are you bending the axles by jumping the Z or what? if by jumps how big are the jumps and how fast are you hitting them?

 

"how are you guys bending the axle's on your z's?"


with a hammer [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img]

 

Rock solid input there atvsaint.

 

Actually the hammer is a great way to bend your axle. I haven't tried it but I have heard the Honda boys talking about it.

I have bent my axle on my Z, but not so much that you notice it when you drive. The jumps I hit were not that big in my books, they were small. But, this is weird, after I noticed it was bent I started to hit bigger jumps. I didn't care if it got bent even more because I was getting a new one under warranty anyways. So, I hit bigger and bigger jumps and I check my axle when I lube my chain and the axle hasn't bent more, it still has the exact same amount of bend as before. Even after hitting allot bigger jumps at higher speeds. WEIRD.

 

No bends here.

 

None here either and I weigh over 230.

 

Check out my website. There are 2 jumps on there that I hit. I don't think either one is big. The one with the 400ex I hit in 2nd gear, the one on the LTZ400 page is a 3rd or 4th gear jump. Both have smooth landings and I only weigh 180. Are these jumps too big to be jumping with a ltz 400? I sail my ex over them alot harder with not one axle problem since I had it. Maybe I just had a bad axle???

http://www.geocities.com/dudeon400ex/

 

Maybe we all have bad axles. I know I don't abuse my Z. It looks like Suzuki's R&D Department never tested the axles on jumps. I wish one manufacturer can make a quad that doesn't have any problems. And YES Honda's do have their share of problems.

 

I just looked at your pictures and that jump on your main page is about the biggest jump I have hit with my Z and almost all of them are smaller and I still got a bent axle. Oh well, I guess everyone machine has atleast one bad point and the Z's bad point is its weak *** axle.

 

My axle is not any worse than it was. I just found out my brother bought a new z too. I'll check with him and see if his is bent, I'm sure he has been taking it easy with the break-in. Mine is running strong and I raced a buddy that has a 400ex. From 0 to almost top end and then I let off because I don't like to rev high for a long time I had 10 lengths on him. He has a white bros pipe no other mods except nerf bars and axle extensions for when he races. We were close mid-way through second gear and my front wheels were a foot off the ground next came third and I was gone. I figured it would be alot closer.