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While tearing down my '75 GL1000 for a rebuild I found that there is slack in the u joint on the final drive. What are the options for a replacement?

I had the same situation when I got my 1000. I bought a couple of used shafts off e-bay. One for use and the other as spare. I will eventually try and replace the universal joint on the bad shaft. Milling out the stake points seems easy enough but milling in a circlip retainer groove is a little more complicated for me as I don't have a rotary table for my milling set up.

-P.

Many guys have explored the rebuild process with hope of being able to come up with a economical method. I have not heard of one. Apparently Honda used several different sources for these as there are 4 or 5 variations of the U Joint. A few guys have rebuilt one or two for their own personal use but none that I am aware for resale. So rebuilding your own or purchasing low mileage used are about the only options.

My Hunley build was bad sloppy. Found a swingarm with driveshaft on ebay and made an offer for just the driveshaft. Seller accepted and the joint is in great shape. Actually, staking in a new joint wouldn't be that hard. Even tack welds. No need to machine a snap ring groove.

Sandy has done it using a joint from a steering sector or PTO shaft of a large truck. (Freight liner???) Some have poopoo’d the idea because it’s not in the design to spin at higher rpm, but he’s put many miles on it.

It fits, and he tacked it in place. I think we’re nearing the point that this may be the only option.

This U joint seems to work.
neapco u joint 1-0475

He tacked and then epoxied it in place. I have some pics somewhere.

The problem I see to replacing the joint is getting it centered in the yokes. And staking it without some kind of a fixture might cause the cups to go in too tight and bind on the cross shaft. I do have a lathe I can chuck it up in and put a dial indicator on it. I may give it a try.

MikeNTexas wrote: ↑Sat Dec 19, 2020 7:32 pm The problem I see to replacing the joint is getting it centered in the yokes. And staking it without some kind of a fixture might cause the cups to go in too tight and bind on the cross shaft. I do have a lathe I can chuck it up in and put a dial indicator on it. I may give it a try.

Pls keep us updated on how this pans out.
Color me Interested.

I had a hybrid driveshaft made for my 1200-into-1000-with-1100-swingarm project. Without actually checking the number, I think I used the Neapco joint Eric mentions. Since the originals were staked, I took the parts to a machine shop and they cut the snapring retainer grooves into the yokes and assembled it all. The machinist was initially a little unsure whether he'd be able to cut those small grooves, but it came out good. So far; don't have many miles on it yet.
Not that it applies here, but while I could press the old crosses out of the 1000 yoke, the 1100 yoke had more meat in the front piece and there wasn't enough room to clear, so I had to saw it apart. Which is probably one reason why these are considered unrebuildable.

check this topic for swingarm/driveshaft
https://ngwclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=75778

FWIW, the u-joint on my first 'Wing let go on me as I was half way around a highway exit ramp about 3/4 of the way home after a long day out. This was in the early '90s (before cellphones) and it was about midnight in the middle of nowhere but I pushed it to a house with a light on and asked to use the phone.
The yokes were so badly worn that the cross fell out. At that time Honda still had new ones in stock and they didn't cost much more than a decent chain & sprockets set for a chain drive bike would have. This was the first bike I had with a u-joint and when I had it going again I realized that what I had thought was a normal noise wasn't there anymore.
I now know to look for play in the u-joint as part of routine maintenance but I've never found another that was at all loose.

does the 1100 suffer from the same unobtanium u joint as the 1000?

I don't know about the cross and bearings but the shafts are different lengths.

Another option to consider for locating a new joint would be some kind of epoxy. Some cars and trucks use a thermoplastic blob to hold theirs in place, but it can be melted out and there is a snap ring groove for rebuilds. Don't know which I would trust more, though - snap ring or epoxy?

pidjones wrote: ↑Sun Dec 27, 2020 4:40 pm Another option to consider for locating a new joint would be some kind of epoxy. Some cars and trucks use a thermoplastic blob to hold theirs in place, but it can be melted out and there is a snap ring groove for rebuilds. Don't know which I would trust more, though - snap ring or epoxy?

I changed the u joints in my 86 IROC 2 years ago and they were the original ones held in with the plastic retainers..
I wonder if you would throw the drive shaft out of balance if the globs of epoxy were different weights..