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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> That ole speedo rattle... again
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Message started by Salad_Shaker on 09/11/06 at 10:52:20

Title: That ole speedo rattle... again
Post by Salad_Shaker on 09/11/06 at 10:52:20

Like most unmodded Savages, The Lettuce's speedo rattles like a good 'un at certain speeds, and I know there's details on here of how to quiet it down. But since the rattle doesn't bother me, I've let it be.

However, I had one of those "moments" when things got a little out of hand on a bend or something and clenched every available muscle to get through it - including clamping my knees to the tank. (Oh and yeah I do know you're supposed to relax not clamp up but try telling youself that when you've already passed your panic threshold!). While I should really have been concentrating on not eating tarmac, somewhere in my brain it registered that the speedo wasn't making its usual noise. Once the action had calmed down again a few metres further on I tested it again and sure enough its true: speedo noise is really tank vibration. Hold your tank still and the speedo stops rattling. News? Or did we all know that already?

Title: Re: That ole speedo rattle... again
Post by KenGLong on 09/11/06 at 15:58:25

It's the speedo mounts. I chased this one for a few months before the problem was finally fixed. Take a look at the final note on this page: http://home.comcast.net/~kenglong/speedo.htm

Ken

Title: Re: That ole speedo rattle... again
Post by thumperclone on 09/11/06 at 17:09:04

like the shrink tube idea...my 06 came with the springs greased(alot) no noise yet maybe over time as the grease dislodges

Title: Re: That ole speedo rattle... again
Post by pmanntex on 09/12/06 at 10:14:54

Excerpt from my earlier message on a different thread

Rubber grommets 9/32" size from Home Depot (available in the specialty drawers that they have for 72 cents each).

Insert into the holes on the three brackets attached to the gas tank. Apply a little spit first as it will help you get the grommet to seat easier along with pressure from your thumb.

Apply a light coating of a lubricant preferably compatible with rubber on the little steel rods that hold the speedometer housing, then add small plastic O-ring washer (also from Home Depot available in the plumbing section or the little specialty drawers in the hardware section) placed between the spring and the grommet, and wah la----no more squeaking noise.

Follow up:

I have put about 1800 miles on the bike since adding the grommets---held out so far. Plan to add the shrink wrapping in combo with the grommets the next time the tank comes off, just for good measure.

Title: Re: That ole speedo rattle... again
Post by Ed_L. on 09/12/06 at 11:29:44

I ended up taking a tube of silicon calk and pumping some around the mounting screws and springs. Real lazyman repair but it has worked so far. Just hope I never need to pull the speedometer out cause there is a lot of silicon in the way. ;D

Title: Re: That ole speedo rattle... again
Post by Digger on 07/23/09 at 19:25:57

4B565A55554F5E433B0 wrote:

I thought this idea looked interesting, so I used it as the basis of my quest to stop the infernal speedo vibration.

I was unable to find 9/32" ID rubber grommets @ Lowe's, so I picked up some 1/4" ID rubber grommets:

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee201/Digger109/SpeedoMountGrommetsE.jpg

I would not recommend these for anyone else, as getting the speedometer mounting studs through them was a struggle....I though I was in danger of cracking the speedo housing! I ended up chamfering the edges of the stud shoulders a tiny bit and lubed things up with silicone grease to get the three studs to cooperate.

To keep the springs from contacting the rubber grommets, I used some nylon washers:

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee201/Digger109/SpeedoMountWashersE.jpg

These were a good size to use, I think.

Next, I wanted to keep the springs from ever coming into contact with the studs, so I shoved a short length of 3/16" ID, 9/32" OD clear tubing over the studs. Here is what the tubing looked like before I started cutting:

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee201/Digger109/TubingforSpeedoMountE.jpg

The tubing was a tight fit, so I softened it by dunking it in boiling water before I shoved each little piece over a stud.

Here is what two of the studs looked like before I put the springs on:

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee201/Digger109/SpeedoMountingStud-1E.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee201/Digger109/SpeedoMountingStud-2E.jpg

You can see the "stack" consisting of the rubber grommet, the nylon washer, and the short length of tubing.

Then, I put on the OEM springs (they were a tight fit around the tubing, but I sort of "screwed" the springs into place. I topped off each of the three speedometer mounting studs with the OEM cone washer and the OEM nut. On two of the studs, the spring started to coil bind before the cone washer was set against the shoulder of the stud. So, I backed off the nuts that were associated with coil bound springs and double-nutted each stud, using blue Loctite.

If the vibes don't stop now, at least nothing I've done isn't irreversible.

Thanks, pmanntex, wherever you are!

Title: Re: That ole speedo rattle... again
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/24/09 at 01:52:03

My solution was to cut a piece of insulation that comes with a window unit air conditioner & make a pad for the speedo to sit on. Its almost impossible to see that 1/16th ish piece of foam rubber. Since it has adhesive on one side it dont wiggle out from under..