Question About Service Manual

[treewhacker]

I seem to be missing something in the service manual on my 03 RX1. I have a bent spindle, went into the service manual, they show the parts layout, but they don't show removal information
Update......
I got it apart, I found the spindle shaft wasn't bent, but the upper and lower bolts were bent badly and the housing is bent backwards. Just a heads up, if you ever bend your spindle, check the bolts out closely also. I'll try and straighten my housing in a press tomorrow, hope it isn't weakened.
Oh, almost forgot.... My steering was binding a little, I thought it was the bent spindle causing it. It was the big plastic bushing where your steering tube makes the turn forward on the right side. I noticed something hanging out of the plastc bushing, took the three bolts out and there was a piece of rubber of some sort stuck in the bushing. I removed it and it works freely now. Some thing you might want to check if your steering binds. Lift front off floor to check it.

 

[Dano]

Yep...My RX-1 had this misfortune last season at this time :cry: . My main bolts going through the bulkhead were bent as well. If your spindle housing is bent I would bet your lower A-arm is bent also. (check for paint flaking around welds)....good luck

 

[treewhacker]

I didn't see any sign of the lower A arm being bent, but will check it closely. I'm sad to say I think they should have done a little more homework, I mean they shouldn't bend that easily. I don't even recall hitting anything hard enough to bend all that stuff.

 

[Viper 1]

I too would bet your arm or arms are bent aswell! I hit a very little dip in the trail last year and it bent both the spindlel, housing, both arms and bolts at the spindle! From the outside it just looked like the housing and my dealer talked to Yamah and they said they would cover the the housing as a good will thing. But when the dealer went to take it apart is when we saw all that was bent! The thing is the arms didn't look bent till you compared them to the new ones! I still can't beleive the hit I took was so small to do the damage! I didn't hit anything just a dip in the trail! If I had hit somthing from the side I good see it doing that kind of damage!!! I did end up paying for the whole job inc. the housing! Good luck and look carefully at all the parts and make sure you ck all the alignment specs. If its off it won't handle.

 

[SumpBuster]

I might be stretching on this one, but when I picked up the back to change the track, I raised it to the maximum angle when the ski pivot stops. Then I pulled up on the ski tip, and I swear, I could almost picture this bending that housing. A steep dip, or coming down into a road off a road bank could do it. I rode with a guy on a trailing arm doo that bent his arm when the ski was at maximum pivot crossing a ditch. The momentum pushing on the skis buckled the arms. Something has to give after the ski stops pivoting. Also, I pounded my blue one, jumped it any chance I had, and the spindles are fine. Something else must be doing it...just a thought.

 

[treewhacker]

The only thing that could bend it is bumping into something. This sled is heavy enough that you could clip a stump or rock and not feel it, but damage the arms or spindle.

 

[kmer]

just in the process of changing the a-arms from mtn to shorty... just wanted to comment on how BEEFY they seem.... wow.. the spindles seem like the weak point (something has to be).... i wonder how much new spindles cost?