[RemMax]

Ok so I finally had to replace several parts on my Blue 300 (90) and found quickly that not all parts are equal
I bought a lot of stuff off eBay since I don't have many choices within a hundred miles or so

So far the ring & pinion set with bearings&seals for the rear have held up good
BUT...... The front bearings I bought are as sloppy (loose) as the originals I took out

On the other hand I finally put a Honda OEM lower ball joint I bought years ago in only to find they're made of pot metal they call aluminum
(Don't know what Honda was thinking on that one)

Other parts such as polyurethane steering stem bushing seem better while
Quadrax front disc kit seems ok but hasn't been out in mud and snow yet and Chinese
CDI box also hasn't been run long enough to say how good it is

I would prefer to run all Honda parts but they're so damn expensive and if I can buy parts that are as good or better cheaper I gotta

I need a axle & hubs for one of my 300's and notice people want as much for a used axle as a new aftermarket cost
As for hubs....... I'm not Impressed with Honda hubs anyway so hoping the $25-$30 aftermarket are at least as good

SO...... You guys that been working on these for years
Where do ya'll go for parts like
Axles
Hubs
Bearings
Ball Joints
CV Boots
Any recommendations???

The small stuff seems ok but the suspension parts are kinda critical to have cheap parts fail
I've been looking at "All Balls" and "Moose Racing" ball joints and bearings as well as CV boots
I figure I'll rebuild my front suspension this winter but don't wanna waste time & money on crap that fails next summer
Any recommendations are appreciated
Thanks
RemMax

 

[retro]

Most aftermarket parts are intentionally made to be (china) garbage, and all of them are intentionally dumped here as useless garbage.

I can't afford to buy any of them, because I'm too poor to buy them again to replace them.

One more lil' thing I'd like to share with ya concerning responsibility and consequences .... My dad looked me in the eye and said this to me just one time, when I was about 7 years old... he was mad at me, he said: "Son if it is a job worth doing it is a job worth doing right! Do your best or wait until you learn how to do your best! I'll never forget that day! As I've grown older I've learned to walk away from folks who buy china crap, just so they might produce crap. I refuse to attempt to help them anymore.

With all of that rant now expended, check out powersportsnation.com for good used OEM ATV parts when you can't afford to purchase new OEM. There is nothing wrong with buying used parts. And many times you can make them better than new if you take some time and try to.

Have fun regardless!

 

[mrbb]

any bearing you buy today, you need to remove dust seal and FILL with grease, they all sell them with little to NO grease in them , IMO so they fail soon and you need to buy again,
job security I think they call that!

as for aftermarket parts, , carbs, and any electric part I ONLY buy OEM, on honda 4x4 atv's
the sport ATV's some electronic's are way better than OEM, but not many! LOL

axles can be better in aftermarket end too
even CV joints and such/tie rods and seat covers too

motor parts? well again, OEM are top shelf IMO, but there are some good companys that make GOOD motor parts, so I won't bash ALL the aftermarket companys there
you do many times get what you pay for,
so keep that in mind when buying, saving to buy NOW only to need again soon,. doesn't save a lot of money
buy once cry once, is the rule at times to me!

 

[SamUK]

Here in the UK OEM Honda parts are just over double the cost compared to the USA, I rarely buy from Honda unless it’s a small item and needed with no other option. I’ve had used OEM parts shipped from the USA that were from PSN and can’t say a bad thing about the quality of the used items.
Our biggest ATV/UTV spares supplier here uses the brand ‘Moose’ a lot to which I’m not a fan of however, some parts it seems have great reviews.
Moose bearings and carb repair kits I would strongly avoid, I’ve used them, they lasted two outings to the off-road park and they needed replacing again(bearings). Carb kits just didn’t work for me at all, mainly the O rings and needle valve.
I always ask now before I buy (their quite an honest company) parts for a review, I do remember asking about axles some time back and in 30 years they had never had an axle or hubs returned.

Take into consideration, ATV’s in the UK DONT do as many miles as those in the states, but they do get worked extremely hard in all weathers, usually by farmers who don’t clean/wash equipment from one year to the next.

Bearings... A few on here, myself included have started to source branded bearings from bearing and seal suppliers, any Japanese manufactured bearing will last as long as OEM if not longer. They don’t come cheap as the sizes are classed as ‘automotive’ but as I say the quality and longevity you cannot beat.

Hope that helps

 

[wheeler]

Axles- EBAY Quadrax
Hubs- OEM HONDA
Bearings-OEM HONDA
Ball Joints-OEM HONDA
CV Boots- I replace complete axles. Have yet to rip a boot.

 

[Jeepwm69]

Powersportsnation for used OEM parts.

Some stuff is cheap there, some isn't. Always check new prices before buying used, because sometimes new is cheaper than buying used.

I use Paulie at Honda East Toledo for new parts. Here's the website.

https://www.powersportsdiscount.com/oemparts/c/honda/parts

I email my orders in directly to Paulie and he takes good care of me.

 

[RemMax]

Thanks for the Info guys

Like others I don't have the time, $$$'s or energy to replace parts more than once, done got to old for that...
Plus considering I bought my blue 90 model 300 in 95 and done nothing major to it until this last month except ride it I'd say the OEM parts are pretty good
BUT....... After realizing what OEM ball joints are made of (pot metal) I figured there's gotta be a better option out there!

The first ball joint failure came early and the OEM ball joint I just put in ended up breaking part of the flange off getting it in!
Needless to say the A-arms are still tight where they fit
I noticed moose and at least one other company makes them with steel housings now so wondered about them and if they were better or not, they ain't cheap but if they're good I'll deal since Shouldn't have to replace ball joints very often!

I have a Uncle in Arkansas that uses automotive bearings in his stuff but haven't spoken to him in a few years now and can't reach him lately, hope the old farts still ok!
That said I kept my old bearings as I took them out in hopes the local Napa can help me find auto parts to replace them

Axles I wouldn't have thought even the Chinese could screw up but they do use cheap metal in place of good steel
Hubs...... Again in not to impressed with OEM but haven't seen any made of steel so guess something as long as they're kept tight OEM hold up a good long time

The CV boots on my bike are original
Figured I'd replace those before they go but don't wanna take original's off just to put crap on that cracks a year later

I've spent most of my life as a mechanic till health knocked me down so I'm used to doing the job right once using quality parts
I've used cheap CV boots in the past on FWD cars only to have them fail again soon after

Then again most aftermarket automotive parts are good quality
Don't understand why they find it so hard to make quality ATV parts!!!

Oh Well, guess I'll spend a bit more time collecting parts for my other 300's cause I hate when any of my vehicles break down and have to be towed
I tow other peoples stuff, ain't supposed to be behind the hook!!! ��

I'll definitely check out powersports though, thanks for the link
RemMax