A slight clicking, ticking noise from rear.

[luckygpass]

Hi, I bought a 1982' XJ110j Maxim with 16,000 miles. Although gears were replaced, it needed the 1st gear fix. After joining this forum, reading all the important information about these Bikes, and with the help of TopCat by email I did the fix on all gears related. Following the advice of things to check out I found it needed a couple other things. I brought the clutch up to specs with new springs and clutch cable, brakes up to specs with new pads, and changed all fluids. I changed fuel tank to a new factory oem black one that came with the bike, painted the side covers to match, and put on new tank emblems. I am replacing the shiftlever return torsion spring when the part comes in.
It now runs great except for a not noticed before, slight clicking, ticking noise that seems to come from the rear end. It does not make it on the center stand. It goes away when leaning to the right in the first few gears while putting at around 1800 to 2200 rpm's. I took off the rear tire and greased the driveshaft splines, found nothing wrong. Any Ideas?
I would appreciate any knowledge regarding the noise. I read the posts and followed the threads but none were similiar.

[blue giant]

Any chance there is a stone or nail/screw stuck in the tire?

That is the first thing that comes to my mind.

[luckygpass]

Thanks for trying. You had me excited there for a minute. Just checked, no such Luck, and Luck is in my last name. It is a sound that is bike generated, not object to street. I thought it could be a chipped tooth in the final gear but don't know how to get in there without a special manual that is just for the Final gear drive. TopCat said possibly U-Joint but would be unusual for the miles. Next If I do not hear any alternatives I will pull apart what is necessary to inspect the U-Joint.

[blue giant]

Hey, it was worth a shot!

Let us know what you find.

[wingnut]

Before Id pull the final drive apart I'd have a real good look at the rear brake. You replaced the pad so you were in there. Maybe one of the clips on the pads is out of place or something is hitting the rotor while the load is on it but not when the bike is on the center stand. Do you get the noise when you just push it around?

[Ken Talbot]

In csase you missed this from where you asked in another post:

"Sounds like the noise SWMBO's 'H used to make. That one turned out to be a dry spline where the rear wheel sits against the final drive. Did you grease that too when you did the driveshaft spline?"

[luckygpass]

Yes to Wingnut,

I originally felt a loose clip that when wiggled around by hand sounded similiar to the noise I was hearing. That is why I took the Rear Brake apart and while there finding pads near minimum thickness replaced the pads. It did not go away.

Yes to Ken Talbot,

I greased the gear teeth where the hub meets the Final Drive as well as the Drive Shaft splines. There was adequate grease on all already.

While all this has been going on my shift lever peg's Torsion spring for the Shifter Cam return had become not functional and sloppy. I just went in and tried compressing it as much as possible then reinstalled. It was a little better but not sloppy and whether coincidence or not, after three more short rides it appears noise is going away. I'll keep you posted but would still like any more ideas. Thanks

[cruiser]

A revival of this old thread.

I am experiencing this same ticking noise in my XJ that comes and goes over the last two years but lately seem to be more frequent.
Luckygpass, did you ever find a solution to this?

On center stand everything is quiet if you rotate the wheel cold or hot. It must be ridden for a while and then you will notice it coming to stop signs. May be at higher speeds also but would be drown out by wind noise. When I notice it I can shut it down and while sitting on bike and rolling it back and forth 10 to 15 ft the clicking is intermittent and sometimes not at all.

Today I wanted to get to the bottom of this annoying sound so switched out my FD thinking that was the problem with another I had, checked the u-joints, ok, greased the drive shaft spline while apart, greased the FD hub to wheel hub splines also. This is the third time this summer I’ve grease both sets of splines. No wear found anywhere, all splines looked good. Wheel bearings all feel good with no roughness at all. I’ve hit a wall on what to try.
Tonight with my son on the bike rolling it back and forth I can feel it occur, a snap type vibration transfers through the final drive but not on caliper or right side of wheel.
Sure seems likely place is the FD hub to wheel splines but I just don’t know what else I can do about it.
Ideas anyone?

[trbig]

I had a tire changed at the Yamaha dealership last year on my XJ. That's when I noticed the same "Ticking". It seems to be in time with the rotation of the tire, and only with weight on. I've had different tires on, I've had different brakes on, I have re-greased everything. I wondered if maybe it was one of the clip on weights on the rim.. but those have been changed several times since then.

Sometimes it's there, sometimes it's not. It made me wonder if one of the ribs of the rim had been cracked somehow on their tire machine.. but I have found nothing. I thought it was just me. Nothing answered here.... but glad to hear I'm not the only one.


Tod

[mro]

ticked off

Hate hearing noises that don't seem normal. Took a year of riding to sorta get used to the top end nosie, then put on a large wind shield and had to get used to how that changed the sounds.

XSept the middle drive seems you've checked out the drive train.
Only "tick" (not counting valves)I've ever gotten on an XS was from a crack in a clutch basket which could only be heard when takeing off.

Does the XJ have that rubber gromet on the rear caliper bracket?
If worn or missing ???
Have you checked the swing arm bearings and adjustment?


mro

[trbig]

My swingarm is adjusted properly, and I don't think it's the brakes because it will still do it with the brake applied. I also don't think it is the middle drive since it is still doing it after a different engine and middle drive was installed... plus it's not coming from that area. I can hear it loudest if I lean back to my right... like it is coming from the brake caliper area. BUT... since the XJ caliper is different than the XS, and this seems to be an XJ phenomenon... it makes it suspect to me. The XJ uses a single bolt screwed through the top of the caliper from the REAR.. which would seem to me to be prone to more of an up and down motion than the XS where it's bolted in from the side? Also.. there is a metal sleeve that goes inside the caliper, then the mounting bolt goes through that. There are no rubber grommets anywhere. This is making me think Hmmmm... Mine started after a tire change.. the brakes had to come off... Not sure how to CURE it.. but possibly the problem?

Also... the brake pads of the XJ have a tab on them that just sits in a groove.. could the pads just be slightly moving up and down in this groove? It would seem like that would stop the noise if you applied the brakes under that condition though..

OK.. someone who's bike is ticking.. take off the rear caliper and wire it to the fram and go for a ride for us will ya?? lol. (I AM just kidding guys...)


Tod

[cruiser]

On mine with someone else sitting and rolling the bike you can feel with your hand on the FD the click happening but if you put your hand on the caliper or the right side anywhere, nothing but the sound. I figured the FD swap would fix it but it changed nothing at all, still the same sound.
Also hand on middle drive and drive shaft tube, nothing. This leads me to believe it has something to do with alignment of final drive hub to wheel splines and somehow binding a bit?. But these components are all aligned by the axle shaft right? Too tight on alxe nut? Side play in wheel bearings?

I just put E-3's on mine a month ago and it got worse after that but I have continued to ride. By worse I mean it happens more frequently. It's a definate tick or snapping much like if you had a real bad wheel bearing.

[ScottsXS]

hows the bearing look back there pull out and clean grease the bearing they can click or crunch when dry/going bad

[cruiser]

Sticking finger into bearings and rotating while putting as much pressure as possible on them they are smooth turning. Bearings are of the sealed type right? So no way to lubricate them more to my knowledge. I've packed some grease inbetween them around where the spacer is but don't know short of replacing them what else I could do.
I do have a complete set of bearings on hand but didn't want to waste them unnescessarily.

[Lamric]

Gary, the clicking could be the same as was reported here