Build thread and some thoughts on progress

[PineyPower]

Welp, been poking around here for about a year already I guess it's time to do the obligatory build thread.
It's been coming together in phases, and over a long period of time. I'm now about to enter a pretty substantial bit of matinence and upgrades so I wanted to take a moment to reflect...
How it started
Vs how it sits bow
Started simple with grips, modified pegs, a direct shifter, tires, and some matinence. Then I went with the cosmetics, reupholstered the seat, painted the frame, wrapped the rear fender and upgraded the headlights.
Eventually added an oil cooler, better handlebars, and the rear linkage from drw. I was running a banshee rear shock that unfortunately blew after a few rides.
Every step of the way I rode this thing, improving my ability, improving the machine, improving my ability, etc. It's been a process thats been evolving over the past year and a half.
The next big step is incoming though... Ive been slowly collecting parts for months now...I got my banshee shock back rebuilt and custom valved.I picked up a good second hand set of elkas for an early model 450. I've got a arms on the way that will work with them. New wide axle, dual piston calipers and stainless lines all around, fresh rotors and most importantly... more basic matinence. A year an a half of straight abuse on a 20+ year old machine will shake and break all the weak links out.
The plan is to make sure the chassis is fully sorted out then squirrel away engine parts and put it under the knife again this winter and have something well sorted, well balanced, and built right to last.
The whole point is... builds on toys dont happen all at once. It's a process you take as it comes. Most of the time you aren't doing anything that feels like it's worth bragging about especially seeing sone of the crazy builds on here but if you are keeping an old machine going trust me, the work is worth being proud of and sharing. And if the work I'm putting in happens to inspire somebody else than it was worth making this big ass post!
I'll be putting up some progress updates on what I've got going on the next couple weeks and in the meantime, if anyone has any questions feel free to ask. I've got alot of pictures of the mods and repairs as I've done them that I can share

 

[PineyPower]

The teardown on the rear half has begun. My swingarm bearings were a little out of spec so I decided it best just replace them.
The rear axle and hub splines are all wallered out and won't hold tight, the rear brakes mildly exploded, chain and sprockets worn out, and the whole shebang could use a good clean up.
Got everything cleaned up, painted, and parts laid out and ready for reassembly

 

[beastlywarrior228]

Looks good. Just keep tinkering with it.

 

[PineyPower]

Sadly ran out of time past this point but that's how things go. I'm not in a crazy rush, my a arms are still probably 2 weeks out and I've got some other matinence things to do so I'm taking my time with it. Everything that's supposed to move has grease, everything that's not supposed to move has lock tight and every bolt is getting marked so I can do a visual check after my next ride

 

[PineyPower]

It's back on all four wheels till the front stuff comes in. The suspension is buttery smooth and my rear brakes actually stop. This niche axle is weird with the clips, the big nut side especially but so far so good.
Next step is to tinker with the clutch again and if I have time this week do the valve stem seals

 

[YamahaNutz]

Don't forget to recheck the jam juts after a bit of riding. You'd hate to see it wear those new parts because it potentially settled and loosened up. I super cleaned my axle, replaced bearings, and had to re-torque those nuts(with clean threads and red loctite). The loose nuts is why those spline hubs wear.

What front arms are you going with?

 

[PineyPower]

Yeah the hub nuts being rode loose before I got the quad is one of the reasons i replaced the axle and hubs. The splines were just hammered. I've got every bolt I've touched paint marked for exactly that reason, easy to recheck. The axle is a niche adjustable one (same as the tusk/gforce) with the locking jam nut and though the weird clip set up has me wary after a brief shakedown nothing has moved.
Once they come in I'm going to be running full flights redesigned +2 arms. Apparently where they put the lower shock mount is technically wrong but makes early yfz450 shocks fit well

 

[YamahaNutz]

Or the shock location is done on purpose to run the better longer shocks.

I'm looking at running that axle shaft on mine