Talked to Gary at Durablu today and informed him how the axle nut keeps loosening up on my raptor. I was amazed to hear him say this is an isolated instance. I know 3 others that have had this problem. He seems reluctant to acknowledge the problem, so I told him I would make a post on this website and fax him your comments in a week. So If there are any others out there that have their axle nut loosening up please post your comments. Also, he stated that the new nut, like the one I have won't loosen. Beg to differ, so please help me out here. I would love to fax him a bunch of comments from everyone. Also, he told me that the raptor vibrates so much that this is what is helping the axle nut loosen. One more thing, My bearings are toast now in my carrier housing and he told me that the axle loosening would not cause this. I beg to differ.

 

The locknut on the durablue eliminator 2+2 axle sucks. The nut on mine would loosen up after only a couple hours of riding. Blue loctite didn't help a bit. I ended up drilling and tapping a hole into the hex (perpendicular to the original 'set screw'). I then ran a bolt down into the the threads of the lock nut. Hasn't loosened up since!

 

I sort of agree with him on a loose axle toasting your bearings.......... unless you rode it through water which when it loosened it caused it to allow water in or it was extremely loose. In extreme i mean all the way to the end of the threads allowing to slide so much it wore the inner race out. I have had no problems with my axle though sorry to hear about your luck. I do think you should install a grease fitting in your carrier to solve future problems. If you do install a fitting remove the inner seals from the bearings and leave them out. However you decide to go you should remove your inner seals and repack your bearings. Yamaha is quite sparse on its grease. My bearings lasted a very long time with the fitting installed until the whole carrier pealed away from itself beside the brake carrier. So i bought a aftermarket one made of billet aluminum.

 

Agreed. The stock lock nut is a POS. Could never keep mine tight...loosens up after every ride. I think this sorry thing should be recalled. Looks like I too will have to drill and tap for my own set screw to keep the damn thing tight. I wish I would have gotten the Lone Star axle instead. DuraBlue...ADMIT you have a problem!

 

anyone have that rad-loc? looks like that one ought to work well. for $50 bucks it is a steal compared the other brands.

 

Sounds like the same design used on the Banshee. You have to jam a screwdriver in the slot and pry it apart, then crank down on the set screw. I hate it, although I have got it to work. It still comes loose, but not every ride. It really sucks that you have to be worried about something you spent that much money on.

 

I think Gary has got an excuse notebook posted right next to his phone...

He told me my X-33 snapped because "The 400EX is a "rigid" quad and the X-33 is a "rigid" axle, and when you jump with it, it does not flex, causing it to snap." I told him I didn't want another "snapper" on my quad (because it scared the heck outta me, and nearly hurt my friend, who was right behind me), so he sent me a Eliminator (cheaper axle, but would ,not refund the price difference). The axle was less than 1 week old, and I had used it for about 45 actual minutes.


Anyway, I have been using the stock locknut setup on the EX for over a year, and it never loosens, unless I loosen it.

I have the RAD Lock on my Banshee with a Lonestar axle, and RAD tapered bearing setup. The Rad lock is actually quite expensive for what it really is! It does seem to work, and never loosens up on me.

Are you using proper wrenches to tighten them? If you use a pipewrench or similar tool, I think it deforms the nut, and causes it to loosen. I have been using jumbo open end adjustable (crecent) wrenches for years now. Ever since, all my axles on all my ATV's, Yamaha or Honda, stay tight.

 

I have the durablue eliminator on mine with the new/improved axle nut, and it did finally come loose last week about a month after I put it on, and yes I did use locktite on the screw. My riding partner has the X-33 with the older style (junk)and that puppy was coming loose every week, he sprung for the new/improved version and we are putting that to the test now

 

The axle nut on my X-33 came loose after about 10 hours of riding. After that it would loosen up after every ride. I applied some loc-tite to the lock nut and it hasn't come loose since.

What do you mean by "new/improved" version? What's the difference?

-John

 

the new improved version closes the gap on the axle nut instead of spreading it.