Front spindle was stupid tight

[KTM AL]

After the faff of removing the rear wheel for the first time to change the tyre and refitting it ( using the method posted on here) which also had the extra 'World crosser' guards to contend with.
I went to change the front. (after waiting 24hrs for a 19mm hex 1/2 drive socket to arrive in the post), I had just had to get my big 3ft 1" drive breaker bar with a 1/2" adaptor to get the front spindle to undo, luckily I went with a decent quality hex bit .
This is the first time this 2013 has been undone from the factory, it has the original tyres as the bike has only done about 4500 miles.
Even if Yamaha had included a hex in the tool kit , it would never had undone it.

 

[TenereGUY]

After the faff of removing the rear wheel for the first time to change the tyre and refitting it ( using the method posted on here) which also had the extra 'World crosser' guards to contend with.
I went to change the front. (after waiting 24hrs for a 19mm hex 1/2 drive socket to arrive in the post), I had just had to get my big 3ft 1" drive breaker bar with a 1/2" adaptor to get the front spindle to undo, luckily I went with a decent quality hex bit .
This is the first time this 2013 has been undone from the factory, it has the original tyres as the bike has only done about 4500 miles.
Even if Yamaha had included a hex in the tool kit , it would never had undone it.

That's crazy... but I suspect thst some surface corrosion was starting to weld that thing in place!

 

[Saint rob]

After the faff of removing the rear wheel for the first time to change the tyre and refitting it ( using the method posted on here) which also had the extra 'World crosser' guards to contend with.
I went to change the front. (after waiting 24hrs for a 19mm hex 1/2 drive socket to arrive in the post), I had just had to get my big 3ft 1" drive breaker bar with a 1/2" adaptor to get the front spindle to undo, luckily I went with a decent quality hex bit .
This is the first time this 2013 has been undone from the factory, it has the original tyres as the bike has only done about 4500 miles.
Even if Yamaha had included a hex in the tool kit , it would never had undone it.

I’m sorry but I have to ask a stupid question, you did slacken the pinch bolts first didn’t you?

 

[TenereGUY]

I’m sorry but I have to ask a stupid question, you did slacken the pinch bolts first didn’t you?

That's not a stupid question! That's a good question! Sometimes I assume to much and I shouldn't!

 

[KTM AL]

I’m sorry but I have to ask a stupid question, you did slacken the pinch bolts first didn’t you?

Yes , all loose, it did give with a bit of a crack.

 

[KTM AL]

That's crazy... but I suspect thst some surface corrosion was starting to weld that thing in place!

It was very dry , It will go back together with a smear of grease.

 

[RCinNC]

I started greasing the axles years ago when I heard horror stories from guys who didn't grease the axles. I use either Belray's waterproof grease or anti-seize, whichever is most handy when I'm changing a tire.

 

[TenereGUY]

I always use grease on the axles. I have worked on a friends new old Kawasaki touring bike. Needed new tires. I tried knocking the axle out with my oak dowel rod. Finally hit it so hard it shattered it. Got a steel drift. Made sure it was a much smaller diameter than the axle. Finally got out my maul and really hit it. It started to move. Finally whacked it out. You could see the corrosion and why it didn't want to move. Never grease the threads though! Clean and torque to spec when dry.

 

[Sierra1]

. . . . Never grease the threads though! . . . .

Had a dealership use anti seize on the RT's lug bolts. No, as a matter of fact, they didn't stay tight. Ass end of the bike started moving all over the place . . . . going in a straight line; bolts had backed out and wheel was canted. They told me it was my responsibility to check the lug bolts after a tire change. Yeah, never went back. Dealership ended up a Freedom dealership.

 

[Cycledude]

Torque mine to 80+ foot pounds but for some reason it seemed a lot tighter than that this July when I removed it to install new tires for the Alaska trip. I always use engine oil to lube the axle, seems to do about the same thing grease would do but slightly easier, I have never experienced a rusting axle. Never lube the threads.

 

[whisperquiet]

I just bought a new 2023 S10 ES and checked it over after trailering it home. I found the front axle pinch bolts so tight that I was surprised they weren’t stripped. Plus, the same with one hand guard bolt; the other was finger tight. The handle bar pinch bolts were too tight, same for the front axle; the worst assembly error was the routing of the front ABS wire…….routed outside the left fork and under some tension. I remedied all problems before even riding the bike.
Like others, I lightly lube the axles for easy removal.