2006 Apex Steering Headaches

[Embden]

Hey Fellas... just wondering how many of you are having problems with having to replace steering bushing (continually) in this machine. This is the second time I am doing it!!!! just frustrated with the crap plastic bushings. I did buy the billet alum collars with bronze bushings for the steering tube... but I still have several worn out bushings down in the linkage near the oil filter (parts that connect steering tie rods together) Sled only had 4000 miles and this is the second time for replacing !! I already changed all A-arm bushings with Pioneers bushing kit too. Does anyone know of upgraded bushings for these parts... or am I the only one wearing these out??? (I used a ton of Syn grease during the first repair which was only about 1500 miles ago). I am running a Rox Riser.. .maybe that is compounding the problem? I appreciate any feedback.

 

[RTX Meirda]

Ulmer has some.

Have you checked with him?

 

[rxrider]

One of the TY Advertisers - can't remember who... has billet and oillite steering bushings. The work on here is that they don't wear much if any and will last a long time. Do a search for: steering AND bushings

 

[ROCKERDAN]

this is a common thing with all apexs....every apex i see has alot of play in steering,its the design along with plastic bushings.

this used to drive me nuts till i realized its common with all......and too be honest,once you are riding i dont notice it at all....its just one of those things that if you have OCD like me its hard to forget about....but i did finally.lol

way more important things on these sleds need true attention(like the mono skid)

Dan

 

[SRXSex]

This is so funny I am just replacing mine as we speak. I ordered the kit from here. It is first class product and shipping to Canada was fast. The job however is a bit of work. Seat and tank and everything under the hood has to come off. Yo can get them from here. http://oftracing.com/
Paul

 

[rxrider]

That's the kit I'm installing as well, thanks

 

[ROCKERDAN]

This is so funny I am just replacing mine as we speak. I ordered the kit from here. It is first class product and shipping to Canada was fast. The job however is a bit of work. Seat and tank and everything under the hood has to come off. Yo can get them from here. http://oftracing.com/
Paul

those look nice....so did you get all 3?.....love to hear how much play you have once all done..should be like new!

Dan

 

[Embden]

As I posted I already got all 3 of these billet aluminum bushings for the steering rod... they are high quality and work really well but need to be drilled out for a grease fitting. They eliminate most of your problem... My problem goes deeper. More bushings down in the pan that connect steering tie rods are all worn out for the second time in 4k miles. If any of you guys are going through the trouble of this now... remove the battery tray and go deeper. Check the relay rod (has a ball joint on each end about 7" long and connects the horiz steering tube to the tie rod linkage. This part had play in one joint. This part again took out quite a bit of steering slop. I also put a couple of tack welds under the handle bars where the verticle steering tube joins. This part is only factory pressed in, mine had very slight play. Best way to trouble shoot these issues is to jack up front of sled so skis are off ground and slowly rotate bars to see what parts have play.

 

[rxrider]

Why would they need grease fittings, the bushings are oillite, it's a bi-metal that contains oil, there is no need to lube oillite.

 

[SRXSex]

Ok I re read your post. I have done the Oilite bushing kit from Ulmer that takes care of all of the A arm and spindles. Just finnished the OFC steering linkage kit. I t was not that hard. But I understand where you are comming from, the cross linkage by the oil filter is the sloppy part. I looked over the Micro Fishe and it seems that the only solution is to replace with factory shimms #34,34, from Yamaha as no one seems to have made Olite one yet. See link http://www.portyamaha.com/fiche_section_detail.asp

Part # 45 may also become an issue as well, but hell I have it so tight now I will never feel it on snow.

Edit: P.S.
Olite does not need lubrication, the sled will be dead or sold before they wear out.

 

[ROCKRTX]

My sled got most of play in relay rod,steering and cross shaft is fix.

Somebody must have a solution for that relay rod.

 

[SRXSex]

This is so funny I am just replacing mine as we speak. I ordered the kit from here. It is first class product and shipping to Canada was fast. The job however is a bit of work. Seat and tank and everything under the hood has to come off. Yo can get them from here. http://oftracing.com/
Paul

those look nice....so did you get all 3?.....love to hear how much play you have once all done..should be like new!

Dan

Dan,

After Ulmers A arm kit and OFC's steering linkage kit installed all I have left is a qtr inch of play caulsed by the lower crossbar linkage. If I replace those shims there would probably be none.

Question for Allen Ulmer... Check those out Allen, I have a feeling they may be the same as some of the A arm shim sizes. You kit should include those as well. Also why do you not offer the steering linkage billet blocks and shims???

Paul.

 

[apltx08]

LUBE, LUBE and LUBE...the only way that they'll last, specially the bushing behind the CHAINCASE on the horizontal shaft in tends to SEIZE and makes steering real STIFF, keep lubing the so called PITT arms under the battery, I have 10.000kms on mine and are fine, I did change the 3 plastic bushings to BILLET'S from "OFT" and that took care of most of the SLOPPE!

 

[sgilbert]

I replaced mine with oem plastic and ran grease lines to the ones behind tank and direct fittings to the 2 on chaincase side. grease totally cured the sticky steering. I have a feeling the oilite bushings will 1- wear the shaft, 2- send vibes to your arms, 3- rattle once worn and drive me insane, like the tie rod over exhaust was.

 

[actionjack]

THESE LITTLE BASTURDS!

Does anyone make OILITE or something better than the stock plastic for these little bastards. I have tracked down the majority of my steering slop to #s 34 and 41 which connect the relay arm to the pivot arms conveniently located under the battery tray. Going to the dealer hoping they have them but would rather put something durable in there.

OH everything else is Oilite - a-arm bushings and OFT steering blocks.