A little front end help please.

[rigger]

I need a good way to check what is bent in the front end of my 400ex.

Here is what happen. Couple of weeks ago, riding in the woods, climbed a hill, clipped a tree with the left front tire and it lightly rolled over on to her side. Well I rolled her back up right, took off ridding and found what I thought were my bars bent from the roll over. She would run in a straight line but the bars would be slightly turned to the right. No big deal I thought, get new bars.

Well I put the new bars on and putted down the street. The bars still pull to the right side when going in a straight line. Let me clear that up, it does not pull to one side. It is, just going in a straight line, the bars are crooked.

So I am trying to measure out the front end to figure out what is bent and where. I measured the tie rods and the left tie rod was an 1/8" shorter than the right one. So I figured the ball joint must be slightly bent. I broke that rod loose and made it the same as the other tie rod. Now when I center the front end, the bars are still crooked. I also noticed that before I messed with moving anything, the left rim will touch the lower a-arm slightly and the right would not. After I adjusted the left tie rod, both rims will lightly touch the lower a-arm.

Now I am fine with turning wrenches but I come from a dirt bike background and trying to figure how to measure out the front end to find what is bent is kind if bothering me a tad.

So any advice on what to look for? Everything looks ok by the good old eye ball. Guess I hit that tree harder than I thought.:D

[00.400ex#55]

my bet is your frames bent. mesure from your tires back to the tips of your pegs. then youl have your answer. my old frame was 3 inches farhter forward on the right side. pervious owner hit a tree like yourself. i also had the tirods hiting the arms. the little square ajustmet part rubed when i turned the wheels all the way to one side or the other.

[andyman450r]

Try this stand your quad on the tail. take a four foot level check level vertical and horizontal on wheels,Once your ok with plumb take your level to your steering stem I'd check out at the bar clamp. A cheap way to check maybe if steering stem got bent in your ground check. Just a suggestion I slammed into a tree once a replaced a tie rod with this method worked pretty good although a little mundane

[rigger]

Well checking to see if the frame is still square would definatly be a good one to check.

It was just not that hard of a hit, at least not to me anyway.

I could see maybe a tweeked a-arm before the main frame.

How easy are the steering stems to bend. Maybe it twisted some how, but it just seems like it is to solid the twist like that.

Rims apear fine, no visable problems with them.

I will keep looking until I find it if you guys keep helping me with your ideas.

Thanks.

[rigger]

OK, just went out and measured using the footpegs as a constant to measure from. I measured from multiple points. Frame and a-arms all seem to be straight and true from one side to the next.

So I guess that narrows it down to the steering system it self. Please do correct me if I am wrong.

What is the best way to measure out tie rods to see if they are bent? Or I guess it could be the steering stem or spendles them selves. What are some good ways to measure this stuff out to find the problem?

Thanks again guys.

[zrpilot]

The 400EX is a really tough frame. i doubt you bent the frame, though you for sure bent the front a-arms. I hit a rut in the trail at about 50MPH (the bars ended up in my lap!) and bent the front arms!

There is a lot of things to check, but first use a string and some blocks to check toe:

Use a string wrapped around the rear wheels, past the fronts in a big u shape and at roughly the spindle centerline height. Then pick a point in the center of the back of the quad like the grab bar. put a mark there. measure from there to each handle bar end (assuming bars are straight) and move bars until the measurement is equal. Finally measure from the tire to the string at the front and back of each front tire, and the difference is your toe.

[00.400ex#55]

if everything else cheked out it definatly sounds like the aarms. and zrpilot thats a great idea. never would of thought of that. i always used a tape measure on the knowbs, defantly not the most acurate way.

[rigger]

that is a good idea. That will show me when the bars really and centered and what the toe is.

now, what should I set the toe at? I know they need to be toed in but how if lets say that everything is fine and straight?

I will keep checking until I find what is messed up. It will drive me nuts until I do find it.

[zrpilot]

I'd have at least 1/8" toe, but be OK with up to 3/16" per tire

[skyeryder]

have you put a straight edge on each tie rod they are the weakest link on a 400. second is that stem, the best way to tell I've found is to take it off and put a straight edge on it. It's usually right above the upper clamp. I have a stem in the garage that's hard to tell when on the quad but off you can see it. Anyways my .02 also I agree that frame will take some serious abuse.

[rigger]

Well I finally got a chance to get back to tinckering with my 400.

Pulled some strings like in the picture. Toe was around 1/8-1/4" but did not seem consistant. pulled the tie rods off and found the left one to have slight bow in it. It is not that bad and I am thinking that I may be able to straighten it, or at least try. Or, is that not a good idea? Should I just replace it?

Still seems like the steering stem may be bent as well. I started to pull it off but discovered my lack of tools at home is keeping me from pulling that. That will have to wait till tomarrow when I can bring home tools from work. It has got to have a bend or twist in it.

Is there a good way to check it other than just putting a straight edge on it?

Thanks for the help guys. This hitting trees thing sure leads to a lot more work than it use to be when I rode bikes.

[blasterandy]

Just replace it their like 10-15$. I hit a tree with my left front tire goin about 35 around a berm. Didn't see the tree that they had built into the berm cliped n' flipped. The tie rod was bent at about a 90 degree angle. We got it bent back out and i rode it for the rest of the day like that but i would recommend buying a new one as soon as possible.

[rigger]

Got the steering stem out tonight. It is bent too. Well it has a slight bow in it, kind of like the tie rod. I assume it is twisted as well with the way the new were sitting.

Any recamendations on good steering stem replacements other than stock. I have found stock ones on e-bay for like 50-60 bucks.

[j450rking]

well aftermarket ones start at about $150 and go up there are hermen racing ones on ebay for $190 with the clamp