KDXRIDER.NET

I got extremely frustrated with shops that charge outrageous prices for poor quality work. the first shop charged $70 to press two stems out, and damaged the threads in process. this took two weeks of pestering for an ETA. the second shop pointed to a 100 ton press and acted really cocky about "we've been doing this since before you were born" but then said they couldn't budge either stem. "must be loctited, it will never come out" they said.

so I bought a $140 , 20 ton press from harbor freight... it took longer to unbox than to press the stems out.

grrrrr!

literally ten minutes for both of them.

anyway, I'm gluing (loctite 680) the kdx stem into the kx triple tree now. looking forward to the new front end this weekend.

if anyone wants a swap, holler.

I bought mine in 2005.

Be sure to use some support under the lower clamps. I have seen people crack the lower clamp. Gently warm the lower clamp around the stem with a torch. Also, make a heat shield for the lower bearing if you don't pull it first.

I am sure you have already figured out down and out / up and in.

Wear eye protection, and if you can, build a shield (plexiglass or ANYTHING) to keep it from exploding into you, just in case.

Jason wrote:I bought mine in 2005.

Be sure to use some support under the lower clamps. I have seen people crack the lower clamp. Gently warm the lower clamp around the stem with a torch. Also, make a heat shield for the lower bearing if you don't pull it first.

I am sure you have already figured out down and out / up and in.

Wear eye protection, and if you can, build a shield (plexiglass or ANYTHING) to keep it from exploding into you, just in case.

yup to all of that except I just bought mine :-(

should have bought one decades ago!

normally I'll stand to the side and drop a blanket over it to slow down anything that shatters. used to do 150-300ton stuff, so imagine my frustration of not being allowed to just pay someone to walkN in and do it.... then imagine the frustration of making multiple trips that ended in wasting time and failed attempts.

now.... I have a press. sweet !

Yep. I like the blanket idea.

150 - 300 sounds HUGE!

Not having the proper tools has driven me furious several times in my life.

Congratulations on getting the press.

I have not used them yet, but I have bought additional bottle jacks for mine. I lightly messed up when doing a friend's 1995 KX250 swingarm bearings years ago. It is hard to "have touch and feel" with 20 tons, so I got a 2-ton and I think I got a 6-ton also. I think I did. It has been a while. I got it for reassembling case halves. Eric Gorr told me 5 ton would be fine.

Having a press comes in handy a lot. So glad I bought my HF press!

annnnnd that's a wrap!

first ride was great. the kx forks are stiff, that's for sure. I think I got rid of most of that useless sticky fork sweat that they kept dripping everywhere ;-) about ten miles in.

I think this winter I'll revalve the forks and rework the rear suspension. I'm liking this.

:-)

Got my HF press earlier this year for the same reason. I love it, and keep finding new ways to use it.
Just have to respect the power there. If you press one a bearing race that's cocked, the press won't care, it'll just peel steel right off of the weakest point.

Good job on getting the swap done!