[88Gator300]

Hello, I just bought a 1988 Honda TRX300 4x4 and I wondering if the 424 selector switch from the 93 and up would work? I cant seem to find one for my year.

Thanks

 

[Goober]

Sorry I'm a big fan of the 300 but no experience with the 424

 

[fishfiles]

no there is no direct bolt up 4x2 for an 88 , I run the 4x2 kits on 95 and up 300's , I have been told that you can modified the drive shaft of the 4x2 to work with your 88-like 91 , I think the number is 2 inches longer , the info is on this site if you look

 

[LBZ_Duramax]

They dont interchange. You have to buy a late model one and have machine shop add some length to it. After that it works perfectly. If you buy one and take your factory driveshaft to machine shop they can fix it up easy

 

[shadetree]

no there is no direct bolt up 4x2 for an 88 , I run the 4x2 kits on 95 and up 300's , I have been told that you can modified the drive shaft of the 4x2 to work with your 88-like 91 , I think the number is 2 inches longer , the info is on this site if you look

just thinking outside the box here, but why can't someone take a front drive shaft from a '93, and use it with the switch out in a '88 model ?, seems to me, the only thing that is different is the drive shaft itself, correct ?. the frames are the same as far as lay-out ?, so..think it could be done ?.

 

[fishfiles]

I know it is doable , I have ridden with people who have the 4x2 on the 1st generation 300's ----------- for some reason the 88 to what ever year frame and the placement of the diff makes the front drive shaft like 2 inches longer than the later models , I have seen pics of the modification they do by extending one half of the 4x2 kick out by cutting the shaft and welding a piece in ------------

 

[shadetree]

I know it is doable , I have ridden with people who have the 4x2 on the 1st generation 300's ----------- for some reason the 88 to what ever year frame and the placement of the diff makes the front drive shaft like 2 inches longer than the later models , I have seen pics of the modification they do by extending one half of the 4x2 kick out by cutting the shaft and welding a piece in ------------

Honda changed the length on some trx300 front drive shaft ?, or made the frame longer ?. but yeah, anything is do-able, if ya got the time and means of doing it.

 

[88Gator300]

Thanks for all the replies, I will have to order one and have it extended

 

[fishfiles]

88 , if you get it installed , you will like it , it makes the bike so much more fun to ride , the steering is much easier in 2wd ----- if you remove your front drive shaft and bring it and the 4x2 to a machine shop , they should be able to get the measurements from the shaft out the bike , the 4x2 will then have to be disassembled for it to be welded ----I would bet it will cost $100-$200 for them to make a collar and extend the shaft , the 4x2 are going about $370 right now , so you will be $470-$570 by the time your finished

 

[hodge5]

Check ebay- maybe you'll find someone selling a kit that wouldn't fit. I found mine on there. A guy had purchased it, and never installed it. I picked it up for $120, new in the box.

 

[SamUK]

Thanks for all the replies, I will have to order one and have it extended

From what I have seen online extending shafts is pretty simple providing you have the equipment to do so.
You need to search for a steel stockholder and get the proper steel for the extension, I'd buy bar and bore out the centre.
In a nutshell, you need the bar bored to be a press fit onto your shaft, then Tig weld around the ends to the shaft. I doubt there is any need for heat treatment after the welding, personally I'd just try it and see if it held.

 

[mac102004]

Look on the 300 Facebook group there are guys extending them and selling them for the older 300's, I want to say they are around $550


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[SamUK]

Look on the 300 Facebook group there are guys extending them and selling them for the older 300's, I want to say they are around $550


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/QUOTE

They do quite a bit of fabrication don't they, quite neat as well.

I wouldn't mind betting that they're using a type of spring steel. I may look into it, I'm across the pond but they certainly know how to charge for such a simple extension!
Once your set up and have done one I can't see it taking any longer than an hour to extend a shaft. For $550 you could have a shaft turned, splined and hardened here.

 

[mac102004]

Look on the 300 Facebook group there are guys extending them and selling them for the older 300's, I want to say they are around $550


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/QUOTE

They do quite a bit of fabrication don't they, quite neat as well.

I wouldn't mind betting that they're using a type of spring steel. I may look into it, I'm across the pond but they certainly know how to charge for such a simple extension!
Once your set up and have done one I can't see it taking any longer than an hour to extend a shaft. For $550 you could have a shaft turned, splined and hardened here.

The 424 itself is $370, so $180 for sleeving it. I don't think there is many guys doing it so I guess they can charge whatever they want. As far as I know they are just cutting the original shaft, putting a piece in it and sleeving it. But I could be wrong. I also don't know 100% if $550 is correct, but I'm about 75% sure that's what I seen lol. The ease of just buying a 424 off the shelf is one of the reasons I prefer to stick with the 93+ 300's.

 

[SamUK]

Yeah I think they cut the OEM shafts as well, if it works, it works though I guess. Certainly cheaper than having one made from scratch, having splines done here costs quite a bit especially internal.
Get a few made up, could be a good earner for you lol.

 

[fishfiles]

cutting the shaft , making a collar and getting it the right length is easy enough , getting a good weld and using the correct material for the collar is important , but I think the most critical part is getting it true so it don't wobble out of round and don't do damage

$550 is a good price , $370 for the 4x2 , so that's $180 for , them have to supply the material , you don't want to use fence post ,LOL -------- then they have to do machine work to fit the material to the shaft and weld it

 

[mac102004]

Yes if it was out of balance I'd suspect the bearings in the 424 itself, as well as the bearings on the pinion and output of the t-case would be hurtin....


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[SamUK]

Yup, I agree. It would have to be a press fit into the extension, this would keep it as true as possible. The only other way to correct it if it were out of true would be to balance it, once welded its to late. I've no doubt it will be a type of spring steel, is certainly be looking at that if I ever did these mods. I certainly wouldn't want to be using mild steel haha.. Without doing much research EN34 or possibly EN8 are two Id steer towards.
The price I originally thought was just for a shaft extension and not the 424 itself, so yes $180 isn't bad I guess, still a bit of a wallet stinger though lol.

 

[fishfiles]

most machine shops around here are $100 an hour , I could see an hour and a half on something like that plus material and high quality metal isn't cheap ---- machine shop just did my drive shaft extension for the rear swing arm extension , which I have not finished yet , lucky I didn't have to pay and swopped out favors , but when I was shopping prices to do the job , no one would touch it for less then $250 for just the shaft -------- he told me that they set the drive shaft up in the lathe and spun it before welding it , and welded it while on the lathe , so it must be true , meaning straight

the shaft of the 4x2 is pretty much the same as the rear drive shaft

 

[rodp]

If you remember Sam I did a few shafts when we had the factory in Cradley, easy enough on the lathe. So long as the sleeve is uniform thickness and you turn the weld to the same size when done (just a skim) the balance will be fine.
I would think by looking at the pics that the sleeve is just a good quality mild steel (not free cutting). because it's outside the shaft a sleeve of that thickness will be incredibly strong due to it's diameter. I'd be quite happy to run a sleeve like that, it won't give any problems at all.