250x to 400ex front end problem

[stroked 400ex]

im new to this forum but not to quads, i have a 1992 250x that i pretty much converted to a 400ex out of, put 400ex tires, rims, converted the 250x rear brake system to a 400ex the disc brake, caliper etc... put 400ex plastics on, 400ex a arms, shocks, hubs, spindles and of course a shock relocater... but i have a problem with the new 400ex front end my front tires caved in the front they dont sit straight... i didnt mount it wrong i tried different postions on the shock relocater i dont know whats wrong. i have a 400ex so i used that to make sure its all right and its exactly the same just the tires wont sit straight... wanted to know if any one has the same problem i dont want to be buying 2 sets of tires because of this set up any help greatly appreciated thanks...

[trailrider894]

Originally posted by stroked 400ex
im new to this forum but not to quads, i have a 1992 250x that i pretty much converted to a 400ex out of, put 400ex tires, rims, converted the 250x rear brake system to a 400ex the disc brake, caliper etc... put 400ex plastics on, 400ex a arms, shocks, hubs, spindles and of course a shock relocater... but i have a problem with the new 400ex front end my front tires caved in the front they dont sit straight... i didnt mount it wrong i tried different postions on the shock relocater i dont know whats wrong. i have a 400ex so i used that to make sure its all right and its exactly the same just the tires wont sit straight... wanted to know if any one has the same problem i dont want to be buying 2 sets of tires because of this set up any help greatly appreciated thanks...

Lets get a head on picture of it.

[dman66]

I agree, post up some pics of the front end. Also pos some pics of your 400ex fenders and how you mounted.Theres alot of people on here looking to do the same swap.And wich way are tires pointing? top to bottom, or toe to heel?If you have problems posting pics, I can help.

[jcs003]

i doubt the shock would have any effect on the camber/caster of the wheels.

but as others stated: its hard to determine your problem without a pic.

[stroked 400ex]

the tires sit caved in, i can adjust it so that either the top is leaning in towards the frame and the bottom out or the other way around... my tires wont sit straight. idk if its the 400ex a arms that did that or i messed something up i will post some pics (is there a special way to get them on here how do i add them)? i want to fix the tire problem because its going to be only riding on the inner part of my tire and wear them off way to fast, but it still handles like my 400ex but turns like a tank because i got a 5 inch wider rear end also... i will post pics if i can figure it out and you guys let me know... thanks in advance

[stroked 400ex]

my fronts plastics are not on yet but i made my own mounts, will get pics of it now and when finished, but best thing to do is to have 400ex mounts which works best... i made my own mounts easy because i have a 400ex and just made it buy measuring and looking at my 400, nothing to it

[dman66]

Hey, I sent you a PM. Also I have a 2001 400ex rear fender mounted up on my 250x,but I still have 250x front fenders. This is why I was asking about how you mounted your fenders up, and how do they look? Please keep me posted.

[stroked 400ex]

I took pictures downloaded them to my computor but don't know how to post them on here! Do I need to put them on an online photo album like photobucket? Plz let me know and I'll post some pics of the front plastics rear fenders and the way the tires sit.

[stroked 400ex]

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww283/duramaxfreak94/300ex250x058.jpg

[stroked 400ex]

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww283/duramaxfreak94/300ex250x060.jpghttp://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww283/duramaxfreak94/300ex250x024.jpghttp://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww283/duramaxfreak94/300ex250x016.jpghttp://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww283/duramaxfreak94/300ex250x008.jpghttp://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww283/duramaxfreak94/300ex250x010.jpg

[stroked 400ex]

here she is i got it a week ago and you wouldnt recognize it yes it need a seat cover and small stuff but i included pics of how tires sit... you have to scroll right to left to see the rest of the pics... for what i paid its an awesome quad

[stroked 400ex]

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww283/duramaxfreak94/300ex250x062.jpg

[dman66]

Dude that quad looks sweet with those fenders.Thats kinda what I would like to do. Did you weld in new rear fender seat mounts? How did you attatch the front fenders to mount up to match rear fenders - can you post a side shot of fenders,and brackets you made to hold fenders? As for the tires,I'm not sure of this, but it looks like the shocks are too straight to me - could be the shock relocator,or could the a-arms be on wrong sides?

[jcs003]

from the pics, everything looks normal:confused:

[stroked 400ex]

look at the picture of just the front tire closely you can see the top of the tire leaning towards the a arms i lined the tire up with the rear tire so everything is straight... (except for the front tire)
dman66: for the rear fenders i cut the stock mounts and moved them out about and inch and rewelded them it fits perfectly... the only problem is you have to cut out a bigger for the gas shut off... you cant really use my pics as examples because my mounts on the front were broken so i had to drill holes and put in 4 stainless steel bolts to hold them down it still looks amazing... but all you need to mount the fronts is the stock 400ex hardware works beautiful seen it done before i just had to rig mine more because my mounts are broken...

[stroked 400ex]

now you can really tell the tire is not straight... sorry didnt know i had this pic
http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww283/duramaxfreak94/300ex250x011.jpg

[trailrider894]

Your camber is off, the 400ex doesn't have camber adjustment, so you can't change it. Some people run negative camber in things like MX. There is nothing you can do man.

[trailrider894]

BTW not to be mean or anything, but why make a something look like something its not?????? :confused:

[stroked 400ex]

could you tell me what a camber is? i dont know what that really is... i made it look and built it this way because i liked the way my 400ex looked and heard the plastics fit with minor mods and i also wanted it to handle better, as you know 300ex and 400ex is no comparison but now it is (except power difference my 400ex runs guessing almost 40hp).... i like quads and like them looking nice and having them handle there best...

[trailrider894]

Originally posted by stroked 400ex
could you tell me what a camber is? i dont know what that really is... i made it look and built it this way because i liked the way my 400ex looked and heard the plastics fit with minor mods and i also wanted it to handle better, as you know 300ex and 400ex is no comparison but now it is (except power difference my 400ex runs guessing almost 40hp).... i like quads and like them looking nice and having them handle there best... i have $300 in the quad you cant get that deal anywhere like this lol thats because i had a parts 400ex laying around and swaped everything... we all like different things at different ages...

Camber is the degree that the wheels are leaning in or out. Nothing against you doing that to your quad, i was just asking.

[stroked 400ex]

oh ok... thanks for your help and nothing taken...

[trailrider894]

Originally posted by stroked 400ex
oh ok... thanks for your help and nothing taken...

Sweet dude... anytime.

[magos]

First, kudo's for doing all the work. It may have been easier to just buy a 400ex, but it's more rewarding to build what you did.

I used to have a 250x that used a 400ex front end setup and to be honest, just go and buy some a-arms that have an adjustable ball joint (suggest a helm if you can swing it.)

Another option is to cut out the ball joints that are on there and use this site to buy some to fit:

http://www.amstarmanufacturing.com/BallJoints.html

I've been down that road and after pricing out the ball joints from above, it's almost cheaper to get some nice a-arms. There are a ton out there and you could prolly get some for a good price on ebay.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[trailrider894]

Originally posted by magos
First, kudo's for doing all the work. It may have been easier to just buy a 400ex, but it's more rewarding to build what you did.

I used to have a 250x that used a 400ex front end setup and to be honest, just go and buy some a-arms that have an adjustable ball joint (suggest a helm if you can swing it.)

Another option is to cut out the ball joints that are on there and use this site to buy some to fit:

http://www.amstarmanufacturing.com/BallJoints.html

I've been down that road and after pricing out the ball joints from above, it's almost cheaper to get some nice a-arms. There are a ton out there and you could prolly get some for a good price on ebay.

Good luck and keep us posted!

I have no experience with Heim joints, but i have heard bad things... Why do you like them vs. no heim? Really just looking for your opinion.

[magos]

Mostly, I feel they are stronger and will last longer if kept clean. Also, they allow more mobility (imo) and flex which can save other parts. In addition to that, if you need to change them out, it's typically easier to pull out the bolt that goes thru them instead of trying to remove a nut on a ball joint shaft that keeps turning. I guess it doesn't matter that much, but just my humble opinion. No matter - I'd just suggest some a-arms. I think I was looking at lonestar's for about $400. It seems kinda steep but if you consider new ball joints, the fabrication time and hassle, etc. it sorta sells itself.

[stroked 400ex]

i have had 3 400ex's and 4 300ex's got my first one when i was 13years old and it had about $3,500 in upgrades, you name it had a oil cooler, was bored over, plastic gas tank... i had a parts 400ex laying around so i decided this was a good project for me to become more mechanicly inclined... and all the shocks and a- arms were free that is why i did this setup i only had to buy diamound j's conversion kit

[dman66]

Hey, could you take a pic of how you made ,or welded up your rear seat mounts on the frame for the rear fenders?I just would like to see if there is a better way to fab up the mounts before I weld on my frame. Thanks.

[stroked 400ex]

all you gotta do is cut the stock mounts and move them out about 1 inch totall you have to have your seat and rear fenders to do this so keep them handy pics wont help you much just cut measure reweld