Honda TRX300FM 1992 1st gen

[jeepwm69 7,600]

Yeah you have to have a receipt.  The new bearings have the All Balls part number embossed on the side of the inner race.  That's what prompted me to call them, which is when they told me they are All Balls bearings in Pivotworks packaging now.

 

I got a few sets of Foreman 500 bearings for $22 over Thanksgiving weekend on Amazon.  Wish they were the good old Pivotworks bearings but they're not.  That said, I have the receipts so I'll get one time free replacement on them when they wear out.

 

I'll be popping the seals off and packing them full of good synthetic grease before I install any of them.

[shadetree 5,880]

it wont be long, no matter who we buy bearings from ?, they all will be from china !.

[Fishfiles 20,145]

I just got off the web site and then the phone with Arrow Head , which is the company that owns All Balls and Pivot Works and many other companies , the guy was super nice and he gave me the low down on what's happening now days , and they are crap now days , they will send me a complete kit with seals ,  no questions asked except for the receipt , I found the receipt on my e-bay history and he said it was good enough and they wouldn't charge me the freight back to me , so I am going to go for it  ---------------  I paid even less than I thought , I said $29.99 and it was $24.99 a set and the date was May 5, 2017 , so they are not as old as I thought in this blue 300 , it is the red 300 that I first installed  them in , that must have been in 2016  and they are still tight ----the blue 300 has 27 Outlaws and full time 4wd and the red one is 26 Mudzillas with a 424 which could have played a part in life of the bearing and the Outlaws in the front are a bit wider than the Mudzilla fronts ----so I got 2.5 years on old school Pivot Works bearings , wonder how long the new AllBalls with a Pivot Work decal is going to last , 6 months LOL 

[Fishfiles 20,145]

 I didn't mention that I have one set left of old school Pivot Works that is going back into this blue 300 , so the replacement set is a spare for now 

 

and I realized something I forgot that I really wanted to do , I said I was going to measure the turning radius with full time 4wd and then again on the same bike after the 424 is installed , I forgot to do that , I realized that I forgot when I went outside this morning and found the 50 ft tape left in the rain on top the garage can , I was about to it and my neighbor came over and side tracked me , I really wanted to know in numbers what the difference is 

[Fishfiles 20,145]

You got to be careful now with Pivot Works , I found an ad with a pic of the old school box like I had originally had  , so I thought I found some NOS kits , when I read the fine print it says the photo is not what actual parts looks like , generic pick ---------  cause they stated putting them in cardboard backing and heat shrink , I think those are no good , you need to find the ones in the plastic box container , they don't have side seals and are pre packed  -----  I have found some that are heat shrinked and you can see there is no side seals and are greased , but I don't know about them 

[jeepwm69 7,600]

The All Balls I just got were packed in the plastic box/tub container.  The apparently NOS older ones without the side seals were on a cardboard backer and shrink wrapped.

 

Pic here. 

 

[Fishfiles 20,145]

I got the 424 in and the diff bolted back up ,  the splined cup on the end of the Warn 424 is not as deep as the cup on the OEM driveshaft , on the OEM shaft the spring is totally inside the cup , on the Warn424 the spring sticks almost half way out of the cup , so getting it back in was a little hard -------   it is coming along 

 

going to have to make my own anti-rotation strap , still thinking about what to use , maybe a muffler hanger strap 

 

I am going to change all 4 ball joints while it is taken apart 

[machinecrook 68]

So what is the difference between the TRX300FM and TRX300FW? 

[shadetree 5,880]

25 minutes ago, machinecrook said:

So what is the difference between the TRX300FM and TRX300FW? 

you will never see a trx300 called trx300fm, honda only used the name trx300fw from day one in 1988. as far as what the difference is ?..nothing !. fm in todays world and time simply reads four wheel drive, manual shift. as where is fw= stands only for four wheel drive. back then, honda did not have electric shifts, auto shifts, all that fancy crap we have today.

[Fishfiles 20,145]

39 minutes ago, machinecrook said:

So what is the difference between the TRX300FM and TRX300FW? 

 

 

That was my mistake in the title of the thread , either a typo or a brain fart , one of my 450s is a TRX450FM , the the 300s are TRX300FW , I mess those letters up all the time 

 

Progress :

I ordered 4 new ball joints and 4 tie rod ends from Honda with expedited shipping for $95 last night ,that won't get here till Monday -------   I have 2 ball joints now , going to search the part boxes and see if I can find 2 more ball joints  and finish this bike up  , but being it is 29 this morning amnd 60 % rain for the weekend , I am in no hurry  

[Fishfiles 20,145]

Got some more done , knocked the bearings , seals and ball joints out the knuckles and a-arms , one side was hard to get the race out , was going to cut it with the torch , but wonder if they would have bummed on me for the warranty , Aero Kroil got it , packaged up the old Pivot Works bearings for shipping and a replacement  --------- 

 

 looked for 2 more ball joints , didn't find any more new ones and then found out the 2 ball joints I do have are 450 and they a little bigger , so it didn't matter any ways , just have to wait for the 4 that I ordered  , but while looking for them ball joints found two more new old school packs of Pivot Works bearing , one set for 300 and one set  for 450 and both sets have Pivot Works embossed in the races and packed with Yak fat ,  LOL  ---- 

 

still got to run the cable and mount the 424 control knob and make a  anti-rotation strap , looked around for one of them with no luck ,past right by and  forgot to stop at the auto parts to see what rubber muffler straps they might have for that anti-rotation strap , Wilson and I had seen and talked about a guy that made his out of steel , I think it needs a little flex in it so don't know if steel would be a good idea 

[toodeep 1,758]

I've used baler belting to make a strap. If anyone around you bales enough they probably have a chunk of old stuff laying around. I think you can even cut a small peice off at farm stores. The ones that came with them broke right away so I went the reinforced route. 

[Fishfiles 20,145]

TooDeep , good idea about farm supply , we have a Tractor Supply 3.5 miles away , I'll stop over there and see what they got -----

 

I have never totally broke a OEM strap yet , had them tear and almost separate , worst problem I had with the strap was when I ran over a stump or something and hit the u-bolt on the bottom of the frame , it pulled and slide  the u-bolt back and was making the front coupler not fully engage the front diff pinion and was slipping in 4wd and making a bad grinding noise , thought I blew the front diff , then figured it out , pulled the strap back in place  and everything has been ok 

[shadetree 5,880]

4 minutes ago, Fishfiles said:

TooDeep , good idea about farm supply , we have a Tractor Supply 3.5 miles away , I'll stop over there and see what they got -----

 

I have never totally broke a OEM strap yet , had them tear and almost separate , worst problem I had with the strap was when I ran over a stump or something and hit the u-bolt on the bottom of the frame , it pulled and slide  the u-bolt back and was making the front coupler not fully engage the front diff pinion and was slipping in 4wd and making a bad grinding noise , thought I blew the front diff , then figured it out , pulled the strap back in place  and everything has been ok 

I am not understanding something here, I know you have to pull the front diff's all the way forward a good ways, then you have one heck of a time pushing and pulling to remove the oem drive shafts on most models, how the heck does these 424's slide enough to not make a tight connection on each end ???, are the drive shafts not the correct length ????. because there is no way that 424 shaft should move any direction far enough for it to be disengaged from either end that I know of ?, unlesssssssss !!!!!!!!, the 424 shaft/part is not the correct one ?. the strap is NOT to keep it from moving, from what little I know ?, its suppose to allow the middle section to rotate very little mind you !!!, so the drive shaft splines don't strip out while trying to lock together, its sole reason is NOT to keep it in place from moving either way from what I know of ?.

[Fishfiles 20,145]

with out the anti-rotation strap , it will turn about a 1/2 turn then  the housing hits the frame , it would damage the shift cable if it wasn't secured  ----- 

it is a tight fit , it is the exact same length as the original drive shaft , that was the first thing I done when I got it a part was to put them side by side   

putting it in , it does barely make with the diff pulled as far as it can go , I had to pry it a bit , but once in place you can slide the shaft or the 424 back against the rear spring pressure a good bit , same with the OEM shaft ,  it can go far enough back  that it will disengage the front splines , have heard of people not putting the spring in the rear of the shaft and having that same problem , so if the u-bolt on the bottom of the frame gets slide back along the frame tube , it holds that housing back with the spring inside the coupler totally collapsed , I never measured it but would guess it mores an inch back 

 

A trick I thought myself when installing it , I used a screw driver and pried the 424 unit back into the transfer case as far as it could go , then jammed the screw drive in between the frame down tubes and the 424 housing , fits perfect , it held the unit in place and  back so it freed up a hand to fight the diff in , and not having the unit moving all around and jumping out the transfer case from the spring pressure 

[shadetree 5,880]

10 minutes ago, Fishfiles said:

with out the anti-rotation strap , it will turn about a 1/2 turn then  the housing hits the frame , it would damage the shift cable if it wasn't secured  ----- 

it is a tight fit , it is the exact same length as the original drive shaft , that was the first thing I done when I got it a part was to put them side by side   

putting it in , it does barely make with the diff pulled as far as it can go , I had to pry it a bit , but once in place you can slide the shaft or the 424 back against the rear spring pressure a good bit , same with the OEM shaft ,  it can go far enough back  that it will disengage the front splines , have heard of people not putting the spring in the rear of the shaft and having that same problem , so if the u-bolt on the bottom of the frame gets slide back along the frame tube , it holds that housing back with the spring inside the coupler totally collapsed , I never measured it but would guess it mores an inch back 

 

A trick I thought myself when installing it , I used a screw driver and pried the 424 unit back into the transfer case as far as it could go , then jammed the screw drive in between the frame down tubes and the 424 housing , fits perfect , it held the unit in place and  back so it freed up a hand to fight the diff in , and not having the unit moving all around and jumping out the transfer case from the spring pressure 

then I would fasten that puppy down tight, so it would not move at all. your suppose to come to a full stop anyway to use it, sooo..shoot..just fasten that puppy down solid, call it a day is what I would do. ever thought about installing a electronic diff in it ?, I dont know if its even posb ?, maybe something to consider on your next custom add-on !..lol.

[Fishfiles 20,145]

I had enough of electric 4wd shift , had that in my 2002 TRX450FM , it would have been ok  if the default was 4wd when it didn't work  , but when it doesn't work it's default 2wd , so it is not as dependable , as in 2wd you are crippled up ---  LOL  --- I could see how some would like a push button 4wd kick out for a 300 , me I am a " Simple Man " L.S.

 

A mod I thought of would be a hand lever shifter on side of the tank for the 424 

[Fishfiles 20,145]

I know Jeep would rig up a 4wd indicator light on his ... 

 

Shade , something you mention about coming to a complete stop , I don't do that , maybe I should , but  I'm a popper , not a wide open popper , but I do it while under power and moving 

[shadetree 5,880]

2 hours ago, Fishfiles said:

I know Jeep would rig up a 4wd indicator light on his ... 

 

Shade , something you mention about coming to a complete stop , I don't do that , maybe I should , but  I'm a popper , not a wide open popper , but I do it while under power and moving 

yeah bro your suppose to come to a complete stop when you engage the 424, it will keep you from stripping the drive shaft splines out.

[shadetree 5,880]

2 hours ago, Fishfiles said:

I had enough of electric 4wd shift , had that in my 2002 TRX450FM , it would have been ok  if the default was 4wd when it didn't work  , but when it doesn't work it's default 2wd , so it is not as dependable , as in 2wd you are crippled up ---  LOL  --- I could see how some would like a push button 4wd kick out for a 300 , me I am a " Simple Man " L.S.

 

A mod I thought of would be a hand lever shifter on side of the tank for the 424 

odd to say the least, i've yet to have any trouble out of my '03 trx450fm ?, it does require to have good working ( AND DRY !..LOL ) control units, speed sensors to operate the front diff, soooo..this leaves you out !..lol. the reason for the speed sensors ?, is so you dont hammer the front drive shaft splines when they '' hook '' up ?!. I dont have to come to a complete stop, but i'm not doing 50 mph either !..lol.

[retro 4,048]

I shift my Rancher in and out of 4wd on the fly too. As long as the tire sizes match front & rear (mine do) and the bike is pointed straight (no wheelspin) it works perfectly, even in rutted and muddy soil.

[jeffo21 125]

I have some of the baler belts if your needing some. the belt I have is 6" wide. if you want some of it let me know

[Fishfiles 20,145]

Jeffo , Thanks for the offer !!!  I found something to use that I think will work well , a exhaust hanger rubber , looks like nothing but a cutting off a tire , you can see it under the 424 ... 

 

Here is a pic of the 424 in the normal position and pushed all the way in to the transfer case , about 1 1/2 inches of travel 

 

You see all the grease , not oil , on the diff and transfer case and say it has a leak , that is grease as I pump them full of a grease hub oil mix and the grease ouzes out and makes a mess 

 

 

[shadetree 5,880]

2 hours ago, Fishfiles said:

Jeffo , Thanks for the offer !!!  I found something to use that I think will work well , a exhaust hanger rubber , looks like nothing but a cutting off a tire , you can see it under the 424 ... 

 

Here is a pic of the 424 in the normal position and pushed all the way in to the transfer case , about 1 1/2 inches of travel 

 

You see all the grease , not oil , on the diff and transfer case and say it has a leak , that is grease as I pump them full of a grease hub oil mix and the grease ouzes out and makes a mess 

 

 

don't know about you fish ?, but that sure is a lot of back and forth play !!!!. dont seem right to me, but hey..what do I know..i wont use these things..i dont mind hard steering.

[Fishfiles 20,145]

I don't see it being any issue , the OEM shaft is the same length over all as the 424 and the OEM shaft has longer couplers , so it is possible that it goes even farther back and forth with the OEM shaft depending where it is  bottoming out at , either inside the couplers or on the gears ------ going to check the other 4 - 424s tomorrow and see if they are all the same amount