months now. *sigh*

Meanwhile, I took two trips on the bike (2000 miles total) and rode it every day to work with the slightly stiff u-joint. About then I spotted a used driveshaft, complete with coupler, yoke & joint, for sale on eBay for $25 (score!) and scooped it up. It was from a '96 Vulcan 88, but I crossed the numbers & it's the same on the 2004 Nomad. It was in cherry condition & the u-joint was perfect, so I just cleaned it up & swaped the entire shaft.

My original one was slightly stiffer after about 2500 additional miles, (about 23,000 miles total) but not alarmingly so, & probably would have gone to Alaska without failure; but why chance it?

On the Nomad the procedure described by Spok is the very much the same except a couple things. The left bag mount rails & left exhaust assy must come off to get the axle and swingarm pivot bolts out, but if you have Baggers, just the left muffler must come off, so no new crush gasket was required, for me.

You can drop the entire swingarm, but you don't have to on either bike. What I do is remove the shocks and let back half of the swingarm sit on a box about 2" lower than the swingarm pivot. Then remove the pivot bolt. You now won't need to pry open the brake hose guides. Just shove the available slack forward, and let the front of the arm drop slightly.

Peel the rubber boot from the swingarm & shove it forward. Shove the swingarm back a little. Stick in the awl & release the pin, and shove the shaft back into the swingarm.

Now drop the front of the swingarm slightly, and pull the shaft out and under the left floorboard.

Also: You can put in the zerk, and when you do, excess grease will force out both ends of the swingarm pivot and past the grease seals. This is OK, and washes the dirt out of the seals too. Then just wipe off the excess grease with a strip of rag.

With the shaft and boot and swingarm reassembled, but not the shocks yet, put a stick between the frame and the swingarm and pry it sideways. Then put the stick on the other side of the frame & pry it back. I'll bet it moves. On every Vulcan I've checked it moves from 1/16" to 3/16". That's how much play is in the assembly and the side thrust is taken at the pivot by the swingarm pushing against the pivot bearing seals.

These seals are metal covered with rubber, and as the rubber wears off the swingarm will slop side to side more and more.

Replacing the seals with new ones, however, does not take up all the slop. Mine still had about 1/8", which I measured with feeler gages between the seal & swingarm, with the swingarm pried all the way to one side.

I made some neoprene washers, about 1 3/16" I.D. and 2" O.D. & 1/6" thick, and put them between the swingarm and the seals, to take up the slop.

Neoprene is just rubber, however, and though the bike handles better now they still compress & allow the bike to be slightly "loose" in corners. I could really tell the difference when I first put them in, but now thet're wearing down, and I can tell by the handling change alone.

I'm going to try and get some Nylatron GSM stock & make hard shims.

Nylatron GSM is ultra high molecular weight plastic infused with moly grease. We used them on telescoping crane booms as wear pads, and it is really tough stuff for plastic, plus it's self lubricating.

If I can't find that (haven't used any since about 1982) I'll probably turn some out of aluminum & just put some grease on them.

Trust me, adding these shims will make the bike handle better, and you'll notice it on a twisty road, on pavement with those squiggly rain grooves, and over most any uneven pavement.

<Edit: 23,000 was 13,000>

[Spok]

nice caddmann...thanks for the extra effort to post all of that.

[CaddmannQ]

My pleasure, but now I'm wondering if I should have posted it elsewhere. Most of the folks that have already read this sticky probably won't bother again.

Well, perhaps when lube time comes around they will.

This is something I will always lube at every rear tire change, because once the wheel is off, you're 95% there.