I have a 1990 bmw K100LT with 60,000 miles on it. The new drive shaft i got from a local minneapolis dealership has a larger u joint and is too large to be installed through the rear end of the swing arm. Does this mean i need to install this new drive shaft before the installation of the swing arm or do i have the wrong drive shaft. I believe that i can install the drive shaft first but i want to make sure i have the correct part. Any thoughts on this subject. Thanks
you should ALWAYS install the driveshaft first b4 installing swingarm. The driveshaft has to snap onto the trans shaft so the circlip grabs the slot intended for it. There is nothing wrong with putting the driveshaft onto the trans, then thru the swingarm. it is the recommended way. don
Thanks so much for the quick responses to my question. I have put off the drive shaft maintenance for too long. Last summer I noticed a slight clunking when shifting if the shift wasn't smooth. I have worried that the splines on the transmission, drive shaft and the final drive would be damaged. As it turned out the transmission and the final drive splines were okay. The final drive splines were worn a little bit more but look very good for 60,000 miles. The splines coming out of the transmission were excellent. I bought this bike in 1993 with 13,000 miles and I don't believe the splines were ever lubed. I was worried my neglect would cause damage but all of the wear was on the drive shaft splines and the U-joint was sticking on one side of the joint. It looks like a new drive shaft will bring many more miles of travel for my bike. I have planned to do this operation for about 3-5 years and finally it happened this spring. I hope after my new rear shock comes in today or tomorrow, I should be able to fire it up this weekend.
Also, just a little info on my bike. The original shock on my bike was the best stock shock installed. It worked well for 16 years when last fall one of the drain screws just fell off on the road somewhere and when I stopped for gas I noticed a huge pile of oil streaming down my rear tire. It was hydraulic fluid from the shock. I have ordered a Progressive Suspension shock (3/4 inch shorter) and hope it works good. I had a hard time even finding an aftermarket rear shock. BMW wants an arm and a leg for their shocks. I am curious what others are getting for replacement rear shocks.
Thanks again for the info. I have recently found this website and it seems like a great way to compare notes, experiences and information.
This is just a note for anyone out there concerning the replaced drive shaft and swing arm bearings. I just recently replaced both and just returned from a 1,000 ride. My bike runs like it was new. The new shaft and bearings really tightened up the drive train and the bike was very smooth. For an amatuer mechanic like myself, it turned out pretty good. The experience of opening up this area was quite informative and almost fun. Also, the Progressive Suspension rear shock that I recently purchased and installed seems to work fine. I purchased the 3/4 inch lower shock but it seems to hold the bike at the same height as the original shock. I'm a short guy and I was hoping to lower the bike a little. I worried that if the shock was to low the bike would have less lean when I put it on the kickstand but it seems to be just the same lean as the old shock. I'll just live with this for a while. Not too bad for me. :bmw:
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