Checking the rear axle bearings

From: SMTP%"lawrence@aclcb.purdue.edu" 22-MAR-1995 13:36:05.57
To: MEL1523
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Subj: Looked at your rear end ...

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Date: Wed, 22 Mar 1995 14:37:20 +0000
To: MEL1523@ACS.TAMU.EDU
From: lawrence@aclcb.purdue.edu (Jim Lawrence)
Subject: Looked at your rear end ...

>From: "Victor L. Johnson"
>Subject: Looked at your rear end ...
>Date: Mon, 06 Mar 1995 16:04:41 MST
>X-Mailer: Elm [revision: 110.32]
>
>
> ... lately? Mebbe you should. Here's why.
>
> After taking the Hawk out for a brisk 43F degree ride on Sunday morning,
> I was tending to post-ride chain maintenance by lubing the warm chain
> with a liberal coat of Chain Wax. With the floor jack keeping the rear
> tire off the pavement, I grabed onto the rear wheel just for the hell of
> it and tested for play. Well, I found some. Hmmmm.
>
> Not much (about 1/32" of sideways play at tire circumference) but enough to
> have me look up the torque spec for that big nut on the outside left of
> the sprocket/axle assembly. 120 lb.-ft. Uh huh. A goodly amount of
> torque, and one that wouldn't be leaving any friggin play in the bearings!
>
> Next, I scope out that big nut on the left side of the axle that wants all
> that good torque. Dang, I know I don't even have an open end wrench that
> big, much less a socket. Even my "bull moose technique" adjustable wrench
> wouldn't fit it. @*&@$%!! So I reach for my trusty mongo-size channel
> locks ... yup, they'll do, for now.
>
> I pried out the section of the nut flange bent into the recess in the
> threads to allow the nut to turn free and latched on with the channel locks
> to test how tight it was. Not much more than finger tight! Unacceptable!!
>
> I gotta get the _right_sized_tool_ and do this job right. A quick measure
> of the nut shows that something like a 1-7/8" socket will do nicely (forget
> about finding a ~42mm socket on Sunday in my town). A quick perusal of
> "tools-on-steroids" section in Sears yields the desired quarry. I take home
> the 1-7/8" and a 1-13/16" just for good measure. I'll return the one that
> doesn't do the trick. It ended up that a 1-13/16" was a much better fit
> and just a snug as the proper metric peer would have been. Yay. The one to
> be returned will give me a great "Honey, I need to run a quick errand on the
> bike" excuse later ... I just won't fess up that I'll burn 1/2 a tank of gas
> taking the scenic route to Sears about 4 mi. away.
>
> OK, back home now armed with sockets, 3/4" to 1/2" square drive adaptor and
> trusty torque wrench, I practice my contortionist impression by having right
> foot on rear brake and body draped over the seat with right-hand death grip
> on torque wrench. Uuuunnnggggh. 120 sweet lb-ft it is! Looking at the nut
> and bending the retaining flange back into the new spot, I eyeballed about
> 100 degrees of rotation to its new home.
>
> So, this whole episode got me thinking about the possible outcomes had I
> not gone around yanking on the rear tire, like that guy that smiles at me
> from behind the parts counter, consequences of rear bearing failure and
> tire lock-up at speed, and all manner of other "what if" unpleasantness ...
>
> Also, given that:
>
> * I didn't have the requisite tool in my collection (and my set of
> tools is not too shabby) so most other DIY Hawk wrenchers don't
> either
> * I don't go yanking on the rear tire very often
> * You don't need to touch this nut in getting tire/rim on and off
> * I wouldn't trust a shop to properly check this even if I asked 'em to
>
> I figure that this is one of those Hawk maintenance items likely even
> more overlooked and/or avoided than rear spark plug removal. :-)
>
> So Hawkers, had a close look at yours lately? It might be time well
> spent, eh?
>
> Good ridin' to ya, @
> Victor "Dances with Hawks" Johnson ... #%\
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>From: "Victor L. Johnson"
>Message-ID: <199503062304.AA020041082@hpfcvlj.fc.hp.com>
>Subject: Looked at your rear end ...
>To: HawkGT@dsea.com
>Date: Mon, 06 Mar 1995 16:04:41 MST
>X-Mailer: Elm [revision: 110.32]
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