Possible driveshaft noise ???

[TwoBye]

Wife and I were out for a stroll yesterday and just about the time we returned home I start hearing this noise. Squeaks when slowing to a stop (although its not brake noise) and also when under acceleration leaving from a stop. Noise is most certainly coming from the rear of the trike. It's a 1999 GL1500SE with a CSC trike kit, solid axle suspension. Am I on the right track looking at the driveshaft first? U-joint?

[GoldWingrGreg]

Yes, it could be a u-joint, or other drive shaft issue. It should be inspected immediately. Your CSC Maintenance Schedule in their Owner's manual will be more specific for your model, but on a GL1800 they recommend that the drive shaft be removed, cleaned, and inspected every 24k. I might mention too, that when manufacture says every 24k, they don't mean 24,0001 mile, they really mean sooner and no later then 24k. If this one was service according to its manufacture's recommendation, the below would not have happened.

Here is a shaft that was not inspected per the manufactures recommendation. According to the customer, it was 700 miles over due. Keep in mind that u-joints don't instantly wear out. They fail over a long period of time. When this u-joint broke apart, it destroyed part of the right frame rail, broke or destroyed 2 of the 4 cross bars between the frame rails, and bent the output shaft coming out the back of the engine.

Fortunately no one was hurt. This all happened as he left a stop sign at maybe 3 mph.

Below is a destroyed cross bar.



Here is a badly damage frame rail.



Below is a bent output shaft at the back of the motor.

[BrokenBackJack]

Holy buckets that is alot of damage for 3 mph.

[2006gold]

Yep, no more riding until repairs are made. Mine dropped out at 60 mph and we were very lucky not to incur more damage. Motor Trike made the repair and had to install a new output shaft on the engine as well.

[JaysGone]

Ouch!!!

I got lucky with mine a few years back.

Banging under hard acceleration.

More then half the needle pins were gone in the front u-joint.

MT replaced the old shaft and gave me the updated driveshaft.

No problems since.

[Bronson512]

Yes, it could be a u-joint, or other drive shaft issue. It should be inspected immediately. Your CSC Maintenance Schedule in their Owner's manual will be more specific for your model, but on a GL1800 they recommend that the drive shaft be removed, cleaned, and inspected every 24k. I might mention too, that when manufacture says every 24k, they don't mean 24,0001 mile, they really mean sooner and no later then 24k. If this one was service according to its manufacture's recommendation, the below would not have happened.

GWGreg hearing that from someone I hang my hat on nearly everything you say this is extremely disappointing to say the least. Drive shafts are an inherently reliable method of power transfer with very little maintenance needed to get years of trouble free service. What has happened?

[GoldWingrGreg]

GWGreg hearing that from someone I hang my hat on nearly everything you say this is extremely disappointing to say the least. Drive shafts are an inherently reliable method of power transfer with very little maintenance needed to get years of trouble free service. What has happened?

Good question. Many trike manufactures have had generation after generation after generation of changes trying to make them reliable. As I see it, there are 4 inherent problems.

1. The angle of the drive shaft is too severe for a short shaft adding stress on the shaft and the u-joints.

2. There is very little room for a larger front u-joint, and I've never seen one that is serviceable (no zerk). Most earlier designs used a yoke assembly from a GL1500 ... an engine of less power.

3. Many use a male - female splined sleeve in the middle of the shaft to allow for expansion/contraction of the shaft. Usually the area is not protected from the elements and any lube is quickly washed away leaving the splined sleeve's area dry.

4. The trike industry is very competitive, and a quality well made drive shaft with a little larger front u-joint, and a protected, or sealed spline sleeve area, costs more money.

Below is an example. In this video, it shows one with excessive movement and there area is also dry.