Mythos
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Be careful with rotors. Lean the wheels against a wall when they are removed or place them on a wheel stand. Do not lay the wheels on the ground or let them bump against objects.
The axles are often very tight from the factory. You may wish to follow the procedures for loosening the rear axle nut, front axle pinch bolts and front axle bolt before putting the bike up on stands. With the bike on its side stand, it may be less apt to be levered over with heavy torqueing. Be aware that the side stand can fold closed however. Be very cautious of a tip over any time you loosen the axles whether on a stand or the side stand.
Tools:
front a rear stands
Telephone books
Sharpie marker
24” breaker bar
high temp axle grease
Torque wrenches
4mm hex tool
10mm socket
22mm axle nut socket
24 mm hex tool
Do Ahead: Remove the front brake calipers (see Brake Caliper Removal, steps 14 through 16).
Use a 4mm hex tool to remove the front fender.
If you have OEM brake lines, the fender can hang loose on them. If you have a two line aftermarket brake line system installed, you will need to remove the front fender completely. I believe it is necessary to remove the front fender mudflap at the back bottom of the front fender in order to completely separate the fender from the bike. My front mudflap has been permanently removed. All I do after removing the fender bolts is flex the sides of the fender and pull it out of the forks.
21. Lift the bike with a rear stand and front stand (a fork lift stand works better for this than the steering pivot stand that is shown in the picture below).
Place books under the front tire to support it while the axle is removed.
22. Use a 10mm socket to loosen front axle pinch bolts on the right hand fork bottom. The RH pinch bolts should be totally loose so the axle is completely free of the RH axle clamp.
23. Use a 24” breaker bar and 22mm axle nut socket to remove the front axle bolt from the right hand fork bottom.
The pinch bolts on the LH fork bottom should hold the axle from turning while the axle bolt is removed but for added support, you can use a 24 mm hex tool to hold the axle while breaking the bolt loose.
24. Use a 10mm socket to loosen the front axle pinch bolts on the left hand fork bottom. Loosen the pinch bolts all the way so the axle is not secured by the clamp.
25. Remove the axle by pushing the it from the right while turning the axle with a 24mm hex tool on the left if necessary
Pull the axle out of the left fork bottom.
26. Roll the front wheel out of the forks.
27. The right side of the front wheel can be identified by the arrow mark which is molded into one spoke on the front wheel. The arrow marks the direction of rotation of the front wheel.
28. Remove the front axle collar from the right side of the wheel.
It is a good idea to mark the collar with a Sharpie so that it does not get confused with the rear wheel spacer.
Front Wheel Installation
29. Identify which side of the front wheel is the LH side and which is the RH side. Note the direction of rotation arrow shown in step 27 of this tutorial.
Install the spacer to the RH side of the front wheel as marked in step 28 of this tutorial.
30. Place books under the front wheel to support the wheel at the proper height so that it may be aligned for smooth insertion of the front axle.
Roll the wheel between the forks so that the spacer is squarely contacting the inside of the RH fork bottom. Visually align the hole in the wheel with the axle clamps on the fork bottoms.
31. Lube the portion of the front axle that passes through the wheel with a light film of high temp axle grease. Do not lube the expanded portion of the axle that goes in the axle clamp.
32. Slide the front axle through the LH fork clamp and through the wheel hub. It may bind a little bit but shift the position of the front wheel up or down or cock it slightly left to right while pressing the axle through. Do not use force.
Press the axle in until the expanded portion is flush with the LH fork bottom.
33. Thread the front axle bolt onto the RH side of the front axle.
Use a 24mm axle hex tool on the LH side of the front axle to hold the axle stable while torquing the axle bolt on the RH side with a 22mm axle nut socket.
Front Axle Bolt, Torque: 72.5 ft lbs.
34. Use a 10mm socket to snug the two axle pinch bolts on the RH fork bottom alternately so that pressure is applied to the axle evenly. Torque the RH pinch bolts evenly.
RH Axle Pinch Bolts, Torque: 16.5 ft lbs.
35. Compress the front suspension by hand four or five times to seat the axle.
36. Tighten and torque the two axle pinch bolts on the LH fork bottom following the same procedures described in step 34 of this tutorial.
LH Axle Pinch Bolts, Toque: 16.5 ft lbs.
Install the front fender. It’s a good idea to use blue locktite on the bolts.
Install the front Brake Calipers (see Front Brake Caliper Removal, steps 17 through 19).