Tyres, Brakes and Suspension » Lubricating Driveshaft Joints

As I seem to have some time on my hands and nowhere to go, I thought I might do some preventative maintenance on my 2016 bike.
Having a look at the driveshaft joints seems to be within my mechanical means.
I think I may have seen this item somewhere before, possibly on the old forum, but as I am unable to find it I thought I would raise it here.
I suspect Lee is the man to answer but has anybody had a go?
Can I lube my joints without draining the oil (leaving myself open to abuse here) as its just been changed?

drive shaft.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

Alan

Zitat von Alda im Beitrag #1

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Can I lube my joints without draining the oil (leaving myself open to abuse here)...?
Alan

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Zitat von Alda im Beitrag #1

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Can I lube my joints without draining the oil (leaving myself open to abuse here) as its just been changed?



Alan

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This thread is on a older R1200LC bike without a drain plug for the final drive but it does show how to drop the final drive.

https://advrider.com/f/threads/r1200gsw-...torial.1129815/

You can skip to the 15 minute mark on this video.
No need to change the final drive oil if it's been done recently.

https://youtu.be/SPmjQadkIXc

I did a bit of bike cleaning this afternoon and painted the lightly corroded centre stand.
Whilst in that area I pulled back the rubber gaiter covering the rear joint and was able to see the coupling inside.
It looked okay and I could not see any sign of rust though there was no evidence of grease either.
I was able to brush in a little grease as I rotated the back wheel. Just a smear to deter surface corrosion. Too much could pick up dust which may work its way into the joint.
If I get bored over the next week I might open it up and give it a good looking at, but I don't think it is cause for concern at the moment.
This type of joint is fitted to most cars and operate in all conditions without too many problems.

Alan

How many miles does your bike bike have ? Mine is at 44,000 kms for a 2018 and I always wonder if that was a necessity.

I do not think mileage is that relevant, the joint itself is not the problem just the mating surfaces of shaft and spline. Water seems to be able to get into this area and cause problems.
My bike is 4 years old on 15k but I have seen some pictures of 2018 bikes with nasty corrosion.
I will have a go at it next week and report back.

Alan

Zitat von wessie im Beitrag #9

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I always wonder if those who experience corrosion and early bearing failure are those people with shiny bikes that are washed every weekend with a pressure washer. Even worse if the the fluid contains an alkali based detergent like traffic film remover. I treat my RS like a bronze: let a patina build up.

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I decided to have a look at this this morning.
Took about 20mins to get to the joint and happy to say all looked well. No sign of water ingress and no rust in any parts.
Used a Moly based grease on all surfaces and back together quite easily.
There was only partial signs of the white water repellant grease around the rubber gaiter and adjacent parts. I did not have any of this, so cleaned all parts and applied a silicone grease used in the plumbing trade.
The rubber gaiter is well designed and a good fit. How water can get past it is a mystery to me.
This may not be a regular service job but I am pleased I did it, even if it was just for peace of mind.
I took out the rear brake pads while I was at it and gave a clean and copper grease to sliding parts.
Just waiting for the restrictions to be lifted so I can enjoy the forthcoming spring.

Alan

Zitat von Lee im Beitrag #3

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Zitat von Alda im Beitrag #1

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Can I lube my joints without draining the oil (leaving myself open to abuse here) as its just been changed?



Alan

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Yes the final drive is sealed.

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Zitat von Alda im Beitrag #11

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I decided to have a look at this this morning.
Took about 20mins to get to the joint and happy to say all looked well. No sign of water ingress and no rust in any parts.
Used a Moly based grease on all surfaces and back together quite easily.
There was only partial signs of the white water repellant grease around the rubber gaiter and adjacent parts. I did not have any of this, so cleaned all parts and applied a silicone grease used in the plumbing trade.
The rubber gaiter is well designed and a good fit. How water can get past it is a mystery to me.
This may not be a regular service job but I am pleased I did it, even if it was just for peace of mind.
I took out the rear brake pads while I was at it and gave a clean and copper grease to sliding parts.
Just waiting for the restrictions to be lifted so I can enjoy the forthcoming spring.

Alan

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Pulled my driveshaft and inspected it. The shop used moly on both ends, so the spines were good and the joints were solid. Grumpy Goat's videos made it simple. Getting the shaft back in wasn't too hard. Front joint was stiff enough to hold position as I got it in place. Put the bike in gear and gently fingered through the boot until it went on. The final drive was more of a pain...a lot of weight for one hand to manage. Took the bike out of gear and once I had part of the shaft on the nub, I slowly rotated the disc until the spines aligned and went on.

My 2016RS with 33K on it. Last service a few thousand early, but I asked my mechanic to take disassemble and lube both ends/splines. Why? Because I like spending money? No, because I believe in preventative maintenance, and if others have had issues with water getting into the boot and rust reportedly found on many bikes, then I deem it prudent to have the mechanic at least take a look while it's in for service last time.

All was well, he said the splines were fine but no lube, he took care of that, and guess what?

I have peace of mind KNOWING the splines aren't rusting. I wash the bike gently once in a awhile, yet after an extended trip which sees rain days and road grim I do a detailed wash and shine once I'm back home. Just the way I roll.

When my brother took the GT to his mechanic, I had his guy drop the final drive and lube the splines as well [ Colorado ]. His 07 had light surface rust but nothing that would cause alarm according to his mechanic. He's got peace of mind about what the drive looks like after 16 years on the road.