Rear wheel drive hub, looks okay to you?

[Redman]

This is from the GK I just got in November. I took off rear wheel just to inspect this in honor of Giblet Steve

This look Okay? I think looks okay to me.
I know not such a good picture, and no, I am not takeing wheel off again for a better shot. Doesnt seem to show the signs of wear like the failed ones in pictures that Steve and Leon have posted.

Seemed to have some grease, but perrty much dried out and stiff. So I cleaned it up and regreased it with black grease from a tube, high pressure axle and bearing moly grease.

I also changed the 80-90wt gear lube in front and rear drive unit, so think all is okay for a couple years now.

[Grandpa]

Trouble is, it's hard to tell from the picture whether the splines are worn. Only the outermost millimeter or so shows in the pic. The part of the spline that wears out is the part you can't see unless you take the driven hub out.

I can't blame you for not wanting to remove the rear wheel again. I know it's a pain, but I would if I were you. Otherwise you'll be stranded in Timbuctu, like I was once, and others too.

[Redman]

Oh . . .
Ah . . .
Er . . .
Really?

Yes, That view on my picture is from the drive side, what is up against the rear drive unit. And, yes, hub is in the wheel yet as evidenced by the presence of the bearing. And yes, picture only shows end of the splines, the end near the drive unit.

I have seen pictures of failed hubs, but I thought those pictures were of the other side of the hub with it removed from wheel. Sounds like you are speaking from experience. I want to understand this better.

oh, Man . . .

Here let me snag the picture from Leon's photo bucket (Leon being the generous guy that he is) so we can talk about this. I'll be back in a while.

[mark]

When they are worn they will have "notches" in them that you can see, at least from my experience. The ones in the photo bucket picture have already totally stripped out.

[Redman]

Picture of failed hub from Leon Focus Frenzy photobucket:



DDDOOOAAAHHHH

Thanks Grandpa. Yep, okay, I see what you are saying, Thanks.

When I was cleaning out the dried up grease, I was probeing around down in the splines there, dont notice any such wear, but wasnt really looking either. I thought it all looked good to my ignorant eyes.

Like I said before, I have seen these pictures of failed splines before, have noticed that splines were not worn off all the way acrost. Quess I just assumed, without realizing that I was assuming, that they wore off on the side near the drive unit.

I suppose, if I am concerned about it, I should take another look. And this time remove the hub for better inspection. That drive hub, it just wiggle-pulls out of that rubber cush part, right?

Yep, have seen the result of these failing. Timbucktu, thats somewhere along FM337 isnt it, Steve?

[Grandpa]

Yeah, the hub wiggles out. Be patient and move it up a fraction of a millimeter at a time, going around.

[focus frenzy]

wow I was helpfull without being helpfull!

[Griffin]

You know, when you have a chain, it's really easy to tell if the rear sprocket is worn.

(Sorry, had to add that. It seems some people always toss out those types of jabs on our chain topics.)

[Grandpa]

That's OK, Griffin. Chains are OK for the reason you stated. When I was stranded some years ago because of worn splines, I wished then I'd had a chain.

[SqDancerLynn1]

And if you lost the master link in your chain you would be wishing for a shaft

[Planecrazy]

'Tis true, Lynn, especially since shafties fail so infrequently by comparison, and rarely require any sort of adjustments! ;-)

Regards,

[tfb]

Tell you what, someone should design a drive system that uses a chain AND a shaft, and then we'll all be happy. :-D Kind of like how really pessimistic blokes wear a belt AND braces, just to be safe.

Mike.

[JayH]

Yea but when the adjustments need to be made they really hurt the wallet.

'Tis true, Lynn, especially since shafties fail so infrequently by comparison, and rarely require any sort of adjustments! ;-)

Regards,

[snowbeard]

you could always buy the replacement now and throw it in your bags!! ;-)

[Giblet]

Picture of failed hub from Leon Focus Frenzy photobucket:
[ATTACH]203[/ATTACH]


DDDOOOAAAHHHH

Thanks Grandpa. Yep, okay, I see what you are saying, Thanks.

When I was cleaning out the dried up grease, I was probeing around down in the splines there, dont notice any such wear, but wasnt really looking either. I thought it all looked good to my ignorant eyes.

Like I said before, I have seen these pictures of failed splines before, have noticed that splines were not worn off all the way acrost. Quess I just assumed, without realizing that I was assuming, that they wore off on the side near the drive unit.

I suppose, if I am concerned about it, I should take another look. And this time remove the hub for better inspection. That drive hub, it just wiggle-pulls out of that rubber cush part, right?

Yep, have seen the result of these failing. Timbucktu, thats somewhere along FM337 isnt it, Steve?

Yes Dave, that is correct (the hub part). AND yes, we have lots & lots of "middle of nowhere" in Texas. FM337 is just one such example. One word of advice though, don't wait till the coyotes start howling to find a suitable tree to spend the night in. Of course, if you had a chain, you could just throw "gloppy goo" at the coyotes, etc. :-D