Why do the front wheels lean out at an angle???

[RIDE RED_159]

Does anyone know why the front wheels on a 400ex lean out @ an angle if your looking at them from the front view? I have heard that it has something to do with the bearings? is this correct?

[vett_09]

I had to replace the spindle on mine when I noticed it on mine. I think I paid $80 per side.

What's leaning out? The top side of the tire? The front "edges"?

And are you sure its not an optical illusion?

[hornetgod13]

I believe he's trying to explain the front tires be toed out.

Originally posted by hornetgod13
I believe he's trying to explain the front tires be toed out.

If so, the way I checked this was to get a long straight edge, and lay it on cinder blocks so that it touched the rear tires on the "leading" and trailing" sidewalls of the rear tire.

Then I measured the "leading" and trailing" sidewalls of the front tire, and made sure its all symmetrical, both sides.

Adjustments are made with the tie rods.

[pdracer440]

When reading the title, I first thought you were talking about camber, which is not adjustable on the stock 400. Now that I read the actual post, you could be talking about toe in or out, Guess you need to more specific. When looking at the front tires, are you looking at the tops and bottom of them being different, or are the front and back different.

If the top of the tires are leaned in / \ (sorry, the only way I could think of to show what I meant) , or out \ / , when looking straight at the front of the bike, this is camber.

If you look at the bike from above and they look like that, then it is toe in or toe out.

Toe in is adjustable, camber is not.

[skeeter185]

HOW DO YOU ADJUST THE TOE IN
BECAUSE LOOKING IN FRONT OF THE BIKE THE RIGHT SIDE TIRE ON THE TOP IS CLOSER TO THE FRAME THAN THE BOTTOM NOT SO MUCH NOTICABLE ON THE LEFT TIRE ALSO RUNNIN DOWN THE STREET GOING FAST THE FRONTEND HAS A WOBBLE :confused:

[81 clark racing]

only your left side tire does it when looking at the bike correct? the honda rep told me its set up that way for a reason and every 400ex is like that. has to do something with the chain and sprockets and the handeling of the quad

Originally posted by skeeter185
HOW DO YOU ADJUST THE TOE IN
BECAUSE LOOKING IN FRONT OF THE BIKE THE RIGHT SIDE TIRE ON THE TOP IS CLOSER TO THE FRAME THAN THE BOTTOM NOT SO MUCH NOTICABLE ON THE LEFT TIRE ALSO RUNNIN DOWN THE STREET GOING FAST THE FRONTEND HAS A WOBBLE :confused:

What you are describing is camber and on stock 400EX a-arms, it is not adjustable.

Your wobble is more likely caused by toe in, and is adjusted as I described above.

[Old Head]

Sounds like he has the same problem I have when looking at the front of the quad you see this / l Where the on tire leans in on the top and the other looks straight.

[skeeter185]

THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT MINE LOOKS LIKE / | IM GLAD IM NOT THE ONLY 1

[Old Head]

The funny thing is my sons 00 doesn't do this. I've checked the tierods, they are straight. only thing i can come up with is a bent spindle.

[81 clark racing]

EVERY 400EX DOES THIS!!!! go look at ALL the BRAND NEW ones on the SHOWROOM FLOOR they will all look like that lol

[hornetgod13]

My front tires toe out in the front a little too. I have heard that this is normal.

[Selland74]

I think you are talking about whats called the ackerman angle. it has to do with making both front wheels turn about a common point. it can be fairly complicated, but is used so that the front wheels dont fight each other in a turn. this would be engineered into the steering geometry of the machine so all of them should have it.

http://www.auto-ware.com/setup/ack_rac.htm

[400exrider707]

You are not describing your problem very good. You could be talking about toe in, camber, or ackerman like already suggested. Please explain this with some detail.....

[trxridr]

selland74 you are really smart. i lost you on ackerman

[Selland74]

Originally posted by trxridr
selland74 you are really smart. i lost you on ackerman

haha, well i try. ackerman is really hard to describe with words. you'll see the same thing on vehicles, tractors, and about anything expensive on four wheels. :D