I had the rear tire replaced on a barn find. I cannot get the rear wheel back on. With my 1979 it just slid right on, but the wheel hub will not go on. My plastic Euro motor caliper says the hub is 51mm in diameter, exactly the inside diameter of the hub. So it might be a tight fit, although I did remove the wheel easily. What do I do? Am I missing something? I don't have any special clamp to press it together.
1. First of all, the splines need to be well covered with some type of waterproof grease. This needs to be checked and possibly applied every time the rear wheel is reinstalled.
2. When the splines are not protected with this grease on a regular basis, then the splines may start to wear. When wear occurs, then fitting the wheel can become a very troublesome situation.
3. Placing the bike in 1st gear will insure that when the wheel is rotated to change the spline presentation, that the final drive does not spin at the same rate.
4. Perfect alignment of the wheel and final drive is important. It may help the alignment to slide the rear axle through both pieces (without any spacers or tightening of the axel).
Owning an old Airhead is easy.
Keeping an old Airhead running great is the true test.
Interference where the brake drum engages the brake shoes perhaps?
I'm not sure that using a clamp to force the assembly together is a good idea.
former Airmarshal, IL.
Removed the brake shoes and it made no difference. Visually they are not touching the brake drum and I can rotate the wheel freely, just will not go on.
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