Wheel balance after sprocket/bearing changes?

[Guest]

I've got a front end wobble, not always, usually around 30 mph. It's not noticeable unless you're going hands-free, have to hold back on after a few seconds. I didn't have the wobble before my most recent maintenance. The obvious fixes are to not work on my own bike and not go hands free , but I'm in this game to learn and figure it out.

Most recent maintenance:

• replaced all 3 rear wheel bearings
• new 530 chain
• new front and rear sprockets
• rebuilt rear caliper, new pistons & seals
• rebuilt rear MC
• new SS rear brake line

I've read the threads here on front end wobbles. Given the most recent back end changes, I want to rule out the back end before I start messing with the front end. I checked and made an adjustment to the rear wheel alignment, the wobble went from happening at really low speed to about 30mph now. I've used a straight edge for alignment and the tick marks near the axle are the same on each side too.

Should I have gotten the rear wheel balanced again since I changed sprockets and bearings?

[hikermikem]

Not saying this is your issue, but worth checking:

The tick marks at the rear can be off, spin the wheel by hand & watch the rear sprocket teeth mesh with the chain while looking at it from behind...

Notice the spacing on either side of each sprocket tooth as you turn the wheel, see if it woobles from left to right & if so, correct it by adjusting the rear wheel slightly.

Want to verify the front sprocket is meshing correctly too...

mike

[derwood]

live with it

[JEEPRUSTY]

Maybe you are noticing it now due to the new bearings in the rear.
Maybe you need to do the front as well
Its quite cheap and easy to do.

[btbarb]

I'll check the alignment and sprockets again and then move on to replacing the the front bearings.

[btbarb]

the fix

If you're seeing this thread as new, it's not, I'm updating with the fix and had a crappy original title for future searching so I changed it.

My hands-free decel wobble was a loose steering stem, not a wheel balance problem or bad alignment, not sure why it showed up after the new bearings and sprocket work.

I followed this thread to tighthen the steering stem and all good now. Thank you to all who contributed to that thread, I used a little bit from each of you.

Also, thank you Hikermikem on this thread, when I went back and checked the alignment, paying attention to this detail made it very easy to get the chain tracking perfect with the alignment.

... Notice the spacing on either side of each sprocket tooth as you turn the wheel.....

[Steve]

Good to hear that you have it sorted out, but another likely suspect, for those who might be searching and find this thread, is swingarm bearings.

Doesn't sound quite logical, but many times a problem actually shows up at the other end of the bike.

.

[hjfisk]

Good to hear that you have it sorted out, but another likely suspect, for those who might be searching and find this thread, is swingarm bearings.

Doesn't sound quite logical, but many times a problem actually shows up at the other end of the bike.

.

Another sure sign of bad swing arm bearings is , it will make the bike want to stand up in a corner, and cause it to wallow.Also making it feel like a front end problem.

[mrbill5491]

The swing arm is (besides the steering head bearings) probably the most neglected part of the bike. You serviced your wheel bearings, sprockets, chain and steering, but did you service the swing arm or your steering head bearings, just don't tighten up the stem nut.

[btbarb]

The swing arm is (besides the steering head bearings) probably the most neglected part of the bike. You serviced your wheel bearings, sprockets, chain and steering, but did you service the swing arm or your steering head bearings, just don't tighten up the stem nut.

Yeah, that's the plan, just had to get some closure on the last set of work before figuring out what's next.