Rear Wheel Alignment

twerth · #1

I have an '81 GL1100 I'm trying to put back on the road, and I noticed something strange the other day. Looking at the bike from the back, the rear wheel is offset about an inch to the left. I can't find any indication of tweaking to the frame or swing arm. Everything else seems to line up, and the wheel spins freely. Is this normal? It looks goofy.

Track T 2411 · #2

Hmm. I've been into my '81 several times, and never noticed any offset. If you've removed the swing arm from the frame, there is a specific adjustment for aligning it properly. Also, make sure the wheel is fully seated into the final drive. I've seen instances, and the wheel will still turn freely. Last (that I can think of offhand) is following the procedure for tightening the axle/final drive. Begin with the axle pinch bolt, castle nut, and the three final drive - to - swing arm bolts loose. Tighten the castle nut first, the the pinch bolt, then the three final drive bolts. Just an FYI, there is a fair amount flex in the swing arm.

chewy999 · #3

Hard to see from the photos, but agree with Track T 2411 except I'd tighten the three final drive bolts first. I'd possibly loosen the suspension too. Do check the swing arm to make sure it's fitted correctly, you'll need a special socket. Are you sure nothing's bent?

gltriker · #4

Scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page.

SIMILAR TOPICS might answer some of your concerns.

twerth · #5

I feel like something's got to be bent, but it's not apparent. I'd think if it was the swing arm, the tire would have clearance issues toward the front. I don't see any bent sections or popped paint on the frame or swing arm, so I'm not seeing the culprit. I haven't had the swing arm off and I don't have the tool, so I'd rather not mess with it unless I'm forced. Pretty certain the rear wheel is fully engaged in the drive and installed correctly. Finally, it has been dropped, and there is some fork damage, but the rear of the bike appears to be fine except for the wheel. Let me know if there are other pictures I could post to help diagnosis. I appreciate the quick responses.

chewy999 · #6

When you fitted the wheel, did you have the spacer that goes between the calliper and the axle on the left side? Item 1 on here, https://www.cmsnl.com/honda-gl1100-gold ... ml#results

Not sure if that would cause your issues. If you start t bike up and let the wheel spin, how does that look?

#7

As suggested, scroll down and read some of the similar topics.

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Track T 2411 · #8

chewy999 wrote:Hard to see from the photos, but agree with Track T 2411 except I'd tighten the three final drive bolts first. (The sequence I posted is from the FSM. Just saying...)I'd possibly loosen the suspension too. Do check the swing arm to make sure it's fitted correctly, you'll need a special socket. Are you sure nothing's bent?

chewy999 · #9

Track T 2411 wrote:
chewy999 wrote:Hard to see from the photos, but agree with Track T 2411 except I'd tighten the three final drive bolts first. (The sequence I posted is from the FSM. Just saying...)I'd possibly loosen the suspension too. Do check the swing arm to make sure it's fitted correctly, you'll need a special socket. Are you sure nothing's bent?

Can't argue with that!

calif wingnut · #10

When you have one element of a carefully interrelated system changing and other elements in that same system remaining unchanged, you can expect alterations of the relationship between those two areas. In the case of the Gold Wing, one relationship that changed was the amount of offset between the load center of the wheel and the load center of the wheel bearings. This offset expanded from 10mm in 1975-83, up to a whopping 23mm (almost a full inch offset) in 1984-86.

http://goldwingdocs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=33375

twerth · #11

To close the loop on a couple of earlier responses, I did a search and read through most or all of the related posts that show up at the bottom of this thread. I wasn't able to find a solution to my issue though. That is good information though. The related thread function can be helpful.

Also, the spacer is installed correctly. I actually tried it on both sides of the caliper bracket to make sure, and it causes the brakes to drag if it isn't installed outboard.

I've attached a few more shots to see if my installation looks different than other member's bikes. I'm thinking if I can't identify the problem, this bike becomes parts. That would be a shame.