How do I get the rear hub apart?

[jrt]

I was messing around today, dropped the rear wheel, and I was going to grease the cush drive (CD and the rubbers, of course) a la Rich Maund (he's such an inspiration )

Anyhow, I got all the screws out and the big washer off (P) and the manual says to drive out the bearing from the other side then remove the plate (CD). At that time the cush drive is accessible. It's literally that vague. So, do I drive out that whole inner race-thingy ® or do I actually just remove the bearing? I've got the giant circlip © off and should I just pound out that race?

 

thanks,

Jason

[Guest geezerx]

Jason, I'm not sure what you are looking at but here is a link to a page from my V11 manual. I fumbled my way into my bike's cush ala these directions. No major surgery required

 

:!: Caution: please do not confuse me with someone who knows what the heck they are doing.

 

http://userweb.suscom.net/~geezerx/cush/cush.jpg

[jrt]

Yeah, we're on the same page. It's that sentance 'working on the opposite side, remove the bearing and then lift the plate with gearing 'I' using two screwdrivers' that bothers me.

The bearing doesn't come out easily - and I don't want to destroy the bearing trying to get it out if there's some easy trick to doing it. So I was wondering if that whole race came out.

Thanks Geezerx.

J

[Guest geezerx]

I see that now about removing the bearing. My memory is sh!t but I'm sure I did nothing from the other side of the wheel. I know I didn't drive out a bearing. I would have purchased a new one in that case. Unless the thing fell out in my hand, I pulled the plate without removing the bearing. I was serious about the no major surgery comment. Guess I'm not much help.

 

Damn, I'm starting to get parnoid about my rear wheel, now.

[RichMaund]

Folks

Getting the plate off with the two screw driver trick works to get into the rubbers. Often, if the rubbers are assembled dry, as they usually are, that plate will stick. Just keep patiently working at it to get it free of the rubber blocks.

But you must drive out the hub from the wheel to apply grease to that area. There is even a spiral groove machined in to hold the grease there. I found Guzzi assembled mine dry. Unless that area is greased, it can lock up and then no relative motion is allowed to occur between the wheel and hub.

"Usually", you can drive it back from the large circlip side with a hardwood dowel and a mallet. Block up the wheel to allow it come back through the other side as you pound on it. If yours is a sticky bastard, as mine was, you're better off putting it under a large hydraulic press. Feel free to use liberal amounts of your favorite penetrating fluid. ZEP makes a professional grade one that is excellent.

Good luck on it. It's worth doing.

[Guest geezerx]

Hi Rich, thanks for jumping in here.

 

So, I think I'm clear on the rubbers now, but am not so sure that I'm understanding about the hub. Seems that when I removed the "plate with gearing" so as to access the rubbers, the section of hub on which the plate must be free to move was exposed and I greased that section.

But I assumed (not based on any training, knowledge or experience) that movement between the hub and wheel would not be desirable???

[RichMaund]

OK, I was thinking wrong on this. Sorry for that. The hub needs to be a light press fit into the wheel. No movement wanted there. The plate that engages therubbers needs to be able to move on the hub though and you did grease that area. Good!

 

I got confused remembering it since I had to completely disassemble my wheels way beyond just servicing the cush drive in order to get the wheels powdercoated. Taking that plate off and lubing the rubbers with silicone dielectric grease and using #2 lithium grease on the hub to plate contact area is all that is needed to make the cush drive do it's job well!

[jrt]

Thanks guys,

My 'plate with gearing' is being obdurate- I don't want to bugger up the rim with screwdrivers by levering on it. Since the hub is also pretty well stuck in there, I'll press it out and grease it too.

 

cheers,

Jason

[al_roethlisberger]

So, I couldn't find the old "rear spline" thread where we discussed the grease, or lack thereof, on the rear-wheel splines.... so this one will have to do

 

But, I took off my rear wheel on my '02 LeMans, and lo-and-behold, the factory actually DID grease mine I guess all '02's aren't subject to this oversight after all

 

But, after I finish stripping the edges of the wheel, I'll want to add a little more of this grease, as I'm sure my repeated washings, etc will remove some.

 

So, what kind do ya'll recommend? The OEM grease seems to be a red... almost "wax" versus a liquid grease. So when I go to the local auto-shop, what should I ask for?

 

And just an observation: Based on looking at the grease on the plate covering the cush-drive, and talking to Mike Stewart(who added a bit too much), it seems obvious that one wants to be judicious in applying any grease as the rotating wheel slings the grease from the hub outward, and one wouldn't want that all over the wheel and tire. Even the thick "wax-like" grease on mine has slung across the plate in strings over time.

 

Anyway, if anyone knows the secret code-word for the correct grease to apply, just let me know The OEM stuff seems very thick and hard, but I guess it loosens up under the heat of the rear drive.

 

al

[Guest Brian Robson]

My bike must be the same batch as Al's, because the splines were also greased. Before the rainy winter riding season, I again greased the splines and used Bel Ray Waterproof Marine grease. IMHO this is good grease, doesn't get flung off much and resists the water better than anything else.

[docc]

Bel Ray Waterproof Marine grease. IMHO this is good grease

Yes, Brian's on to it with this. Good for what ails ya!

[twhitaker]

Sometimes the use of a heat gun will facilitate removal of parts. Aluminum expands at a far greater rate than steel. heat the hub around the bearing and it should fall out.