Topic: Help! Rear wheel is drifting left - With Pictures!

[Bad Man]

Hello forums!!

My rear wheel has "drifted" to the left it seems. My chain rubbed into my chain guard. I figure pictures are worth a thousand words, so I am posting them. I need a new chain and new sprockets, this chain is in dire need of grease.

I am a complete noob, so please tell me what you folks see.

Thank you so much for the help!

Arron

[TwoTired]

There are internal spacers on the axle shaft.  Perhaps one of yours is missing?
If the axle has been tightened without it, it usually destroys the rear wheel bearing.  As it wears the wheel tire moves sideways.

I think it is number 11 that often gets lost during tire replacement.

http://www.cmsnl.com/honda-cb750-four-k4-us_model482/partslist/F++17.html

Anyway, take it apart to see what is missing.

It's not safe to ride that way.

[754]

I think we should publish on here;
 distance from inside of sprocket surface to hub, on both styles, to end all confusion.. If inner spacer is wrong or missing, it will surely ruin the bearing..

 Your sprocket is way past worn, check front too.  You for sure, have at least one late style part on there, the rear pegs.
 Your lower shock mount appears PINCHED, I am not sure why, but suspect someone may have ground down the inner steel apacer in the swingarm mount (maybe to fit a narrower shock or strut??)

[Bad Man]

I bought the bike from a salvage shop, so I am pretty certain the bike has been pieced together. My truck was stolen and I had $1500    So I got the bike. The engine is STRONG and solid, now I just have to go through and get everything else squared away. Than you so much for the input. I'm going to head outside and take that rear wheel apart now.

[754]

 If the chain is way off line;
 There will be a shiny worn side on each sprocket on one side only... and the other sprocket will have it on the other side...

[2wheels]

First, I don't have a K4.
The shocks don't look right to me, the spring goes too low.
The tire is quite wide, what size is it?
Other than that the spacing looks right, at least when I compare to my K0.
I can't tell if the chain is aligned from the picture?
Can you use a picture editor to put some arrows or marks on areas where you see the problem?

[Bodi]

Those look like Mulholland aftermarket shocks and the spring contact issue is normal with these. Usually if you adjust the spring to a higher preload it will clear. Stock shocks have the spring only in the top halfish part and just the smaller diameter shock cylinder beside the chain.
However I would check that the spacer is there. It's possible to skip it with bad results, the wheel usually won't turn so well at all.

[Bad Man]

You folks are amazing! I took the rear wheel apart. Had spiders nesting in my rear brake. Piece 11 was there, I wonder if there is another spacer missing, though. My computer should be back up tonight and I'll post detailed photos.

Trying to take off the cover for the final drive sprocket, but one of the cross-head screws doesn't want to budge and is starting to strip...   Any pieces of advice?

You folks are absolutely awesome!

[GammaFlat]

Use a #3 phillips (head is sort of a fatty).  Put it in the screw and deliver a sharp blow to the handle of the screwdriver.  This will often "un-seat" the base of the screw head from what it's seated to.  Then use the #3 to try to get it out.   I think a #3 JIS is what you really want to get these out.  Short of a #3 JIS and better than a #3 Phillips, use an impact driver.  They work great. 

[ksmith0034]

Trying to take off the cover for the final drive sprocket, but one of the cross-head screws doesn't want to budge and is starting to strip...   Any pieces of advice?

Yes, use a hammered impact (not the kind used at tire shops!!!)  These things are awesome!

[MCRider]

You folks are amazing! I took the rear wheel apart. Had spiders nesting in my rear brake. Piece 11 was there, I wonder if there is another spacer missing, though. My computer should be back up tonight and I'll post detailed photos.

Trying to take off the cover for the final drive sprocket, but one of the cross-head screws doesn't want to budge and is starting to strip...   Any pieces of advice?

You folks are absolutely awesome!

You should be using an impact driver to loosen those screws, or you will likely strip the head out as you've noticed. Agree with Gamma be sure its a #3 Phillips. A #2 Phillips will strip the heads for sure.

A JIS screwdriver will fit both JIS and ISO screws. Those with JIS tools say hey my scerwdriver fits these screws so they must be JIS, but not necessarily.

An ISO screwdriver will fit only ISO screws. It is my opinion that these are not JIS screws as they do not have the JIS identifier dots on their heads. I've never had a problem using a standard ISO American #3 Phillips head on these screws, but you do need an impact driver. A $10 to $12 tool from Sears or most hardware.

[Bad Man]

Wow! I had no clue about the #3 or impact driver. You guys just saved my bacon for sure!!

[ksmith0034]

Hmmmmmm...  bacon.... 

[Alan F.]

Behold, the bacon thread. Tasty reading there. http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=60373.0

[honda rider#1]

bad man the shocks are the wrong ones for sure, one orther thing  you might check is is the end caps are on the swing arm.

[Don R]

No expert, but - it looks like a 77-78 rear wheel assembly which is wider than the one from a K4. Is it a 17" or 18" rear tire? A K4 should have an 18" and late wide ones were 17". I compared a 77 rear sprocket carrier with an earlier one and it is wider (sticks out farther) The early and late sprockets interchange so a late hub (wider) could have been used with the early chain size if someone swapped the sprocket.
I think the late swingarms allowed for the width, you could swap the sprocket carrier (cush drive) for an early one, if I am correct and retain the wide 17" rim.

[Bad Man]

DonR - Rear tire is 5.10 H18

To everyone that informed me about the #3 Phillips with an impact driver: THANK YOU! Worked without a hitch. (Ksmith- I bought that exact same one!)

Honda Rider #1 - Thanks for confirming that for me!

Off to check the end caps on the swing arms.

I think I am at: New sprockets (front and rear) new chain, new rear shocks, new rear tire.

[Bad Man]

Gotta love the interweb.

I'm going to inspect the swingarm more closely in the morning, but the more I read on the forums, the more I wonder if that may be part of the culprit.

Is it just me, or is that rear tire on my bike REALLY wide? It is a 5.5  .... I ASSUME the rim will hold a standard 4.00 x 18. IF not, I'm sure Bike Bandit will take a return

Here are some pictures of the rear wheel... anyone see anything interesting?

[MCRider]

Was there an axle spacer in that hole in picture #1?

[2wheels]

I had a 5.10 tire on my bike for years.  It was OK but it allways rubbed on the chain guard, and maybe slightly on other stuff.
I have a 4.0 on now and it works fine but it looks to narrow to me.  I think the other size I had was 4.5 which I liked the best.

[MCRider]

There is a shiny spot on the bearing retainer. Is that where it has rubbed on the chain adjuster? I've thot from the beginning you may be missing the spacer that goes in the hole, holding the wheel assembly a few mm to the right. It looks like its there in some pictures, not in others, so I need to confirm its existence.

Also, a 5.1+ is probably too big for your rim. The stock rim should not have larger than a 5.1 unless it is a slash/85 profile or less. Even if, a 4.50 is the largest i would put on a 2.15in rim and feel good about it.

Problem is the tire bead comes into the rim at a bad angle on the oversize tire and may fail.

[Bad Man]

Was there an axle spacer in that hole in picture #1?

Yes, Sir, the spacer appears to be in there.

I've already ordered a new rear tire. 4.00 x 18 once you pointed out the angle on the rim I got a little wiser.

I'll have some pictures of the swingarm up in a few!

[MCRider]

Was there an axle spacer in that hole in picture #1?

Yes, Sir, the spacer appears to be in there.

I've already ordered a new rear tire. 4.00 x 18 once you pointed out the angle on the rim I got a little wiser.

I'll have some pictures of the swingarm up in a few!

There is a spacer in picture 2, but not in picture #1. Did you remove it, possibly with the axle? In the hole where the axle slide thru in picture 1, you should have a spacer which stands proud of the bearing retainer a few mm. It would hold the wheel assembly to the right of the chain adjuster.

[Bad Man]

MCRider...  I'm sorry about that! I was not taking very consistent pictures I realize. I think I have the spacer in question. Here is a picture that should answer the question better:



I took a better picture of the left shock... tell me if I'm wrong but I think I agree that these shocks were not made for my bike. I should post a picture of the chain guard so you guys can see how the chain dug through the thing. It even has bends in it from being crushed against the shock springs!

[MCRider]

That looks like the spacer, but when mounted it just doesn't look right to me. I'll take a photo of mine and see.

As to the shocks, yes the stockers have much shorter springs. Whne using shocks like yours you have to notch or discard the chainguard. Many people do, I've never seen an aftermarket shock that didn't have the long spring. The chain/chainguard clearance is the shocks. But the chain to shock clearance should still be OK and yours isn't. I think.

If you remove the chainguard is all OK or is something else rubbing?

BTW: You can see how the clevis on the bottom of the shock has been crushed. You're supposed to use a spacer in the clevis (a couple of washers works) along with a longer bolt, to keep that from happening. Detail.