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RB STEM SWAPS

Posted: 01:08 am Nov 05 2010
by Indawoods
Guys,
Ron has perfected the conversion process for the stem swap and spacer. He goes far beond of what your local machinist will do and for a much better price making it an unbelievable value.

Don't even think about it... just do it.

http://www.rb-designs.com/KDX-KX-Stem-Swap.htm

Posted: 09:41 am Nov 05 2010
by Varmint
Nice! That right there is a sweet deal!

Posted: 11:23 am Nov 21 2010
by rbates9
Has any one asked him about the wheel spacers to use a kdx front wheel? http://kdxrider.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=9504

Posted: 11:33 am Nov 21 2010
by Indawoods
Ron is a member here...RBD ... you can also contact him through his website. Ron is a fantastic machinist and I am sure he would look into what you want done and quote you a price.

Posted: 01:20 pm Dec 19 2010
by Little Jeff
+1 on Ron's work. Did a great job on my KDX stuff, carb head and stem swap for the KX forks. He also machined the head on my KTM 300 to. Just a great guy to work with.
Little Jeff

Posted: 01:29 pm Dec 21 2010
by motojunkie01
Oh ya ! Sending my stuff out this week .

Posted: 05:00 pm Dec 21 2010
by rbates9
Well, the axle mod has been completed by RB. The parts fit great. All work is top notch. The 2000 kx forks that I have now accept a KDX wheel like it was meant to be there.

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Posted: 06:35 pm Dec 21 2010
by Mr. Wibbens
So what did all that run ya?

Posted: 06:46 pm Dec 21 2010
by rbates9
>|<>QBB<
Mr. Wibbens wrote:So what did all that run ya?
Not to bad, not to bad at all. RB will be posting the mod on his web site with pricing info in a few days.

It is already there.

Posted: 07:07 pm Dec 21 2010
by rbates9
http://rb-designs.com/

Go to KDX-KX stem mod.

Posted: 01:17 am Mar 08 2011
by Mr. Wibbens
I see he's no longer offering the axle modification service

That was quick :wink:

Posted: 01:25 am Mar 08 2011
by SS109
Bummer but I understand his reasoning.

Posted: 01:32 am Mar 08 2011
by Mr. Wibbens
Yup it'd be a freaking nighmare

Re: RB STEM SWAPS

Posted: 09:24 pm Dec 04 2012
by turner
anyone know how tight the stem needs to be in the tripple clamp to require knurling? my cr125 tripple and kdx are exactly 30.17mm. it fits tight but do i need extra?

Re: RB STEM SWAPS

Posted: 10:00 pm Dec 04 2012
by diymirage
shoot Ron a PM, hes on here
but to be honoust, id send both pieces in to him and let him worry about it

Re: RB STEM SWAPS

Posted: 10:09 pm Dec 04 2012
by rbates9
turner wrote:anyone know how tight the stem needs to be in the tripple clamp to require knurling? my cr125 tripple and kdx are exactly 30.17mm. it fits tight but do i need extra?
If you can tap it in with ease then it is probably too loose. If there is a slight press fit then you should be good. I don't belive that the tolerance is that critical. When the stem is in the lower clamp the snap ring will keep it from being pulled up thru the lower clamp and the preload will keep the stem tight in the clamps. The press fit of the lower bearing against the lower clamp is going to keep things in place as well. The forks will hold everything in place once the assembly is installed on the bike. To me a snug fit is good enough. a serious press fit would be nice but I don't think that it is that critical. As long as the stem isn't loose in the lower clamp then I would think that you should be good to go.

Re: RB STEM SWAPS

Posted: 10:15 pm Dec 04 2012
by turner
alright that what i was thinking. i sent rb an email about the spacer for the upper clamp and if knurling was needed. now all i got to do is find a lower bearing.

Re: RB STEM SWAPS

Posted: 12:02 pm Aug 06 2024
by soup-n-sandwich
Hi guys,
Now that Ron is retired is there anyone else that can adapt the forks from a 2009 KX450F to the KDX's stem? This has been a problem for me for a while.
Any thoughts or recommendations to find someone that can do this type of work?
C

Re: RB STEM SWAPS

Posted: 07:12 am Aug 07 2024
by Chuck78
I've been thinking that perhaps Honda CRF250/450 & late 2-stroke CR steering stems (Showa forks) may perhaps be long enough to run with the appropriate conversion bearing size upper bearing, but I haven't been able to confirm this due to my obsession with '98 RM125 forks... Also on the KYB side, I'm fairly certain chopperpilot or someone else on here just recently confirmed that Yamaha YZ stems of recent years (probably '06+?) can be run in the KDX frames.

EDIT - this has all been confirmed now that the later Honda CR250R and all CRF250 and CRF450 steering stones are nearly the perfect length for a KDX, as well as the YZ250 2-stroke and some YZ450 4 strokes. Later YZ250F use the medium like Yamaha stem which just makes it on a kdx, as well as some of the 450's. The Yamaha and KX forks use a 28 mm inside diameter stem bearing so you're still stuck with a generic Chinese bearing although you can use the 30x47x12 and have a simple adapter machine to increase the diameter of the bearing from 30 down to 28 mm, with a flange on the top that will slip over the seal and bearing, but you will still need a 3 mm tall spacer 47 mm OD to go under the bearing race on either set up to keep the seal flush with the top of the frame.

This is all due to 28mm & 30mm i.d. bearing sizes becoming available in 12mm tall heights and KDX upper bearing o.d. sizes in recent years, although they aren't the most common bearing sizes to say the least, you can get them readily through AllBalls/PivotWorks/QuadBoss & Pyramid Parts etc.

It always baffled me that people would go to great lengths to swap out an aluminum steering stem for a heavy steel atem thathas to be knurled to increase the o.d. to press fit tolerances, when there perhaps were otger options to explore like this in order to run aluminum steering stems that cone with the donor triples....

Granted a lot of triples 1996-early/mid- 2000's do not have the correct height to be compatible with the KDX frames. In order to use those triples, it's still mandatory to do a stem swap.