85 trx125, sloppy steering up top....feels like a bushing right at the top of the head tube has rotted out....you can still drive the thing, jut the steer tube beats the heck out of the head tube on the frame....

question is, how do you replace that thing....looks like you have to take the steering shaft loose from everything, but it comes out the top of the frame so everything has to come off the bottom to get it out....is that correct?

 

It should just be a plastic bushing inside a clamp that holds the steering stem, any dealer or parts store should have a replacement,or try Dennis Kirk catalogs.

 

You're going to be buying Honda dealer items only there. No aftermarket pieces for those old TRXs. The bushings arent even made the same as in later quads from Honda. You will also want to replace the bearing at the bottom of the steering stem while you are at it because it will be worn to some extent if the upper bushing is as bad as you make it sound.

 

I don't think that said bushing is even in there....I am betting it was dry rotted as this thing sat up for a couple years....I think it prolly was stuck to the headtube and steering shaft, stretched a bit, finally tore then after some more beating, it finally worked itself out of the headtube....just seems like a biotch to have to pull everything off the steering shaft, yank it out the top to replace that pos bushing.........I dug around on bike bandit and I think I found it on there for $13 and change...I just have to figure out how to get the steering linkage/pitman arm thingy off the steering shaft....no room down there...arrrghh....good thing I only paid 2 bones for this thing....22 years old and I am beeching about a stupid bushing... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

can anyone confirm the part I need?

check out this parts blowup:



is number 2 a bushing that resides at the uppermost part of part 3, the steering shaft? ie, does it reside in the headtube....

Just want to make sure this is the correct part, has a description of 'bush, steering' and a part number of 118707-001/53221-VM6-004

just can't tell by the blowup where it resides....

 

ok, I FINALLY got around to trying to get this danged bushing in and unless I am missing something, the tie rod flange is welded to the end of the steering shaft....and if you can't get that off, you ain't getting the bushing around the shaft.....well, I guess I could take the tie rods loose from the flange, raise the shaft in the head tube, slice the bushing vertically and then push it in and hope it stays....

The only other alternative, which at this point is starting to sound to me like the easiest thing for me is to just cut the shaft, pull it out the top of the head tube, slide the bushing on and then drop the shaft back down in...then just bust out the mongo stick welder and go to town.....

feedback?

 

you could grind off the weld on the tie rod flange ...then re weld it when you get the bushings working......but simply cutting the stering stem in half sounds eaiser...i looked at the oem blow aparts ..and it appears the stering stem goes through the frame like a three wheeler,or motorcycle....and i belive part(2) is the upper bushing your looking for.....so i say go for it your method sounds good to me

 

I was perusing ol flebay and found an 86 steering shaft for sale, whoever is selling it it looks like they strip bikes/atvs and sell them as they had the ol' generic write up about calling if you have a question...so, I called and asked the guy about that tie rod flange and if it is pressed on or welded or whatever and he said once you take the crown nut off the bottom and pull the shaft up a bit, you should be able to get that flange off by just tapping on it....soo....I will be out there tonight freezing my @#$ off seeing what damage I can do before needing to use this thing this weekend...haha

 

well that was obvious in the blow apart...thought you said it was welded .wich is very possible on a old machine to have various parts welded where a bolt stripped ....ect...ect

 

that is what I thought by the pic, but, if you could see it, you would understand where I am at....I just have not had enough time to set aside to actually start tearing into it to get to the point where I could try and tap it off or use a puller...I mentally wanted to set aside enough time for the cut and splice...I will try and snag a pic so you will understand.....I wish it wasn't so damned cold outside or I would get out there now and start beating on it...