Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech #*@! Can't get the rear wheel back on HELLLLP!

Hi guys, I took the rear wheel off a few days ago to swap a tire. Now I cannot get the damn thing back on. The spacers seem to be protruding about 1/8" too much to fit. If I get the brake side lined up, the chain side spacer nudges the chain adjuster and just CANNOT get up and over it. do I need some kind of wedge to get the *%#@! tire back on? I don't want to screw up my rear wheel assembly.

Plus, the spacers keep falling out and getting dusty which is also making me curse. My neighbors hate me right now.

Is there a way to do this? Every time I've seen it done it looks easy.

No there is not an easy method by ones self. here's what I do, use a floor jack, a piece of 2x6 under the tire and wheel to slowly jack up the whole deal. Then take your other three hands and hold the spacers in place.
Sometimes it all falls right into place, but not usually.
Relax, have a beer and come back to it.
The key is to make sure nothing is at an angle.

Some spacers go just a tad into a seal lip, a bit of grease will make it "stick" and not fall out. Like Mike said, just come back later, you will get an epiphany during the night.

Do you have a big knockometer?

I am gonna try to winch it up with a tie down over the back seat and through the spokes. Which will hopefully keep it straight.

The biggest issue I'm having is getting the smaller spacer past the chain adjuster, which is a bit wobbly and catching on the spacer and knocking it off.

What about getting it positioned without the left spacer and then trying to wedge the spacer in after?

I made a wooden box from 2 x 6s that the tire wedges in and stands plumb, it allows me only need to manipulate the bike floor jack up and down to get axle alignment, no more need for 3 hands.

yep. A break worked.

I took a tiedown and looped it over a phone book on top of the rear cushion, and down through the wheel so that it hung. once I got it lined up with the brake side spacer, I eased the other spacer in over the chain adjuster. Not too bad.

I enlisted my gf to help. I don't know if I could've done it myself.

This method went pretty easy. But next time I want to make some kind of underneath support to keep the tire straight. My goal is to do this job without cursing.

Make sure the sprocket carrier is 'pressed' all the way on. Then use the axle to 'hold' the brake caliper plate in place by passing the axle through the drop out enough to hold it. Then slowly lower the bike over the wheel assembly. Ensure the adjusters are 'shouldered'. Then get the tire verticle and 'help' the spacer slip into place. Once you have the spacers inside the adjusters, SHOVE the axel home....

Oops! You forgot to put the little dick in before you placed the sprocket carrier in place? hahaha Remove the wheel and do it all over again.

Note: Sometimes having a 1x6 right behind the wheel helps you lift the wheel in place. You shove the 1-by under the tire when you are close. This lifts the wheel ever so much. (Or a piece of 1/4" plywood.)

I've changed tires on all my bikes for years by myself. Not on the America. If ya don't have another hand available, wellll, as they say in the Mafia, FORGET ABOUT IT!

Never seemed that hard to me, had many BA and SM rear wheels off and on.

Thanks for the heads up. I've not replaced the back tire yet since i bought my 09 Speedmaster new. It's getting ready to be replaced with 20,160 miles on it. Wouldn't it be better to leave the right chain adjuster out then slide the axle almost through then just spring the frame enough to slip the chain adjuster in place and then finish sliding the axle through. Instead of fighting it?

Get yourself a pair of circlip pliers, remove the wheel alignment bracket from the forks on the chain side. Then get everything else lined up, put the spindle in from the brake side, then just ease the alignment back in and you are good to go.

I ended up pulling the chain side adjuster off,slid in the wheel assy.slid in the axle to the edge of the spacer slid the adjuster back in then pushed the axle home. I hope the guys who complain about the price shops get for installing new tires try this on their own someday.LOL.

Check the right side chain adjuster again to make sure it is properly fitted.I have seen a couple that were not and needed replacement.

I'm having a hard time that with a bike jack, having any difficulty re installing a rear wheel. I would check that I re assembled the rear hub properly and try again. Something unseen is hindering progress.