After breaking in and re-tuning my new top end rebuild (blown rear cylinder head gasket) a couple days ago, I heard a growling noise that changed with road speed, not engine speed. I could hear the noise on the right and left. So I turned around and parked it back in the garage. I initially thought it may be the MDG bearing failure. Nope, but now I wished it was. Fixing that would have been a walk in the park compared to this.
Pix below will show that the rear differential sprocket bearing snap ring clip (#16 in the parts book I believe) must have broke and fell out. Hammered the right sprocket bearing cap and axle housing, and hammered the pulley.
I'm not sure I can trust any of the parts in the differential at this point. Looks like a new sprocket, bearings and Axle Housing for sure. Even if the caps were sold separately, I don't think I could get away with the damage done to the bearing surface in the housing. Maybe the diff, comp bowl, and isolator might be ok to reuse. But the whole thing is $3,674.99 on line.
I've read a few threads about this failure, but don't recall seeing any pix. Since I'm doing the wrenching myself I had the opportunity to take a bunch of pix. Might as well open up the primary and do the compensator while it's all tore up.

I've decided, at under 30,000 miles, that with the lower rocker box gasket leaks, clutch cable o-ring leak, shifter seal leak, mis-aligned rear frame and axle, blown head gasket (both rear head bolts were barely tight), and now broken/missing sprocket snap ring, that big blue must have been built on a Monday or Friday.

Left inner side of the sprocket bearing cap hammered

Left sprocket bearing in axle housing

Good cap and left cap, look just below the bearing on the pulley

Without the snap ring, it can do this

Look close, you can see the place where the snap ring should be

Should not do this

This is how it should look

 

 

What year is this trike ? I hope this is an isolated thing with the tri-glides.

 

Same thing happened to my 2013 Tri-Glide end of April 2018! Dealer said no, it was the belt that took out my rear housing assembly....thank goodness for extended warranty! Was down for almost 4 weeks. Argh

 

 

Check out what DK Customs has for your issue.

http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/other-components.htm

 

The above sounds like a better set-up than stock.

 

And that's why I bought the extended Warranty, And I'm not altering anything. Thanks for the heads up.