GL1200 Rear end tick

As it happens on the same place when rotating the wheel I'd be looking for a wheel bearing loose in the wheel.

I believe there was an extended warranty for that problem on the 1984 and 1985 Goldwings but that extension has long since expired.

Is it possible to just get the bearing back in place or will it need replaced?

Ken Bergen said:

As it happens on the same place when rotating the wheel I'd be looking for a wheel bearing loose in the wheel.

I believe there was an extended warranty for that problem on the 1984 and 1985 Goldwings but that extension has long since expired.

Click to expand...

+1

I've got it and know that it's this, too. But, I've still got .005" of good tread so I don't want to change the tire quite yet!:ROFL:

The bearing set is, what? $35?, so whenever it really bothers you enough or you have time, pull that back rim & tire off and replace the bearings and Voila! no click! There is no "fix" to the bearings themselves. When it becomes a continuous crunchiness back there, you will definitely want to move up the "take care of it" date!:lash:

Just so you know, a bearing can fail and cause the wheel to suddenly lock up. That can often lead to a crash.
So, check it.

bmoney83 said:

Hey Guys,
I decided to change my rear tire on my own, and after putting everything back together, I noticed a ticking in the rear end as I was pulling up to a red light. When I got home, I rolled it slowly down my driveway and realized that it happens at the same point in the tire rotation every time. I'm pretty sure the tick is coming from the section where the drive shaft attaches to the final drive. Any ideas for me? Do I just need to take it back apart and check things out?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Putting everything back together?
How much did you take apart?
Did you loosen or remove the four nuts that attach the differential to the swing arm?
Tightening components in the wrong order can cause binding and snapping in the area you describe.

I had a very similar problem. It was very noticeable going aroun a right hand turn at slower speeds. Turned out to be a loose bearing in the rear wheel hub. It is a common problem with 84's. Just replacing the bearings might not fix your clicking problem. Be sure and check for a proper fit of the bearings.

I took apart more than I needed to unfortunately. I did remove the four nuts that attach the swing arm and I had a little bit of an issue getting that spring to stay in place when I reattached. That's why I'm wondering if it's something in there rather than a bearing. I can feel the click right where those 4 bolts attach. Any ideas for me?

Loosen the axle bolt. Loosen the four differential bolts.
Re-torque the axle first. Then tighten the four differential bolts last.
If that doesn't work, you'll have to disassemble and inspect.

glhonda said:

Loosen the axle bolt. Loosen the four differential bolts.
Re-torque the axle first. Then tighten the four differential bolts last.
If that doesn't work, you'll have to disassemble and inspect.

Click to expand...

I would also loosen the lower shock mounts, too. At least the right one.

http://www.goldwingfacts.com/forums/2-goldwing-technical-forum/421738-gl1200-final-drive-issue.html

Here's a link with pictures if you need to disassemble again, or failed to lubricate correctly the first time.

glhonda said:

Loosen the axle bolt. Loosen the four differential bolts.
Re-torque the axle first. Then tighten the four differential bolts last.
If that doesn't work, you'll have to disassemble and inspect.

Click to expand...

just so I understand this too.... Why must you tighten the axle first?:?

justwingnit said:

just so I understand this too.... Why must you tighten the axle first?:?

Click to expand...

So the axle doesn't make a clicking noise:ROFL:
Hell, I don't know. I can guess it's because the swing arm could be misaligned. The one thing that I would be most concerned about is that the differential fits to the wheel correctly. So it gets tightened first. The manual says "to ease axle installation". But if the axle goes in hard, I would think something's not 100%.
Oh, and personal experience..........

glhonda said:

So the axle doesn't make a clicking noise:ROFL:
Hell, I don't know. I can guess it's because the swing arm could be misaligned. The one thing that I would be most concerned about is that the differential fits to the wheel correctly. So it gets tightened first. The manual says "to ease axle installation". But if the axle goes in hard, I would think something's not 100%.
Oh, and personal experience..........

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info

Thanks guys! I'll give this one a shot tomorrow and hope it does the trick. Sounds a lot more fun than disassembling everything again.

If the click happens at each rotation of the wheel it has to be in the wheel, the driveshaft rotates at about 3 times that speed.

Okay, so I got my bike up on the stand high enough so I could get the wheel to rotate. No clicking when I rotate with no weight on the tire. However, if I grab the tire, I can wiggle it a little bit back and forth. What would that point to?

It's been my limited experience that if while on the stand you can move the wheel back and forth by pushing away and toward the saddle bags it's the swing arm bearings. If on the other hand if you grab the tire with your hands, one on either side of the tire and you can torque the wheel by pushing with one hand and pulling with the other it's probably the wheel bearing. This is not guaranteed but has worked for me. Maybe just a starting place for you, good luck.

If you tighten the studs first, and then the axle, the axle bolt is a lot bigger and stronger, and takes a lot more torque, so it will be trying to pull on the 4 studs unevenly. Stressing them....trying to pull the unit out of alignment.

Once the axle is tightened, and all movement there has ceased, now the 4 studs can be tightened without any lateral stress being applied.....

When my 1984 was ticking just as you describe, it was the rear bearings. The rear went at about 15,000, and that was more of a growling or rubbing sound.....

I certainly hope this is not it, but some '84 and '85 models had a SERIOUS problem with the rear wheel. The problem was due to a defective rear wheel. The place where the right rear wheel bearing was pressed in was not machined properly, and the bearing fit too loose. It would eventually spin and wallow out the recess in the wheel. This destroyed the wheel. I had this problem When I removed the rear wheel, the right side bearing just fell out. There is no way to fix this. You have to replace the wheel. I lucked out big time, and a local member donated me an '86 or '87 wheel These wheels are different and do not have that problem. They also used a different driven flange.


If you remove the rear wheel, check the right side bearing for tightness. It should be tight enough to have to be driven out. If it just falls out, or you can pull it out with your hand, start looking for another wheel. Again, hopefully, that is not it.