Rear Axle Keeps coming loose!

[iCraig]

Help!

I keep tightening my rear axle up and it seems to be coming loose and turning with the wheel.

I am tightening it so much and even standing on the spanners to make sure its totally tight but they still seem to come loose.

Today, I decided enough was enough and decided to take the whole of the rear wheel and axle off the bike. (I needed to do this anyway due to having a new C&S to fit.)

On inspection of the rear wheel I noticed the bearing on the final drive flange was buggered and most of the ball bearings in it had turned to chards of metal. I was wondering is this could have caused the axle to come loose at all?

Or should I be looking for something else detrimentally wrong?

Thanks In Advance,

A patiently waiting Craig!

[alains]

it happens to me recently on my nsr125rw . the bearing near the sprocket has exploded , and after replacing both (6003 & 6203) everything became fine . do not run too long it's dangerous and the central bolt is not free !
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the worst day fishing is better than the best day working

[Ichy]

Well.... the vibration from the broken bearing could of shook the nut loose, or there wasn't enough pressure to keep it on once the wheel started turning. On the other hand could overtightening the nut have caused the bearing to disintergrate?

Is there a lock pin missing, not sure but I thought this was fairly common on most axles? Might be worth drilling your own hole if there isn't one and fitting lock wire, anything wrong with that?.

[ancientd]

How on earth could you ride the bike and not know the wheel bearing was history. If you couldn't feel it then there's something else seriously wrong with it.
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I ride 3 bikes, a Thundercat, an FZRexup 1000 Streetfighter and a Jawa 350 Combo, something for all seasons.

[iCraig]

Split Pin is in place, even put a new one in yesterday.

The nut isn't coming loose it seems, its the axle coming loose from the non moving end and not the nut end, and by the state of the bearing I wouldn't say it was down to me over tightening.
There was lots of dust and the bits of ball bearing had become like strands some were quite long and stuck to other balls too.

Also I don't know if this matters but the inner race doesn't move freely at all in the bearing, should it do?

[iCraig]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Err, not missing the spacer between the sprocket carrier and the wheel is it? That would put a large sideways load on the bearing causing it to collapse, and inner race of the bearing would move inwards as it collapsed resulting in some play just like the spindle was coming loose.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[iCraig]

I have an exploded diagram of the rear of my bike.

I think I have everything present but I am not sure on what a few thing are.

Bike is a CB450DX if anyone is wondering.

[Kickstart]

Hi Craig

The spacer I am referring to is just to the right of the 5 nuts holding the sprocket on in that diagram.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[iCraig]

Is this the spacer in question stuck insider the bearing?

[Kickstart]

Hi

Looks like it.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[iCraig]

Do you think the bearings had it?

https://www.gsxf.co.uk/bearing.JPG

https://www.gsxf.co.uk/randombits.JPG

[Kickstart]

Hi

Definatly. However not sure why your wheel bearing would cause the wheel spindle to appear to some loose (which it cannot with a split pin in place).

Only think I can think of is that the spindle has seized to the bearing then the bearing spacer has spun and dug a hole on the inside of the swinging arm.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[iCraig]

Swing arm seems fine, only other thing I can see wrong is one of the chain adjusters is knackered due to the axle moving and bending one of the bolts upwards.

No other damage to swing arm and everything seems present on the rear wheel assembly.

[iCraig]

Thanks Keith, I knew I could count on your help.

Hopefully Its just the sprocket carrier bearing that needs replacing eh?

[alains]

yes , but how much more it will cost to replace all ? because the work is a very little more
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the worst day fishing is better than the best day working

[Kickstart]

Hi

Tend to agree with Alains. For the extra £10 for a couple of rear wheel bearings I would be tempted to replace them unless you are certain they are ok. Fair chance that some of the remains of the sprocket carrier bearings will have damaged the wheel bearings, especially if they are not sealed bearings.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[iCraig]

The wheel bearings are sealed ones, they seem smooth and the inner races turn smoothly in the wheel.

And there was no lateral play in the wheel when it was on the bike.