disassembling the drive shaft

[Steve]

I need to disassemble my drive shaft. Disassembling the 1979 R65's spring-loaded drive shaft must be done while it's still inside the swing arm, and requires a special tool. My workshop manual call it "assembly fixture BMW No. 26 17 00." Do people have these tools? Do people make these tools?

[Bob_Roller]

The tool looks like a McPherson strut compression tool .
I've seen members make one from thick wood and threaded rod .
The spring is not that strong .

[Steve]

I've made the tool and compressed the spring. But the snap ring is tight inside its circular groove and I can't get any purchase to pry it out. Being inside the swing arm I can't cut it off. What now?

[Tiedie]

I've made the tool and compressed the spring. But the snap ring is tight inside its circular groove and I can't get any purchase to pry it out. Being inside the swing arm I can't cut it off. What now?

Found your video https://www.boxer2valve.com/snap-ring-for-driveshaft-coupling.html This guys great!

[Steve]

I finally got that snap ring off, hammering down in with little screwdrivers to get underneath it.

[Tiedie]

 

[Steve]

Sometimes those emojis really do fit the situation! 

[georgesgiralt]

Glad you made it ! To reassemble, use a pipe wrench of the proper size to press the new ring on the shaft. The ring is put on the pipe wrench, which is then put on the axe. Then it is just a matter of pushing the ring in place....

Take your time and refrain from too much coffee before the operation...

[Steve]

Here's a trick for getting the snap ring out where there is no longitudinal groove on the shaft to stick a prick in to get under the ring, nor do the ends of the ring have the little ears with holes in them. But there is a gap. So get a screwdriver that has the right tip width so it barely fits in the gap, then drive the screwdriver down further so its wedge shape opens the ring up so you can get underneath it elsewhere.

[Steve]

Since the '79 R65 torsion-dampered drive shaft doesn't have the longitudinal groove, the snap ring is hard but possible to get off. When done inspecting the drive shaft I bought a new ring and recompressed the drive shaft but I couldn't get the ring on. So I bought a set of 300 snap rings in all sizes from Harbor Freight costing $6. One was just the right size. These snap rings have the little ears with holes in them so they are easy to put on and off with snap ring pliers, also cheap at HF.

[dogshome]

Make sure those cheap clips are hard. I've had some that will bend and wear.

[Bob_Roller]

I think the retaining ring is round in cross section .
It fits into a round bottom groove like retaining ring in the fork .
I don't know if a snap ring will work in this application
A snap ring needs a machined groove for the ring to be secured . .

[Steve]

The stock snap ring is round in cross section but the groove in the retainer it fits into, in my case at least, is rectangular. I'm riding it now with the Harbor Freight snap ring.