Tell your dealer "fix it or I'll take my business elsewhere, and by the way, I'm looking at buying a new machine soon." That usually gets them every time. Otherwise, any Yamaha dealer should be able to fix it under warranty, right? What are the stock axles made from? Mild steel? Chromoly like the Polaris's?

[This message has been edited by rooster (edited 11-26-1999).]

 

yep,i don't care what anyone says, yamaha does have a problem with their axles where the dia. is the smallest it will bend, yamaha should either put better axles in their atvs or go with a solid axle housing like on the grizzly or honda 450 or the rancher!!! WAKE UP YAMAHA!!!!!

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Harold Wells Raleigh NC 98 Wolverine& 97 Timberwolf Blueribbon Coalition Member

 

Just bought a 00 Kodiak and was wondering about the axles, are they that weak? The axles seem OK to me unless they are made out of weak material.

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A couple of my friends have yamaha's , one a wolverine and the other a warrior, both bikes bent axles within' the FIRST month. When they took them to the dealer, they just laughed....GEE LOOKS LIKE ABUSE (catch all...) anyways the warrior bent its axle when it rolled over once on a hill..not very hard at that.. I not sure what bent the wolverine's but it was not abuse. Yes we ride hard and have alot of fun..but man I've seen my old recon take A LOT harder wrecks w/out bending nothing (but the rack!)I haven't wrecked my 450 yet (knock on wood) so I don't know about that, but I do feel comfident that I won't bend a axle!
Brad

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FOREMANes

99'FOREMANes The REAL KING of the Jungle

 

I don't know what you are doing to bend your axles. My first thought was that maybe there were just a few flawed axles in production, but if that were the case, the same people wouldn't be replacing 4 or 5 of them. That only leaves style of riding, or perhaps suspension settings. I am 190 lbs, and I have launched my '96 Wolv off an 8 foot jump (not deliberatly of course), and landed like I was on a pillow. This may be because I keep my suspension on the lowest setting. I think that if the suspension setting is cranked up, then the rest of the bike takes more of the force of the impact when landing.
....just a thought.

 

Well,

My machine is at another dealer today. Supposedly to determine if the axle will be warrantied. I didn't like the answer from the previous dealer so I figured, eh get second opinion.

I had called Yamaha complaining, he said until a dealer inspects it, they will do nothing. I expect that's the same answer I'll get here.

Phil

 

The answer is No, axle isn't warrantied.

Not like I expected they would have. The dealer said he could have a machinist straighten it for 140.00. I laughed, Durablue, here I come.

Wolv99, you've got a special dealer, take care of em.

Musclford

 

Speaking as a machinist.... straightening an axle would be a bad idea. The metal is already weakened from being bent one way, and bending it back would weaken it much more. For example, if you take a thin peice of metal, like a coat hanger, and keep bending it back and forth, it keeps bending easier and easier until it breaks. Same idea with an axle. Actually the axle would be even worse because they would probably heat it to bend it back. It could be straightened, but don't expect it to stay that way for long. I think if mine ever bends, I'll make my own out of a grade of steel that I know will take some punishment.

 

Man that suck, If your going to buy a axle you should go aftermarket. I installed a Durablue Elimanator axle. Its really nice.It has a nice crome finish and is double the strength.I have also keep my woverine on the ground now.Instead I am keeping it on all fours and using it as a ull blown trail and mud machine

 

Wolv99, what did you pay and where did you buy it.

Musclford