rear wheel removal

I've never done this. The first time I replaced my tire there was a shop nearby that took it off and reinstalled it but they are gone. the only local shop that will mount and balance the tire wants the wheel only. Looking at the manual it seems doable even for a mistake prone schmuck like me, but I want to make absoloutely sure there are no mistakes for obvious reasons. :ohmy: I probably should replace my 35 year old brake shoes anyway. Its got the rear drum brakes

Is it pretty straightforward in your opinion? My bike had a belt so its not perfectly described in the manul. I presume I have to pop the master link and remove the chain. Can I do this whole thing with the bike on the center stand?

Yes, the rear wheel can be removed with the bike on the center stand. You shouldn't need to open the master link. Just shove the wheel and axle forward after everything is loosened and slip the chain off the rear sprocket. Ed

Also, be aware that there are spacers that will come off with the wheel. Pay very close attention to where they go and which way they are oriented. It is not complicated, but it is easy to put one of them wrong and end up with a bunch of extra space or the wheel being way off center. Take pictures or draw diagrams, whatever makes most sense to you.

are they going to drop out when I pull the axle, or?

Look up the rear wheel hub parts diagram for your bike on one of the on-line parts site. I normally use partszilla.com. This will show you an exploded picture of all the parts you'll be dealing with. The 82 KZ305 was offered in both a belt drive and chain drive model. You may just have the wrong manual or sticker

Someone may have converted the belt drive to a chain.

Remove the rear wheel & axle as a unit. The spacers are kind of distinctive in appearance, so it should be fairly simple to re-install them correctly. Take a look at the diagrams beforehand & make a mental note as you remove them from the axle. A few pics before removal & during disassembly might be helpful as a just in case.

The link below shows the rear axle diagram for the KZ305 belt bike. Notice the spacers labeled 42036; 92027B; 92027; and 92027A, their location, and their orientation. Some or all will come out as you pull things apart. If possible, take a picture of their location and orientation as you disassemble things. More than one bike owner has struggled trying to figure out where each spacer goes and which end of the spacer faces outboard. Ed

www.powersportswarehouse.com/p/Kawasaki#...05-B1-1982/080105E-3

martin_csr wrote: Someone may have converted the belt drive to a chain.

Yep. That someone was me.

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I'll be back when I screw something up.

OK I'm back and I didn't even break anything. The wheel is off, and it was way easier than I expected. I've only seen one spacer (so far) and it goes on the outside of the hub plate/brake cover. There may be more but I set it aside for the night.

Make sure you find all spacers before you send the wheel to the shop - they will lose them for sure. :S

Well I found 3, I think.

My brake shoes wont arrive until Saturday, so I have some time on my hands. I've also never done the rear drum brake before but it looks dirt dumb easy with only 2 springs and 2 shoes. How can I screw that up, right? :woohoo: Should I lightly sand the "drum" or just clean it? The manual is mute on this point.

Don't breathe the dust as it may contain Asbestos. I sanded the glaze off the drum using 100 grit sandpaper. Prior to sanding, I made hub covers from plastic bottles & taped in place with good duct tape to keep from contaminating the bearings. Then I washed the wheel thoroughly, trying not to wet the hubs in case the protectors weren't water tight. To sand I positioned the valve stem hole at the bottom to keep track, then sanded a section at the bottom, then wiped that down with a clean cloth dampened with denatured alcohol. then rotated the wheel & did the next section at the bottom. etc etc etc then stopped sanding when the valve stem hole was at the bottom again. I did it this way to make sure to sand the drum evenly & to keep the dust low to the ground & sanded slowly to minimize spreading the dust around. It doesn't take a lot of sanding, just enough to remove the glazing. Afterwards, I wiped down the whole wheel again with a clean cloth & denatured alcohol.

I used Permatex ultra brake caliper lubricant on the pivot points. don't get grease on the brake friction surfaces.
Make sure your hand are clean & grease-free when handling the new shoes.