XR400 front axle

[Ben Breese]

Hi, bit of a long story but I have XR 400 forks fitted to my 250, and I've recently brought a newer set of XR400 forks for it as the old ones are shot.

Thing is the axle is different on the old and new forks. The old forks have a thread on one fork that you screw the axle into, the other side is a clamp with an ID of 20mm. The hub bearings have an ID if 16mm. The new forks have a clamp on either side with an IDof 22mm, for which I do not have an axle for. I believe the forks are off a 97 XR400, so my question is is the axle the same size on bikes from '96 to '04? It'll need to be 22mm where the clamp goes and 16mm in the middle for the hub bearings, if there is such an axle!

Also, does anyone have a link to a site that I can search for part numbers on please?

Cheers, Ben

[XR Mad]

you want these. The wheel spindle is 17mm not 16mm tho
HONDA XR 400 R XR400 2001 WHEEL AXLE END NUT FRONT on eBay (end time 07-Sep-09 10:27:09 BST)

HONDA XR 400 R XR400 2001 WHEEL AXLE FRONT on eBay (end time 02-Sep-09 20:15:46 BST)

[Ben Breese]

I was watching those, I just wanted to make sure that they are the same from '96 to '04. I take it they are then?

Cheers, Ben

P.S doesn't really matter that the spindle is 17mm, I can lathe it down at work if its too fat Better too fat than too thin, can't lathe material on very well

[XR Mad]

Check your spindle again i thought all models were 17mm if you turn it down you will lose the threads off the end better to change the wheel bearings

[Ben Breese]

It could well be, I could of measured wrong. Would make sense for all the spindles to be the same diameter! Thing is if my old one is 16mm then I'll have to change the speedo drive as well as the hub bearings, unless I can lathe that out which is a possibility

Cheers, Ben

[XR Mad]

just had a look on the net and found that xr250 have 15mm spindles so if you have access to a lathe then buy the axle end nut off e-bay measure it and make a new one for the 15mm spindle instead just had a thought what about the thick end of the 250 spindle does it fit the 400 fork clamp ok

[Ben Breese]

No, the fat part of the spindle is 20mm, the new forks are 22mm. The forks on there now are xr400 anyway, not changing from 250 to 400. Just must be 91-95 forks as the fat part of the spindle is too thin and the one fork leg is threaded rather than being a clamp. Also there is a lot more underhang under the spindle compared to the newer forks.

Cheers, Ben

[jasonbc]

Just must be 91-95 forks as the fat part of the spindle is too thin and the one fork leg is threaded rather than being a clamp.
Cheers, Ben

Those style forks are standard on my mates 1991 xr250. I've not heard of them being fitted to the xr400. Even the later 250's from 1996 were fitted with the same forks as the xr400

[Ben Breese]

What diameter are the fork legs where they clamp on xr250's then? I've been told XR250's are 41mm in diameter, both my sets of forks are 43mm diameter which I've also been told are XR400? Maybe I've been misinformed. Although I've looked at part microfiches and the spindle for 250's up until '04 is the same, clamp on one side and a thread welded to the other fork, and all the 400 parts microfiches I've seen have clamps on both sides.

Cheers, Ben

[ogri]

the forks are different fella.41 and 43's as you mentioned.no damping adjustments on the 250 either so your doing the right thing sticking with the 400 forks.