i accidentally posted this in the kawasaki forum but meant to post it in this forum....

I ran into a tree a couple weeks ago and somehow ended up with a toe-out situation and the atv steered like crap. Not sure how that happens as nothing appears to be bent... I adjusted the alignment and thought I had it spot on but I'm afraid I may have toed it in a bit too much.

The service manual alignment specs is 0 to 20mm of toe-in which is a maximum of .787" of toe-in. My toe-in is at or a tad above 3/4". This seems a little much but it is within factory specs. Anyone else have experience running this amount of toe? What are the downsides besides increased tire wear? With toe-out, the atv handled horribly. I know I should just go ride it but I'm not going to have a chance to ride it until I'm out in west virginia next week. I'd like to have the atv ready to go so I don't have to do any repairs/adjustments while I'm out there camping.

 

Tread wear should only be an issue if you ride the roads. If I remember correctly, the KFX likes a little more torture in to calm the steering a bit. 3/4" is what I run on my YFZ too. If it feels shaky at speed, add a little more. If turning feels sluggish, take a little out. Bottom line is ride what feels good to you. I would still be worried something is bent though. Usually a tie rod or an end gets tweaked.

 

yea, it did seem a little twitchy before but it is kind of hard to say as I think it was toed out slightly. There will be a little road riding (1-2 miles before trailhead) on this upcoming trip but for the most part I ride 100% dirt. I think I will leave it where its at for now.

Do you get any plowing at high speeds with that much toe? Or does it feel real stable?

 

Ha, I meant toe, not torture, lol. No, I don't feel it plows like that. I run a lot of tight trail vs open straights, so the toe in helps a bit.

 

haha, i assumed so. maybe you were thinking of what the front tires were feeling during 3/4" toe-in....

my trails are very tight woods with some wide open straightaways so I think I will run the same toe as you.