Removing rear tires on a Lehman Trike?

Jim Smyth · May 12, 2013

I own a 02 Wing with a Lehman Monarch II trike rear end. I am going to remove my rear tires this year to inspect the brakes/drums and also adjust them since there supposedly non self adjusting drum brakes. I am also in the market for a good lift/jack for this project and also for future use to work on my trike.

So right now I am looking at either a 1500 Lb. Lightweight Aluminum Motorcycle Lift or a 1100 lb motorcycle scissor Jack. I would jack the trike's read end up under the read axle punkin area with either. Any pro's or con's on either jack would be appreciated.

Now to remove the rear tires. I have never done this before and it looks like there isn't much room to do this. I would first use the air ride system to inflate and raise the rear end to its maximum height. I would then jack up the rear end and put jack stands under the axle.

Next I believe I will need to jack up the frame while the axle is on jacks to get enough clearance to remove the tires?

If anyone out there has taken off the rear tires, is this the correct way to do it? If not any advice would greatly help.

Thanks in advance, Jim

rgw5944 · May 12, 2013

Don't know about the correct way but I use a hydraulic floor jack to lift one side at a time.

americanbadass · May 12, 2013

Jim, I am reposting something that MangoMike posted a while back...it is the way I do it, and the way Lehman recommends. I never have felt comfortable putting a trike up in the air using the type of jacks you posted pics of.....just my opinion...it's free!

http://lehmantrikes.com/img/techbook_master.pdf

crackercap · May 12, 2013

I removed both rear wheels by jacking up the trike with a floor jack, putting it under the trailer hitch ball. The trailer hitch is well mounted and is bolted to the sub frame assembly. I put a jack stand under each side of the axle. Hardest part was getting those lug nuts to break loose. (Do this before jacking up) I did not have any trouble getting the tires off. My Lehman Monarch II is on a 2007 Gold Wing and is equipped with disc brakes and straight axle assembly.

Jim Smyth · May 12, 2013

I guess I will have to play with it to see what works. My tires only have about a 1" clearance between the body and the tire. It also has about 4" to the top of the tire from the body opening on the top of the wheel well so thats how far I think I need to raise the trike to be able to remove the tire. Maybe once its raised and the lugs come off that 1" clearance is enough to pull the tire away and drop it down to wiggle it out of the wheel well.

My model has a drive shaft and unless theres a belt on the inside of the axle punkin that doesnt apply to me but Thanks for the link. I already have a regular floor jack but it doesnt go up too high. I didnt think about the trailer hitch area. I see under the trike where you would mount it. I dont plan on towing a trailer with the trike but it would be easy to make a extended bracket to jack the trike up on.

Thanks again for the input. ;-)

Chumbly · May 12, 2013

I'm not all that familiar with the "wing" trikes, but with mine, I place a hydraulic scissor jack under and as far to the rear of the frame as possible. Break loose the lug nuts before jacking it up. After you have it jacked up, put blocking (or some such thing) under each side of the axle, and if possible under the front as well. SAFETY FIRST. Remove the lug nuts completely at this point, making sure the trike cannot move or tip, any way.

Now, I sit down with my legs under the trike and use my knees to assist my arms/hands to pull off the wheel. To replace the wheel assembly, again sit down facing the trike with the wheel craddled on your knees...use your knees to help lift the wheel into position, (your knees can hold the wheel, while you turn the lug nuts back on). Lightly snug each lugnut up in a cross fashion, (tighten one then tighten the one across from it).

Let the trike down, once you have both wheels on and lugnuts hand tight only. Once the trike is down, wrench tighten each lugnut again in a cross pattern till they are all tight. For alot of reasons, (I won't go into right now), I believe it is entirely necessary to use a torque wrench in this process, but some will argue this point.

With a torque wrench, you can torque the lugnuts to the exact torque specified by the manufacturer. Another recommendation is to use "anti-seize" paste on the lugnuts to make it possible to remove them next time. After the lugnuts have been torqued, check the tire pressure in all of your tires. Now go for a ride... check for vibrations etc.

Mick · May 13, 2013

On my Lehman I have the rear lightbar so an ATV jack wont fit under the back of the trike. What I found is I use a set of ramps that I back the trike up on to. Then I use the hydraulic jackstands to lift the trike. If you do it this way make sure you chock the front wheel. In a pinch you could put the trike up on ramps and use a scissor jack on the rear axle doing one side at a time. Also in the case of Lehman wheels I wouldnt use anti-seize. lehman wheels are torqued to a specific number and using antiseize you will wind up overtorqueing the lugnut threads. Considering how well we take care of our trikes a rusted lugnut aint gonna happen. I live around the Chicago area and my cars live on the street and in 57 years I have yet to have a lugnut issue on any of them including my work truck.