[ST] Sprint RS rear wheel removal

[Jan and Don Draper <ddraper@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Sprint RS rear wheel removal
=======================

Bending my rear rim forced me to come to grips with 
removing the rear wheel on my Sprint RS.

This posting is mostly for the benefit of others for whom
the prospect removing their rear wheel for the first time 
may be a bit daunting.  This does NOT apply to the ST and 
the ST instructions  in the archive do NOT apply to the RS!

Tools you'll need:
- ---------------------
>> 1/2" drive Torque wrench with a setting for 110 N-m
      (Newton-Meters, Nm, N.m)  110 N-m = 81 Foot-lbs
      
- - Mine is a Sears Craftsman 1/2" drive Microtork (r)
   20 to 150 ft-lbs  33.9-210.1 N-m  (D9 M44595)

>> 27mm socket (1/2" drive) (GK 19476)

- - I followed David "Lost Dawg" Gaske's advice and got a Sears 
  Craftsman 27mm 1/2 drive 6-point air impact wrench socket from 
  the air compressor aisle at Sears.  Good call, David.

>> 2 13mm wrenches (at least one open-ended)

>> 1/2" drive handle with swiveling head

- - Mine is again another Sears Craftsman, 17" handle with
  a hinged 1/2" drive (U.S.A. VVQ 44202).  A shorter handle
  might be handier as long as you're fairly strong.


Removing the wheel:
- -------------------------
Put the bike up on the centerstand, in first gear.  (If you have 
a paddock stand or other arrangement, my method may need 
some adjustment.)

Either strap the centerstand to the front wheel, or put sturdy
chocks under the front wheel to keep it in place.  More on this
later.

Make sure the surface you're working on is fairly clean.  Some 
newspapers might be a good idea.  Otherwise you're liable to 
wind up with grit in the axle grease.

(1) Break the torque on the axle nut with the 1/2" drive and remove 
      axle nut.  Observe where all of the pieces go; it's simple but 
      worth noting.  The axle goes throught the rear disk brake attachment
      so you don't need to do anything special except note how it's placed.

(2) After removing the axle nut; slowly push the wheel forward off the 
      chain.  This is where the strap and/or chocks come in.  I learned this
      by pushing the bike off the centerstand and struggling to hold it up 
      from behind while yelling for my wife to come rescue me.  During this 
      operation, gently remove the disk brake assembly from the disk.

(3) Rubber-band the aluminum adjustment blocks to the swingarm.  Reassemble
      all of the other wheel parts and hand-tighten the nut.


Replacing the wheel:
- --------------------------
Basically, you just reverse the steps above.   *If* you paid attention to 
how things go together while you were taking them apart, then the only
tricky part is getting the chain tension right.  This, unfortunately, involves
quite a bit of trial and error and is a big reason for wanting the swivelled
1/2" drive so you don't wind up trying to do everything with the big torque
wrench.  

The instructions for adjusting the chain are on page 66 of the owner's
manual and are a good starting point.

I like to take a couple of clothespin halfs and mark black lines on both sides
at 30mm and red lines at 25 and 35mm.  This makes a handy measuring
device.   With the bike on it's sidestand, you should have 30mm of travel
at the point indicated in the manual with very little finger pressure.  25mm
is too tight; I tried it.   You can check the travel with the swingarm under load
by putting the bike on the sidestand and laying sideways across it on your 
belly (sorry, I forget who suggested this.)  For me, the chain travel while doing 
this is just slightly under 20mm.  Try it!; might give you a new appreciation of 
Gary Rothwell.

Chain tension is important.  Too much and the countershaft seals will leak.  
Too little, you get sloppy shifting and could even throw a chain.  Slightly too 
little tension is better than slightly too much.  Getting it too tight is the most 
common error.

Best of luck!  Hopefully this will spare some poor lister(s) some of the 
research, embarassment, and bruises I went through.

Now I just hope I can go for a while without having to deal with the front wheel!

- -Don Draper, Jr.
 "Blue Dawg"
 2000 Eclipse Blue Sprint RS









































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