My mid-life crisis quad bike buy!!!

As part of my mid-life crisis I bought a non-running road-legal Quadzilla Ram 250 quad bike and managed to get it running and use it to ride the local green lanes, and rights of way near where I live.

Occasionally, it needs a bit of maintenance and there isn’t much information on the internet so I plan to post some basic “how to” articles on here.

I am not a professional, so please seek your own advice and guidance, this is how I did it!

The rear bearings were worn and loose and had actually started making a squealing noise when turning sharply, so it was time to change them!

Here’s how to remove the rear axle of a Quadzilla Ram 250. (The Barossa and Apache models may be similar).

 

Quadzilla Ram 250. How to remove the rear axle to change the rear bearings and seals.

To remove the rear axle from an SMC Quadzilla Ram 250 to replace the rear bearings, follow these steps:

  1. Park the quad on a level surface and engage the parking brake.
  2. Ensure the ignition is turned off (take out the key).
  3. Chock the front wheels.
  4. Engage 1st gear.
  5. Slacken off the large lock nut located on the left hand side of the axle (when viewed from the rear).  This is a regular thread so needs to be undone in an anti-clockwise direction.
  6. Slacken off the rear wheel nuts ½ turn.
  7. Use a jack to raise the rear of the quad until the rear wheels are off the ground.
  8. Place jack stands under the rear frame rails to support the quad.
  9. Completely undo the rear wheel nuts.
  10. Remove the rear wheels.
  11. Remove the split pin from the left-hand and right-hand wheel hub nut on each side of the axle.
  12. Slacken off the wheel hub nuts ¼ to ½ turn.
  13. Flatten down the tab locking washers using a screwdriver/punch and a hammer on the rear sprocket.
  14. Slacken off the 6 rear sprocket nuts. 
  15. Remove the chain by removing the link.
  16. Remove the brake caliper.
  17. Completely remove both wheel hub nuts.
  18. Completely remove the 6 rear sprocket nuts.
  19. Completely slacken the big axle to sprocket hub lock nuts until they are free from the threads
  20. Slowly slide the axle out, pulling from the right-hand side (when viewed from the rear), as the axle is sliding out keep hold of the sprocket carrier hub and place to one side when the axle is clear (or pull of from the splines).
  21. As the axle passes through the wheel bearings keep hold of the brake disc and brake disc carrier hub until the axle has passed through.
  22. Carefully slide the rear axle out of the quad and place somewhere safe.

Tips:

  • Before you start, make sure you have all of the necessary tools and materials.
  • Be careful when removing the rear axle, as it is heavy and can be difficult to manoeuvre.
  • When installing the new rear bearings, make sure to apply grease to the bearing seats and bearings. This will help to prevent wear and tear.
  • Torque the rear axle nuts and bolts to the manufacturer’s specifications. This will ensure that the rear axle is properly secured.

Additional information from the transcript:

  • It is important to keep the chain engaged in gear and the wheels on the ground when loosening the lock nut on the rear axle. This will provide more friction to work against and make it easier to loosen the nut.
  • If the lock nut is difficult to loosen, you can try using a screwdriver through the sprocket and the disc to engage the rear axle assembly holder and provide extra resistance.
  • Be careful not to damage the nut when loosening it.
  • Once the lock nut is loosened, you can remove the rear axle by sliding it out of the quad.

Assembly:

The assembly process is the reverse of the disassembly process. Be sure to torque all of the nuts and bolts to the manufacturer’s specifications.

External link to Quadzilla Website