So Easter Sunday we go over to a friends place for a cook out and knowing there will be other kids besides my son we bring the little Tao Tao. Now these kids range from 5 to 12 years old and I’ve known all of them since they were borne. So I let them all take turns on the little quad and for the older kids I set the throttle set screw so they can have some fun. I let them all know everyone has to ware a helmet and go back to drinking beer with the other parents. At the end of the day I take the quad for a short ride before putting it back in the truck and notice a pretty bad vibration comes in at about mid throttle and goes away as you get closer to full throttle. I figure Okay it’s time to go over all the nuts and bolts again. Well I didn’t have a chance to look at it all week until last night and here’s what I found.

1 The chain is floppen like the ears on a hound dog
2 Both back wheels are loose on the axel
3 Swing arm bolt worked loose
4 Rear shock bushings showing lots of ware
5 Left front lower spindle bolt worked loose
6 Left front shock bushings are showing lots of ware
7 The Exhaust rattled loose

My son, watching over my shoulder as I’m going over the quad, starts telling me what the older kids were doing on it as I was off socializing with the other adults; hoppen it up on one side and trying to ride on just the two left or two right wheels, slamming on the front brake for stoppies, trying to pull wheelies, rounding corners on two wheels, power sides when stopping, generally riding the hell out of it.

Now I know, from being a member of this GREAT FORUM, that most of the things I found wrong were going to eventually happened as my son grows and gets more aggressive riding it, but the extra weight of a 80lbs 12 year old has defiantly accelerated that ware. Actually I’m surprised, after learning the abuse the older kids put this thing through, that I didn’t find more things wrong. The only thing that is actually broken is the chain adjusters and I think the hard riding actually softened the shocks so it’s a little more forgiving to ride.

Lessons learned these quads are not made for 80lbs 12 year olds.

Okay end of story; Start of questions

When I tried to adjust the chain I found that one of the adjusters was stripped. They’re made of very mild steel. It almost feels like you could bite into them, like testing a piece of gold, and leave a mark. So does anyone know if Honda, Kawi, or anyone else uses this style of adjuster so I can find better quality steel replacements??? I'll get a pic of the adjusters tonight and post it.

I’m going to try and make replacement shock bushings. I’m hoping to find urethane plugs the right diameter on ebay that I can drill out. Anyone have any other suggestions on material or how I can fabricate these???

Any and all suggestions welcome, thanks in advance.

Nick

 

nimadd, take some pics of the problem areas and we'll give you some pointers.

There are just so many chinese 110's, most use the same engine but everything else tends to be different.

 

I hear you Nick. I give our (next size up) 110D a look over after each use and haven't found any issues yet aside from the headlights not working since I assembled it. My kids are little yet though; 4, 6 and 8. I'm still super nervous with them using it since none of them have the strength to pull the front brake lever and the fact these machines have absolutely no compression braking with the gas-n-go centrifugal clutch. With the throttle stop adjusted just above idle, that sucker will still go too fast down hill for an inexperienced rider. The foot pedal hydraulic brake works well, but my young kids still have issues with it. Those little front drum brakes work excellent, you just need a bigger, stronger hand to work it.

Joel

 

My son is a super chunk then....hell hes a 90lb 8 year old.

I agree with you, find something better. I replaced a few bushings in his 110cc china wheeler with stock ones.....they lasted a few weeks and they were sloppy. They must have used hardened cheddar cheese to make those bushings.

I was going to take them all over my buddies machine shop and mill some out of poly but I scored a Suzuki LT80 so I passed the rattle trap along to some other guy.

I also had the problem with the adjusters.....when I broke them (both) I took them to the local ATV shop and he handed me some off something else....not sure what from. He said they were all fairly universal.

 

Be careful with that throttle limiter that 110 motor is pretty fast at wide open. My son has been riding it for 5 months now and it surprised him when I turned it up. He was able to adjust quickly and has enough respect not to go too crazy. The 10 and 12 year olds didn’t seem to have a problem with the speed and as I said I’ve known all of them since they were born so when I told them the quad was a little tippy and to make sure they lean into the curves they listened. I just didn’t count of the daring of the bigger kids once they got use to it. The 5 year old was just flat out scared of the speed but his bigger brother was there to reassure him and he made sure the little guy didn’t get too crazy.

The size is just right for my 50lbs 8 year old, it fits him like a glove. Unless he goes through a big growth spurt I’m figuring (hopping) he’s got at least another 2 years with this quad. When he does out grow it I’ll have paid off my Kawai and will probably use my credit at the dealer to get him something new old stock that will fit him till he’s in his mid teens; around here used name brand prices are ridiculous. The last used deal I looked at was 2 quads, a 90 and a 400, the 90 didn’t run and the 400 was a frame, plastic, and a box of parts. The guy wanted $800 and by the time I got a chance to go look at them they were gone. NOS around here is going for dealer cost + prep. I got my Prairie 360 for $3800 + $1000 dealer prep, that was $1000 under NADA. I’m hopping those kinds of deals are still around in a couple of years.

Alright back to the project. The adjuster must have stripped from use because both the hut and bolt were stripped. That suggests to me that one stripped and while riding the play between them stripped the other. Tao Tao Parts does have replacements but if the steel is the same quality I’m not buying. I get the impression the butterfly affect applies here (a butterfly in Mongolia flaps it’s wings stirring up the sand which gets blown by the wind which gets picked up by the bellows feeding the smelter in Zhejiang changing the hardness of the steel used to make the bolt…..). I took a die and cleaned up the threads on the bolt and found a nut to replace the imitation nylock that Tao Tao used. I’m thinking of going to the hardware store and buy a couple of welded eye bolts to replace them with. Opinions?????

The shock bushings have gone the other way aaronrkelly. These feel so soft it’s like they took an inner tube and filled it with pudding. Still looking for a here.

 

I had a baja 90 for the boys that I sold a couple years ago I think now. Anyway that darn thing was made right in the suspension department (perfect for kids) and chain tighting. Of course it had a crappy chinese chain that stretched out over time. Its frusterating that on some ATV's they ship over they are not too bad (for chinese) and some they cut corners to a point it drives one nuts!!

The adjuster I'd either do like your saying and try and make one. Or if you have a used bike parts place (wreckers) close by go therer as they probably have a bin sitting there with hundreds of used little parts like that. I have a motorcycle salvage place near by that has all kinds of stuff. Also if you have it apart might not be a bad idea to pick up a better quality chain so your not having to adjust it so much as it streches out etc.

As for the shock bushing I'd make up a nylon bushing to press in there and be done with
the rubber one. Then it will outlast the quad lol!

AS for 12 year old on that 110 which I suspect is one of them "mini 110s" that's basically the same size as some 50's. Your right a 12 year old would be hard on it depending on how much quading experience he has. My 12 year old who is the main quading guy out of my 3 lads drives the Honda 250 and handles it like a pro. Before that he drove the Jet 150. When you move up to the next size don't go too small.

 

Do you mean like the inserts for the pivot side of leaf springs. Good Idea thanks. I think I can pick up some from a local boat shop that carries a lot of trailer parts.

I don't know of a used bike parts place around here but another good idea for anyone who does have one.

Your right about the chain. Curious that the chain has stretched enough to max out the adjusters but there is still plenty of room left in the slot that locks it in place.

I scored a free Go Kart a couple of weeks ago, of course it needs lots on work and parts. Lucky me it needs a chain and it's the same chain as this quad. The local lawn mower shop also deals in go karts so I'll be buying chain by the foot.

Thanks Sawyer great input.

Nick

 

As for the bushings it would be real handy if you had a friend like I know with a lathe. As it wouldn't take much to make a little bushing for that shock. Or if you have a machine shop near by take them the shock and the bolt and tell them what you want.
mywifesquad would know what stuff to use in that application.

There maybe something on the shelf some place already who knows. Or something very close etc. Thats the problem with these darn things at times it's always the little 50 cent parts that wastes 5hrs of your time trying to locate!!!

 

Actually I've got a small lathe but for this all I really need is a bench vise and a drill.

MWQ what material would be good to use to make a shock bushing

I know what you mean about things taking so much time. Today's activities included a trip to Point Lookout State park to check out the camp grounds for our Cub Scout Pack's spring camp out, get the 30 year old John Deere riding mower running for the first time since last fall, and of course ride quads with the boy for about 4 hours or so. Tomorrows agenda go to the hardware store to pick up those eye bolts and put a good fix the quads chain adjuster, cut the grass, wash the cars. I've never been able to set still.

 

Like sawyer I used nylon to make my replacement shock bushings. Nylon is really tough stuff - they make sleeve bearings out of this stuff. Plus I just happened to have some 1 inch nylon rounds to use as raw material.

I used a lathe to make the bushings. For me that was the easiest way to go since the lathe was right there. You could use a bench vise and a drill, but you will probably need a belt sander too to trim down the outside diameter of the raw stock to match the shock mounting eyes. And maybe an arbor press to push them in place.

The shock mounting eyes on my quad were necked down in the center to capture the rubber bushing. I think your pic's show this the same on yours. I drilled my shocks out a bit to give the nylon a small flat to ride on.