Front wheel whine
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
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From: Decatur, Alabama
Front wheel whine
I just had new tires put on my 98 RKC a few weeks ago. I had the guy who put the tires on to service my wheel bearings when he changed the tires. He said my bearings looked good and repacked them with grease. It has 21,000 miles on it. I am getting a faint/not so faint whine from the front wheel. I have tried the following things to pin down the source of the noise:
put the bike on a stand and spun the wheel. Still made the noise. I figure this eliminated any possibility that the motor was causing it.
Pulled the brake calipers off and spun the wheel. Still making the noise.
Pulled the tire off thinking that maybe I had something stuck inbetween the tire and the fender like a piece of plastic or a stick or something. Couldn't find anything but did note that one of the slip nuts at the axle was not really as tight as I would have like it (wasn't near the 11 ft/lb spec). Buttoned everything up, torqued the axle and slip nuts to spec. Did not check wheel runout. Spun the wheel and the noise went away. However; when I get it up to around 45 mph, it starts back but not as loud.
It sounds like a piece of plastic from a pack of crackers has been lodged inbetween the tire and fender. The sound changes with changes in speed. I'm thinking wheel bearings because I just don't have anywhere else to go on this. It isn't screaming but I can hear it. The bike handles fine, no shimmying or anything.
Any thoughts?
put the bike on a stand and spun the wheel. Still made the noise. I figure this eliminated any possibility that the motor was causing it.
Pulled the brake calipers off and spun the wheel. Still making the noise.
Pulled the tire off thinking that maybe I had something stuck inbetween the tire and the fender like a piece of plastic or a stick or something. Couldn't find anything but did note that one of the slip nuts at the axle was not really as tight as I would have like it (wasn't near the 11 ft/lb spec). Buttoned everything up, torqued the axle and slip nuts to spec. Did not check wheel runout. Spun the wheel and the noise went away. However; when I get it up to around 45 mph, it starts back but not as loud.
It sounds like a piece of plastic from a pack of crackers has been lodged inbetween the tire and fender. The sound changes with changes in speed. I'm thinking wheel bearings because I just don't have anywhere else to go on this. It isn't screaming but I can hear it. The bike handles fine, no shimmying or anything.
Any thoughts?
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 942
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From: Grew up in Texas, moved to AZ
I suspect it's the end play.
If end play is good, then.....pop the seal and check your wheel bearings. Did your mechanic do what he said? If he did, then was it done correctly? People make mistakes or sometimes in a hurry.
If end play is good, then.....pop the seal and check your wheel bearings. Did your mechanic do what he said? If he did, then was it done correctly? People make mistakes or sometimes in a hurry.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
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From: Decatur, Alabama
I just checked the fork axle clamp. "Out" is out. That was blind luck on my part. I didn't even notice it. Going to put a note in my manual about it.
I guess I will have to check the end play next. There is a couple of things I don't understand about the procedure though. In what direction do I move the wheel? I'm assuming that I try to slide it along the axle by pushing/pulling on it to check for the clearance. Do I put the dial indicator on the very end of the axle also?
The only other way to check it as I see it is to try and rock the wheel diagonally and maybe put the dial indicator on the side of the axle.
Thanks for the help so far. When I get the procedure down, I'll check back in with my findings.
I guess I will have to check the end play next. There is a couple of things I don't understand about the procedure though. In what direction do I move the wheel? I'm assuming that I try to slide it along the axle by pushing/pulling on it to check for the clearance. Do I put the dial indicator on the very end of the axle also?
The only other way to check it as I see it is to try and rock the wheel diagonally and maybe put the dial indicator on the side of the axle.
Thanks for the help so far. When I get the procedure down, I'll check back in with my findings.
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Seasoned HDF Member
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From: Decatur, Alabama
I have no idea about the shims. The axle nut was torqued (by me) to 55 ft/lbs and the slider nuts to 11 ft/lbs.
They could have lost a shim. I need to get a magnetic base so I can check the end play or maybe I can rig something up. I've got a dial indicator.
They could have lost a shim. I need to get a magnetic base so I can check the end play or maybe I can rig something up. I've got a dial indicator.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
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From: Decatur, Alabama
I just got thru rigging up a base for my dial indicator. It wasn't pretty but it worked. I zeroed out the indicator with the wheel at rest and pulled the tire sideways towards me as hard as I could. I got .002". I then pushed as hard as I could and got .001". I tried it multiple times and got the same reading. I'm thinking it's too tight.
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Your torque is right. My H-D values book states 50-55. You can also take the wheel and axle off and run the axle through the wheel,space it out,torque and re-check. Re-inspect the races and shims if any where used.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2007
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From: SoCal
carlgrover,
When you checked the side to side play, did you have your dial indicator on the wheel hub near the axle or out at the edge of the rim next to the tire?
I don't know what kind of bearings the '98 RKC use. Are they the taper roller bearings?
If you have taper roller bearings in the wheel hub, using an older manual (not for your bike) the specs I have say anywhere between .0005" and .013" side to side play. I set mine at around .007".
If that reading you took was taken out near the tire you may have only seen the flex in the rim as you pulled on it.
I agree with you in suspecting you have insufficient side to side play at the wheel bearings. What about taking the wheel back to the dude who last worked on it to have him fix the whine?
If you want to fix it yourself, there are different length wheel bearing spacers available. I have not used shims. I get a new spacer that gets me the proper clearance or weld up one end of a used spacer and cut it to the proper length in a lathe.
The whine would worry me...those wheel bearings need some clearance.
If you don't have tapered roller bearings then this stuff probably doesn't apply to your bike.
When you checked the side to side play, did you have your dial indicator on the wheel hub near the axle or out at the edge of the rim next to the tire?
I don't know what kind of bearings the '98 RKC use. Are they the taper roller bearings?
If you have taper roller bearings in the wheel hub, using an older manual (not for your bike) the specs I have say anywhere between .0005" and .013" side to side play. I set mine at around .007".
If that reading you took was taken out near the tire you may have only seen the flex in the rim as you pulled on it.
I agree with you in suspecting you have insufficient side to side play at the wheel bearings. What about taking the wheel back to the dude who last worked on it to have him fix the whine?
If you want to fix it yourself, there are different length wheel bearing spacers available. I have not used shims. I get a new spacer that gets me the proper clearance or weld up one end of a used spacer and cut it to the proper length in a lathe.
The whine would worry me...those wheel bearings need some clearance.
If you don't have tapered roller bearings then this stuff probably doesn't apply to your bike.
Last edited by megawatt; Nov 25, 2009 at 12:51 AM.
Thread Starter
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 8,852
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From: Decatur, Alabama
The dial indicator was clamped to the disk brake rotor. I don't know if I have straight bearings or tapered ones. I haven't taken them out. I think the specs in my manual say the end play should be .004" to .006". That's why I think I'm tight at .002".
I'm going to the shop that does my tire changes and talk with him about it this afternoon. He has done excellent work for me in the past.
The whine worries me too. I initially didn't want to blame the bearings on it since it has been so recently serviced. When I first heard the noise, I thought it was the brakes or the alternator. I quickly eliminated both of those options and then thought that I had a piece of plastic stuck in the inside of the fender.
I'm going to the shop that does my tire changes and talk with him about it this afternoon. He has done excellent work for me in the past.
The whine worries me too. I initially didn't want to blame the bearings on it since it has been so recently serviced. When I first heard the noise, I thought it was the brakes or the alternator. I quickly eliminated both of those options and then thought that I had a piece of plastic stuck in the inside of the fender.