.......and the front is just loosen up the two pinch bolts at the bottom of each fork then use appropriate hex tool to loosen female axle nut on right side of hub, lift on front stand, place flat object under front wheel to support it, remove said female axle nut and slide axle out.

Question: Why do we have another female hex on the left side?

Rook

Only need to loosen the pinch bolts on the right side. Leaving the ones on the left (kickstand side) tightened will hold the nut while you turn and remove the axle from the right side. You'll also need to remove the brake calipers.

Why are both sides female? Just to make things complicated! ;)

Dogo wrote:Why are both sides female? Just to make things complicated! ;)

Maybe I'll have the answer to that if I ever figure out how the nuts got to be female in the first place. I sure don't envy my backward spark plug socket, poor guy hasn't got a clue what's going on. He probably thinks this will be the best thing that could ever happen to a tool.

Thanks for one side on the pinch bolts tip, dogo.

Maybe I'll have the answer to that if I ever figure out how the nuts got to be female in the first place. I sure don't envy my backward spark plug socket, poor guy hasn't got a clue what's going on. He probably thinks this will be the best thing that could ever happen to a tool

That's some funny sh*t!

Don't pull a bone head like me and forget to tighten up the pinch bolts after it's all said and done. Kinda scary to look down days later and notice one is gone and the other one is just hanging on!

^^ Gotcha. ;)

Dogo wrote:

.....You'll also need to remove the brake calipers.

Oh, now I see why the calipers have to come off...and it has to be done before the axle is removed. OOPs. Back together it goes and off with the calipers.

How do the calipers come off? Just the two silver bolts that go into the bracket on each fork?

Looks like the fender needs to come loose too so I can roll the wheel forward. I hope it doesn't need to come all the way off because those plastic hose brackets are a PITA.

Rook

Yep, It's just those two bolts. Since I assume it will be a couple hours until you bolt everything back up, you shouldn't just leave the calipers hanging there from the lines. A couple zip ties, or the like, will work to hang them from.
Yeah, if you can't get the front lifted high enough, you'll need to loosen or even remove the front fender. A zx10 fender would eliminate that.

* Last updated by: DogoZX on 7/2/2009 @ 12:29 PM *

Thanks, Dogo. Man you are quick on the reply. Much appreciated. Got some wire for the calipers. I imagine they will hang until next week by the time I get my wheels back.

until next week by the time I get my wheels back.

You paintin' 'em?????

Yeah GF's gettin' geared up for my B-day ride , and I'm surfin' the forums.
'Bout to head out for a few hundred miles. Hope you get everything cinched up w/o issue.

Yes, you can remove the front wheel without removing the fender. Unbolt it so you can hold it up somewhat out of the way. It is by far easier with the fender removed though. Mine has been on and off enough the little plastic brake line keepers come out without to much drama, read throwing tools and cussing a blue streak, LOL!! But I helped Timber take off his wheels a couple of weeks ago and we could not get those keepers off to save our lives. After you get the rim off you can get the keepers off from underneath. Makes it easier to re-install your rims with the fender off the bike.

I'm thinking the front axle has female ends on both sides to save weight and manufacturing, KISS", reasons, but I like your analogy, LOL!!

* Last updated by: Philhnnss on 7/2/2009 @ 1:25 PM *

Installing Wheel:

Front wheel off ground. Slide the axle back in. Torque axle. Pump brakes up till there is a pedal. Torque pinch bolts.

Don't bang, don't push, do not help. This is all static set once you release the brake to pinch the bolts.

* Last updated by: Hub on 7/2/2009 @ 3:06 PM *

Dogo wrote:

You paintin' 'em?????

Yeah GF's gettin' geared up for my B-day ride , and I'm surfin' the forums.
'Bout to head out for a few hundred miles. Hope you get everything cinched up w/o issue.

No, I'm not painting yet but sanding and painting looks a lot easier than I thought after the wheels are off the bike. I assumed it would take the shop a few days but they had them for me in 1/2 hour.

I took the whole fender loose but I didn't need detach the hoses and pull it right out. Didn't have to reassemble a thing either, just propped the front wheel up to position to remove calipers.

Have a wonderful ride. Hope the weather is nice by you. Now of course the announcement will go out.

* Last updated by: Rook on 7/2/2009 @ 5:57 PM *

Good deal. Now heat cycle those new tires a couple of times, or clean the release agent off with Simple Green, and enjoy the new bike feeling that comes with new tires!!!

Hub wrote:

Front wheel off ground. Slide the axle back in. Torque axle. Pump brakes up till there is a pedal. Torque pinch bolts....

Could use torque specs for following:

pinch bolts (think it was 13'lbs, if I recall)
front axle nut ???
front caliper mounting bolts ???

rear axle nut 93.7'lbs

Philnnss wrote:

Good deal. Now heat cycle those new tires a couple of times, or clean the release agent off with Simple Green, and enjoy the new bike feeling that comes with new tires!!!

* Last updated by: Rook on 7/2/2009 @ 6:14 PM *

Last thing in case anyone else follows this thread for advise in the future - grease your axles with white litheum or axle grease brefore reinstall per Hub's recomendation.

Good time to look at your brake pads now too.

Front axle clamp bolts 15 Ft-Lb

Front caliper mounting bolts 25 Ft-Lb

Rear caliper mounting bolts 18 Ft-Lb

Front and rear axle 94 Ft-Lb

You can also smear a little wheel bearing grease on the spacers, front and rear, to hold them in place for re-assembly. Sure is easier than trying to hold them in place with your fingers. You run out of hands, LOL!!

^^Got 'em. Thanks for all your help on this little project, Phil.

It is important to have the front wheel put back in with the left rotor on the left and the right rotor on the right, correct? I marked them L & R and I see there is an arrow cast in the wheel on the left side. Looks like the arrow should be pointing counter clock-clockwise in the direction the wheel spins while the bike rolls forward.

If so, it loks to me like the tire was put on backward by the direction of the tread. The tread lines converge upward when viewed from the front and this seems backwards to me. The rear tire has the tread lines converging downward when viewed from the front as I would expect would channel water away best.

Any ideas? I'm going to check bike picks to see how other tires look now.

Rook

http://www.zx14ninjaforums.com/messages.cfm?threadid=405C8F93-1372-66AE-3B53DDE35018F36D

I'll be damned if it doesn't look like other people have backward tires too. Am I nuts? Scroll down to the 8th pic of Cyclejunkie's bike. Front view, looks like that would channel water in toward center instead of away. Third picture down shows a good enough view of the back. The tread converges opposite on the rear as it does the front. Mine are the same and I have the same tires as cyclejunkie too. Oh well, guess I might as well slap 'er on.

Just out of curiosity, am I nuts?

* Last updated by: Rook on 7/3/2009 @ 12:22 PM *

Yes, the arrow on the rim indicates the direction rolling forward. You should also have direction arrows on the tires. Same thing, they point the way the tire rolls. You can not really tell from the tread direction. Many of the tire manufacturers stopped lining the tread up facing forward because they tend to follow the rain groves cut in the road when the tread lines up with the road.

Wouldn't surprise me if they put the tire on backwards. The shop put Timbers front tire on backwards. Thank goodness he spotted it before we installed it. He had to drive back over to the shop to have them install it right while I installed the rear.

Hi guys,

I need to remove the front wheel, does anyone now the size of the axle nut?

Thanks,
Marco

dont know the size but i use the end of a 13/16 spark plug socket

^^^Same here. The end that has the hole for the ratchet drive also has flats on the outer edge. These flats match the female flats in the front axle perfectly. you need to insert an extension through the spark plug socket from the same end you would put a spark plug in it. then attach the ratchet to the extension, stick the end of the socket with flats into the axle nut. you'll see. just get a 13/16 sparkplug socket with flats on one end.