Rear wheel spacers

[kbnorth99]

I'm thinking of putting 2.5 wheel spacers on the rear of my 06 400ex until I can afford an aftermarket axle. My question is. Will the stock axle be able to handle the extra stress?

Thanks guys

[tri5ron]

depends on how hard you ride.

there not much in the price. so why would you go that way ?

some one on here said just get one off ebay ( G-force axel ) if it's bent send it in and get a new one for free.

they have a life time warrenty.

i got one for $75 off ebay.

[kbnorth99]

Originally posted by ericcrip
there not much in the price. so why would you go that way ?

some one on here said just get one off ebay ( G-force axel ) if it's bent send it in and get a new one for free.

they have a life time warrenty.

i got one for $75 off ebay.

I hadn't realized I could get one that cheap. Thanks for the advice.

I was thinking of picking up some rear spacers off CraigsList for about $60 but if I can get an axle for just a little more that's a no brainer.

[Ian400ex]

What is the advantage again of increasing the width of your axle? Isn't it sliding abilities? I forget :P

[kbnorth99]

Originally posted by Ian400ex
What is the advantage again of increasing the width of your axle? Isn't it sliding abilities? I forget :P

I'm looking for better stability in all cornering. A wider wheelbase will help prevent lifting the inside tire and possibly rolling. Similar to lowering your center of gravity. Now that being said I'm sure there will be some steering geometry to deal with but one step at a time.

[Ian400ex]

Originally posted by kbnorth99
I'm looking for better stability in all cornering. A wider wheelbase will help prevent lifting the inside tire and possibly rolling. Similar to lowering your center of gravity. Now that being said I'm sure there will be some steering geometry to deal with but one step at a time.

Thought so, thanks! :)

[CJM]

Dont use the wheel spacers. I have heard they are good/ok and others say they cause you to go thru bearings more (more stress on the axle) or they brake.

If anything a geforce axle is cheap and some offset wheels work well too.

[slightlybent47]

The advantages to going wider will help with cornering, but like all things it comes with a price. The disadvantage is in power loss, any time you widen the rear it will take more power to turn the tires. Pushing the wheels out just two inches will take some power but the advantages offset the disadvantages. It also will make it a bit more twitchy or less stable in a strait line.
I agree with holding out for the axel, spending money on something you are going to replace soon anyway is a waste of money.
As for the stress on the bearings is minimal and you should be repacking them and putting on new seals once a year anyway no mater what kind of riding you do.

[MidnightBlade]

forget who it is but in their sig it says, "everytime you run wheelspacers or flipped rims, God kills a kitten." and IMHO wheelspacers are a BIG waste of money

[baker420ex]

correct me if i'm wrong but if you are trying to achieve better cornering you should widen the front and leave the rear alone.

[Muzzgit]

WTF?

How is widening your rear end by 5 inches going to lose power !!!

Widening the rear end will vastly decrease your ability to roll the quad.

If you do get one side off the ground you have to go further over before you reach the point of no return.

It will vastly improve your fun factor and safety factor in dunes and desert riding. Or any hi speed riding for that matter!

If wheel spacers put more strain on the bearings then so will a wider axle.

Incorrect toe in/out and camber/castor will have more effect on hi speed stability than a wider rear end, as long as you don't get silly and widen it heaps.

[kbnorth99]

Originally posted by baker420ex
correct me if i'm wrong but if you are trying to achieve better cornering you should widen the front and leave the rear alone.

I am of the understanding that you should widen both. The front being perhaps more important but both are beneficial. At least based on the obvious physics of the matter anyway. Nothing with suspension ever seems to be obvious though.

[kbnorth99]

Muzzgit - I am assuming that the power loss would be in the corners. The outside wheel has to spin more times that then inside wheel to travel through the corner. Since the axle is solid (lacking a differential like a car) the tires have to slip a bit to make this happen. As you increase the width of the axle, the difference in the travel of the two tires becomes greater and more slippage is required which sheds power.

Anybody? Am I close?

[slightlybent47]

Originally posted by kbnorth99
Muzzgit - I am assuming that the power loss would be in the corners. The outside wheel has to spin more times that then inside wheel to travel through the corner. Since the axle is solid (lacking a differential like a car) the tires have to slip a bit to make this happen. As you increase the width of the axle, the difference in the travel of the two tires becomes greater and more slippage is required which sheds power.

Anybody? Am I close?

Going wider will reduce your power that the rear wheels see; it doesn’t have anything to do with the corners. It’s just a fact that wider takes more power, that’s why drag racers push the wheels in.
It has something to do with the weight of the drive line, if you get wider than the wheels are further away from the center drive line. Or it may be something to do with inertia, but I’ve always been told the same thing over the years.

[baker420ex]

Originally posted by kbnorth99
I am of the understanding that you should widen both. The front being perhaps more important but both are beneficial. At least based on the obvious physics of the matter anyway. Nothing with suspension ever seems to be obvious though.

what i was getting at is if you widen the rear first/only you will get the opposite effect of what you are trying to achieve. the front wheels need to be wider than the rear. it was my understanding that if you widen both the front and rear basically the only thing you will achieve is a lower c.g.

[baker420ex]

hey check this thread out: http://www.exriders.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=384221&highlight=flipped+rims

my old blaster was notorious for turning 180s on wet grass until i flipped the front rims. the dealership actually recommended this mod. you said you're on a budget right? this will eliminate having to run wheel spacers or buy a $70 axle when your old one is perfectly usable. if god wants to kill a kitten then let him, you'll still be ahead of the game. :cool:

[kbnorth99]

I'll pass on the rim switch. That would be the same as adding spacers on the front. The threads I have read here and on some other forums have overwhelming against that type of mod. I will be widening the front but it will be with longer a-arms not spacers. Actually the recommendations I got from some guys I met who race a lot are to buy longer a-arms and use rims with a 4/1 offset to bring the centerline of the tire closer to the pivot point of the spindle. That's why I'm looking for an inexpensive axle. I'm gonna be spending money on arms and rims.

Keep in mind that I am all for kitten killin'.

[Muzzgit]

A wider axle does not take more power on a quad. Wider tyres? yes.

Dragsters are a whole different kettle of fish.

And leave kittens alone.

[IMSROLL450R]

Originally posted by MidnightBlade
forget who it is but in their sig it says, "everytime you run wheelspacers or flipped rims, God kills a kitten." and IMHO wheelspacers are a BIG waste of money

450Rider707 has that quote. Hes an avid spacer hater as I am..... Just save and get an axle you'll end up bending the stock one with spacers.

[honda400ex2003]

imo it is not a permenant fix at all. they wear out your bearings faster and are hard on your axle. save up and get an axle, coming from someone who has them and uses them very minimally as they wear stuff fast. steve

[JOHNDOE83]

for $200 with free shipping you can get a +4 adjustable width racing axel from rockymountainatv.com.

I have one, its well worth the money.

[kbnorth99]

Originally posted by JOHNDOE83
for $200 with free shipping you can get a +4 adjustable width racing axel from rockymountainatv.com.

I have one, its well worth the money.

I was looking at that the other day. I was wondering if an adjustable axle could be strong enough. It's working well for you? What kind of riding do you do?

[JOHNDOE83]

all types of riding,MX, XC, trail, now mainly drag race, Ive had many serious wrecks, with many serious injurys....lol.

The axel still is straight as an arrow and has a lifetime warranty.

replaced many parts after wrecks, never had to replace the axel.

[kbnorth99]

Originally posted by JOHNDOE83
all types of riding,MX, XC, trail, now mainly drag race, Ive had many serious wrecks, with many serious injurys....lol.

The axel still is straight as an arrow and has a lifetime warranty.

replaced many parts after wrecks, never had to replace the axel.

That's awesome... Well not the crashing and injuries part, but the axle strength is cool. Adjustable would be great too. Is is pretty easy to adjust? I assume you narrow it down for trail rides.

[JOHNDOE83]

it has spacers on the axel itself, you just remove the cotter pin from the big nut at your hubs, then remove the hub and rim together, then place the spacer as needed then replace rim/hub and nut and cotter pin, then ride.

I like it alot!