KDXRIDER.NET

I was following the Transworld Motocross "headset maintenance" tutorial last night while reassembling the KX forks on my front end, and that's when it happened...

The front axle spun while I was trying to tighten the nut on it.

I haven't tightened the pinch bolts yet because the tutorial said to do that AFTER you tighten the axle nut.

How can I "hold" the axle to tighten it?

With a wrench?

Wow. OK, I must be missing something REALLLLLLLLLY simple.

One end of the KX axle is smooth with a hexagonal INsert, e.g. NO hex edges for a wrench to bite onto. The other end is threaded and this end takes the nut. If I put a socket on the nut and attempt to tighten it, the smooth opposite end turns. Unless I push the axle part-way out and use Channel Locks to hold the smooth end, I don't see how I can keep the axle from moving without some special tool to fit INSIDE the smooth side.

Tighten brake side pinch bolts a little bit then tighten the axle nut, then loosen the pinch bolts and go about the alignment.

THANK YOU!

or you could put an allen socket on your socket wrench and tighten.

That would be a VERY large allen socket, I didn't know they made one that big. I guess I could also get a bolt with an appropriately sized nut to insert into the axle, and place a wrench on that bolt.

How did you do it CM? Did your axle not spin?? Or did you use a "wrench"?

I presumed that since so many people have this type of axle, the response would be something simple. Sounds like tightening the pinch bolts are the way to go.

that would work. if you have a Harbor Fright near you, you can get a set of those allen sockets for under $15. not great quality of course, but good enough for getting the base valves out of the forks and stuff like that too.

I don't know what size allen it would be..but I'd guess (in other words, spout off with absolutely no knowledge whatsoever) you would not find a 'set' with anything that big.

A 14mm base valve hex isn't close.

The bolt idea is good.

I did it like strider said. Tightened the pinch bolts, tightened the axle nut, loosened things back up and continued with the centering procedure and such.

Remember to tighten the top clamp pinch bolts LAST.

Right?

At least keep in mind that you cannot tighten/assemble anything stem-wise (top nut) if the top clamp pinch bolts are already tight. The tubes have to move SOMEwhere....

CM..you didn't 'share' how you held your axle..........

ok, sorry to be so mysterious. It looks like an 18mm allen would fit, but what I have is a spark plug wrench that has flats on the top that slip right in there. I bet they're 3/4". What I do is put a 3/8" drive extension in through where the sparky plug would go, and then slide the wrong end of the plug socket into the axle. I really thought my spiffy new 17mm allen socket was the right size, but I was off by a silly little mm.

A large bolt and a few matching nuts would also do the job. Place the bolt head into the axle, lock the nuts together, grab them with a spanner, etc, etc...

No kidding. A backwards plug socket. Now THAT is thinkin'!!

I am in the presence of genius.


No, really!

I looked at that hole in the axle, thought, I really don't want to use the fork pinch bolts to hold this, THEN thought, I don't have anything close to fitting, so I used the fork pinch bolts!

And I have a socket just like that! Well...mine still has some chrome on it.........

canyncarvr wrote: Well...mine still has some chrome on it.........

Oh really?? Since I too, am a former resident of the Great Northwest where my toolbox occasionally was submerged in water in the back of my truck, that surprizes me..

I don't HAVE a truck the back of which to put my tool box IN.

Besides that, most of my tools just lie around here and there 'cuz the 2-drawer toolbox I got for Christmas 35 years ago was full 34 1/2 years ago.

No pick-em-up truck?! And you call your self a man?

GIT A ROPE!

(glad to add useful information to any thread, you are welcome!)