[Wlr275]

Hey guys,
Long time listener, first time caller.
This front end is going to cause me to sell this bike! After replacing the ball joints and steering knuckles, the front pumpkin, and seals, et.al., every time I bolt the brake drums to the hub, it locks everything up.
I have checked and rechecked the manuals, exploded diagrams and anything else I can find to make sure I'm not leaving anything out, but I can't figure this one out.
I'm about ready to use this bike for target practice.
Any ideas??
Thanks

 

[retro]

I don't know... can you take pics of the knuckles, axles, backing plates & drums? Did you put the right knuckles on it? Any non-OEM parts?

Welcome to the forums!

 

[fishfiles]

do you think you might have the wrong axle on the wrong side

 

[SamUK]

I assume you changed wheel bearings and checked the axles for wear too?

 

[Wlr275]

Thanks for the ideas. I'll double check and make sure I didn't swap the axles right for left.
I'll try to take some pictures today.
I did replace all the bearings and seals in the knuckle because the old ones were destroyed.

I have rebuilt this drivetrain from the knuckles to the ball hitch including a top end rebuild.

This $350 bike is now more like a $1k bike.

 

[retro]

Lets see it when you get it together!

 

[Goober]

do you think you might have the wrong axle on the wrong side

Hey FF how do you tell L from R I have a 93 mebbe I can take pic of mine.
Otherwise I wouldn’t think the axle nuts would even go on correctly if the axles were swapped. Btw I’ve never pulled the knuckles so I’m not even close to sure

I’m thinking the only thing would cause locking when drum installed is Brake drums too far out? Maybe backing plate misaligned

 

[Goober]

Thanks for the ideas. I'll double check and make sure I didn't swap the axles right for left.
I'll try to take some pictures today.
I did replace all the bearings and seals in the knuckle because the old ones were destroyed.

I have rebuilt this drivetrain from the knuckles to the ball hitch including a top end rebuild.

This $350 bike is now more like a $1k bike.

Are your drums lining up ok on the backing plates?

 

[fishfiles]

Goober , CRS is kicking my butt lately and I am no 1st gen guru as I only have 1 of them , but seems I remember that 1st gen 300's have two different axles , and in fact one side is no longer available and one side just a little bit longer than the other side , seems if one was longer or shorter and in the wrong position and you tried to tighten it down it would bind , as far as telling which one was which , you would have to have them out and side by side and fully retracted ------------

 

[mac102004]

93 is most likely 2nd gen, very very few were 1st gen's. Axles are the exact same length on the 2nd gens, 1st gen axles 1 side is longer. If you were to try and put 1st gen axles into a 2nd gen bike it would bind on one side and probably pull the end of the axle out of the diff on the other side, but the one side would be free, it wouldn't be completely locked up unless the front diff had a locker in it. But you would still get some play at the wheel end on that side.

If you leave the brake drum off, and just bolt the hub in place, with the castle nut, does everything spin freely as it should? If it does, then the problem must be with the brakes, but I assume you would notice the drum being hard to get on. When you replace the brake shoes you have to wind the adjusters back in all the way so the shoes clear the drums, then install the drum and wind the adjusters back out until the shoes just start to touch the drum again. But you didn't state that you replaced the shoes...

 

[Jeepwm69]

I'd guess wrong axles. I did it once on a 500 and it took me a bit to figure it out.

 

[Wlr275]

I've completely rebuilt the brakes, new shoes, springs, adjusters, clips etc.
I started to swap the axles around but pulled one completely apart trying to get it out.
That's the way it's been one this bike, try to fix one thing and something else breaks.
It'll be completely rebuilt from the front lug nuts to the back lug nuts by the time I'm done.

 

[Wlr275]

Fingered it out. It was a warped brake drum. Either the guy who turned them screwed it up or it was screwed before hand but he failed to notice while turning it.
Either way, the front end is once again whole.

Now for the rear end.

 

[fishfiles]

Wir' , good deal , so what's the plan for your rear end , " all " new bearings and seals ?