1999 400ex axel

[danbap]

after riding the other day i happen to look at my axel and the "nut or 2 not sure if there is 2 or just one" on the brake rotor side. is all the way towards the wheel. and i can see threads and i can get the nut to move and when i wiggle it dont think it is suppose to wiggle in the first place the threads move along with the nuts ill try to take a pic today . is this right or no????????


thanks dan.

[n811]

No it should not wiggle. Its loose and if you've been riding it at all you have probably got some water/dirt in the bearing carrier. This is a weak link of the 400ex. You should now put in new bearings and re-install the axl. I have been down this road too often and you should also just get a bearing carrier that has a grease fitting on it like I did. Best move I've made.

[cbrxxtreme]

Buy a shop manual, the nuts are supposed to be out towards the wheel. I know it goes against every logical aspect, but it is not the axel that is threaded. It is a sleeve that slides over the axel. It is held into place by a clip, that when the nuts are tightend out, pushes the sleeve into the rotor housing. It is hard to explain without pics, that is why I say get a manual, it is possible the "wiggle" you have is from the sleeve spinning on the shaft. Which would mean that the nuts are not out tight enough, and you should replace bearings, and seals. As the eccentric housing is about $400, and will get ruined if bad bearings are not replaced soon enough. Also that sleeve is a reverse thread.

n811, where did you get the bearing carrier with a grease fitting?

[danbap]

so they are not suppose to twist at all? its like it all rocks just a little bit. and the nuts are suppose to be towards the wheel? so in this picture dose it look right or do i have a problem. thank you all for your time and knowledge

[400ftm]

they are in the right place but should not move. the inner nut is a jamb nut, loosen that up alittle and tighten the outer one. then tighten the jamb nut up. also i think they are reverse threads.

[danbap]

if it is just loose should the threaded part move also?

[nickm328]

They are reverse thread and I don't see a jam nut. And yes the threaded part will move also, if loose.

[cbrxxtreme]

Buy a shop manual. It is too hard to explain that set up with out seeing it apart. The threads are not part of the axel, it is a sleeve that slides over the axel, held in place by a clip on the axel. The big nut tightens against the clip, forcing the sleeve to push against the rotor housing. They are reverse threads, just tiighen the nuts and it should eliminate you movement.

[danbap]

if is loose will it affect any thing or could of damaged anything. i will buy a shop manual but just want to know if i screwed any thing else up

[cbrxxtreme]

Originally posted by danbap
if is loose will it affect any thing or could of damaged anything. i will buy a shop manual but just want to know if i screwed any thing else up


It is hard to tell if anything is damaged without digging into it. If I were you (and you are mechanically inclined) I would pull the axel out, and replace the bearings and seals just for piece of mind. You can try breaking the lock (jam) nut loose, and tightening the big nut, and see if there is any play in the axel itself. That will tell you if the bearings are bad. But for less than $100 and an hour or so of your time it will be well worth pulling and replaceing the seals, and bearings just so you know everything is good.

The only reason I have knowledge of this machine, is because my cousin has one, and asked me to hlep him replace the bearings, as there was A LOT of play in his axel. The one bearing was totally gone, and it destroyed his carrier housing. But before I got a manual for it, I struggled for quit some time trying to figure why the nuts wouldn't just screw off (the clip that holds the threaded sleeve).

If you are not handy with a wrench I suggest taking it to some one who is, and knows the bike. Also it is the same carrier housing as the trx250r, so some one should know the set up. Good luck.