U-Joint Pre-Failure Indicator

Scooter

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Re: Issue after replacing cush drive dampeners

I'm thinking about tearing into it myself.. I kinda want to do it just for the experience.

Yeah, I'm having the same thoughts. I need a good winter project anyway and with 86K+ miles on my bike I guess I'm just a little bit interested in seeing how my u-joint is holding up.

FYI... I don't have any reason to suspect that I have a bad one at this time.
 

ChucksKLRST

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Re: Issue after replacing cush drive dampeners

Do we have a survey on what years have had u-joints go out/changed and at what mileage? May be there is something in common with the failures.
 
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Joe
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Re: Issue after replacing cush drive dampeners

Yeah, I'm having the same thoughts. I need a good winter project anyway and with 86K+ miles on my bike I guess I'm just a little bit interested in seeing how my u-joint is holding up.

FYI... I don't have any reason to suspect that I have a bad one at this time.
I'm curious if those that had failed ones ever notice this action in their wheel prior to the issue..

It's easy to understand someone putting 5-8k miles if not more on a bike after a tire change and never checking the wheel spin while on the center stand as that's just not something you check often. So, the issue could present itself and not ever become noticeable until vibrations are found when it gets worse, then failure...

I think I'll tear into the bike tomorrow, just for fun... I don't have any rides planned for a couple months so I'm in no rush.

Tom has a great write up here and the manual has a lot of other info.
 
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Re: Issue after replacing cush drive dampeners

Show them the pictures of Shuey's destroyed parts.
Good idea, should get their attention.

Joe snaps those gloves on like he's done a lot of rear end work.
:rofl1: :crackup

(P.S. I find this reference offensive, sounds like something Dinkie would poST. Say n'more, say n'more. ;))
 

Dinkie Diesel

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Re: Issue after replacing cush drive dampeners

That noise would have you believe it is the u-joint for sure. I can almost picture each 90 degrees of rotation of the u-joint when it makes that metallic sound. Only one more idea. Have you ever used a screwdriver as a stethoscope ( or maybe you own one for this purpose)? You put the blade end on something (swingarm) up by the u-joint and the other end (handle) on your ear and have someone spin it. Sometimes it really helps narrow down the origin of the noise. We used to do it for noisy lifters to find the culprit.
 
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Re: Issue after replacing cush drive dampeners

That noise would have you believe it is the u-joint for sure. I can almost picture each 90 degrees of rotation of the u-joint when it makes that metallic sound. Only one more idea. Have you ever used a screwdriver as a stethoscope ( or maybe you own one for this purpose)? You put the blade end on something (swingarm) up by the u-joint and the other end (handle) on your ear and have someone spin it. Sometimes it really helps narrow down the origin of the noise. We used to do it for noisy lifters to find the culprit.
I may try that tomorrow... I think when the wheels on the resistance makes the dampeners noisy but with the wheel off, a more subtle noise it further ahead at the u-joint area.

Not sure when I'll have time to start taking things apart but should be fun, I'm looking forward to it.
 

bdalameda

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Re: Issue after replacing cush drive dampeners

Are all three bikes with u-joint issues the same year? It may be as simple as Honda not lubricating these properly when assembled at the factory. It would be interesting to compare VIN numbers.


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Re: Issue after replacing cush drive dampeners

I don't know that they all have been 08s but for some reason most of them that I have read about were 08s.

Maybe something did go wrong a the factory.
 
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Re: Issue after replacing cush drive dampeners

Are all three bikes with u-joint issues the same year? It may be as simple as Honda not lubricating these properly when assembled at the factory. It would be interesting to compare VIN numbers.


Dan
Here are the ones I know about:

Shuey's is an '09 w/80k miles (hard failure)
Slo~ride's is an '06 w/84k miles (hard failure)
Curt's was an '04 w/152k miles (vibes for a few k miles then hard failure)
tdeboeser's is an '03 ? w/66k miles (vibes)

Mine is an '08 w/50k miles (noise-yet to be confirmed as bad u-joint)
 
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Re: Issue after replacing cush drive dampeners

Here are the ones I know about:

Shuey's is an '09 w/80k miles (hard failure)
Slo~ride's is an '06 w/84k miles (hard failure)
Curt's was an '04 w/152k miles (vibes for a few k miles then hard failure)
tdeboeser's is an '03 ? w/66k miles (vibes)

Mine is an '08 w/50k miles (noise-yet to be confirmed as bad u-joint)
Hmm. I thought I read about a couple being 08s. Maybe not.
 
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Re: Issue after replacing cush drive dampeners

Hmm. I thought I read about a couple being 08s. Maybe not.
I did a lot of searching, I could have missed some.. It's a pretty rare issue.
 

bdalameda

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Re: Issue after replacing cush drive dampeners

Still could just be as simple as not being lubricated properly at the factory - A failure at 152K really can't be considered a defect - the others though could be a lack of lubrication issue.
 
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Re: Issue after replacing cush drive dampeners

I did a lot of searching, I could have missed some.. It's a pretty rare issue.
I was thinking that Shuey had an 08. They are the same color and I assumed 08 for some reason. I thought there was another but I could be mistaken.
 
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Re: Issue after replacing cush drive dampeners

I was thinking that Shuey had an 08. They are the same color and I assumed 08 for some reason. I thought there was another but I could be mistaken.
Nope, '09 he picked up here in dallas... same colors.

I think there's one more mentioned on the site that was not a member of the site but a friend of someone that had 44k on it, can't find that post but I think I recall that one being an '06..

No real trend can be pulled from such a small selection of issues from a wide range of bikes...
 

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Re: Issue after replacing cush drive dampeners

I'm gonna be following this thread Joe.

Just a thought....when you pull the final drive, disconnect the shaft and see if any noise or harshness is felt in the drive by itself.

Like possibly a bad pinion bearing.
 
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Re: Issue after replacing cush drive dampeners

I'm gonna be following this thread Joe.

Just a thought....when you pull the final drive, disconnect the shaft and see if any noise or harshness is felt in the drive by itself.

Like possibly a bad pinion bearing.
I was thinking about that looking at the SM. Just to further isolate each component... The more I mess with it ... it just 'feels' like what a bad ujoint would feel like when you visualize it... I could be wrong but maybe from all this we might at least come up with a precursor symptom before major issues arise... well, that's my hope anyway.
 
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Re: Issue after replacing cush drive dampeners

Recalling now two problems on early 1100s:
loose fan blade nuts, not lok-tited at the factory;
early failure front wheel bearings, insufficient lube at the factory.

Both problems were rectified by the time the 92s came out. both STick and Derek's black had the fan blade problem and he also had the wheel bearing problem. Don't recall a failure on any model becoming apparent after several years of build.

Following this on closely.

OH! Easy enuff to remove the pumpkin and spin it by hand to identify/eliminate it as the source.

Keep us poSTed.
 
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