1975 Mk3 E/S QD rear wheel problem

Maybe that helps

1975 Norton commando Mk3 restoration Part: 1 The rolling chassis - YouTube

Hi Chris, Just yesterday I replaced the rear wheel on my 1976 MK3 Interstate and it is relatively difficult on your own as it takes a bit of strength. My main stand does not lift the rear wheel clear of the floor hence I use a rear paddock stand lifting the bike via the swinging arm. This compresses the rear suspension and makes re-fitting the brake calliper very difficult. I therefore remove the the lower bolt of the right hand suspension and pull it away from the swinging arm. You have to then ensure you have the hub aligned with the sprocket so the cush drive goes in easily without too much turning of the wheel. Support the wheel with blocks of wood or anything you can find so the hub is at the same height as the Cush drive and it should push in and stay there. Then you have to get the calliper in line with the centre of the hub and the swinging arm hole to push the axle in. Do not forget to fit the chain tensioner before pushing the axle through. 
 

I live In Suffolk and can come over and help if your close enough to me. 
 

Regards

Phil
 

Your welcome mate and good luck. I’m sure you will get it sorted just take your time. I’m also sure everyone has said this already but main thing is supporting the wheel with blocks or whatever works to take the load off the wheel.

The Mk3 is awkward. If I've had a flat on the road, I always park the rear end over a kerb. In the garage, I put a plank under the mainstand. The hardest part for me is always inserting the brake caliper plate and at the same time making sure that a pad goes to each side...Don't rush it, and make sure that the pistons are pushed back and the cush paddles line up.

These bikes were sold to twenty-somethings and there are a lot of tasks that become progressively more difficult...time was when I could hold a cylinder head in one hand and jiggle the pushrods without even thinking about it...

Hi Chris,

Always been a two person job - in my case with the wife !

If I am alone, I lift up the bike with a jack and some wooden board under the engine.

If you want to make it easier in the future. replace the rear brake lines with a single line and take out that joint in the caliper bracket. Then you can remove the caliper first and get it out of the way, much easier for putting it all back together.

The key bit is doing one bit at a time.

Don't worry about spacers, brakes or anything other than the wheel and the spindle.

Lift the wheel so you can pop the spindle through. Then slide it over until it is up against the hub. It helps to have the bike in gear to prevent the hub from turning, rotate the wheel until it pops onto the paddles. Now strap the wheel so it cannot drop of the hub.

You can now remove the spindle, put the spacer in, fit the caliper bracket and chain tensioner and slide the spindle back in again.

is a disc pad spacer.  Something the thickness of the brake disc to place between the pads so that the actual wheel disc can slip between the pads.  What I have made is a piece of steel with the outer curve of the disc, but around 1/2" deep.  It has a pointed tip to help insertion between the pads, and a hook outwards to act as a handle to remove it easily once the disc is safely between the pads

to Pauls special tool is a piece of folded cardboard - has worked well for me for the last 10 years.