CL Burn - 2006 YZ250 with KYB AOS forks, no SSS

[layenPipe25]

Hi friends! I recently purchased on 06 YZ250 on craigslist - looked it over pretty well, didn't notice anything major. I inspected the forks but I only had little prior knowledge on what the SSS fork looked like and have only seen photos online. PLUS, being that it's an 06 and the 06"s were equipped with the SSS fork, I figured it would have the SSS fork. I guess I didn't look close enough. To me they look pretty similar, minus the silver fork cap and extra step in the fork tube. I had read about people with 05's upgrading to the 06 suspension but not the other way around. Now that I have the forks apart to replace the worn bushings, I realized that I have the AOS fork.

The questions I have are: 1. To get an SSS fork, what year model bike do I need to find?
2. Does this mean I have the '05 clamp and steering stem(top clamp is aftermarket, not the solid OEM)?
3. The front axle sticks out of the lug about 1/4 inch, do you know what might be causing this? It has aftermarket Tusk impact wheels and spacers...
4. Lastly, shouldn't the inner fork cartridge have 2 more O-rings?(see photo) It would appear so but there was no evidence of o-rings when draining/cleaning. I read somewhere that the slit in the bottom plastic washer is normal, is that true?

[billyghog]

Damn, that sucks! Yes, there should be o-rings there.



The 2005 model used clamps that had a fork tube spacing of 190mm. 2006+ went up to 192mm, but the wheel spacing stayed the same as they compensated for the larger spread with wider fork lugs. Hard to say what's going on without seeing things and taking some measurements.

[YZed250]

Search google 2005 SSS swap.
As Billy suggested, it's hard to know without taking some measurements.
If you can get a complete front end (forks, clamps, axle, spacers), most of the time, it will bolt up with a steering stem swap. From my personal experience, there is an SSS fork diameter difference between 2006 and 2007 ... not sure if that helps you all that much.
If you are a typical proride member, switch to A-kit so I had a better chance of qualifying for Ama supercross ... 
No seriously, just have the AOS professionally serviced and valved and you'll be better off than installing someone else's hammered 2006+ fork. There are lots of tuners that can make this fork well.

[layenPipe25]

At this point it makes more sense to keep the AOS fork. Unless I come across a sweet deal on SSS forks. However, I still need to figure out the axle situation. I just swapped out all the fork bushing, seals, orings and steering bearings. They were all toast. The bike had a ton of vibration in the front. I can tell the wheel is not aligned due to the axle and spacers(shifted to left). How can I determine which axle I might have? Would I be safe buying an 05 axle for the 05 forks? I included some photos.

[YZed250]

Is it a Rad MFG hub? If yes, Vince is a member here and he might be able to help with the proper spacers.
If you need second hand Yamaha axle, spacers or wheel, just send me a message as I have those at home in Costa Mesa.

[layenPipe25]

Is it a Rad MFG hub? If yes, Vince is a member here and he might be able to help with the proper spacers.
If you need second hand Yamaha axle, spacers or wheel, just send me a message as I have those at home in Costa Mesa.

It's the Tusk Impact hubs.
Good to know. When I get this straightened out, I will probably be contacting you. Thanks!

[billyghog]

How does the caliper line up with the rotor? The wheel is obviously too far left, so the right side spacer could be made shorter to fix that, but only if it aligns the caliper with the rotor.

[marty7g]

Have you confirmed that the upper tubes aren't bent? Maybe spin the upper tubes in the triple clamps and note if the gap between the lugs changes. Also, does the axle slide through the lugs normally when installing the front wheel? If it's tough to slide through it could indicate something is bent in the front end.
Good luck!

[layenPipe25]

The caliper lines up. The problem seems to lie on the non-brake side. I am able to pull the fork leg over, which allows more clearance. However, the axle still sticks out a hair and when I loosen the  pinch bolts, it pops back over. Could it really be a bent fork tube? If so, it's not noticable to the naked eye.

[MxStAr237]

Maybe a bent triple clamp? I had a similar issue and went through hell and back to find out i was a bent lower triple clamp. Best of luck!

[layenPipe25]

Maybe a bent triple clamp? I had a similar issue and went through hell and back to find out i was a bent lower triple clamp. Best of luck!

It could be that too. I am looking everything over and there are no obvious signs of anything being bent. How were you able to tell with your clamp?

[YZed250]

Unbolt the clamps and lay them on a piece of glass. Check for twisting.
As I said, I have a full front end if you need it. Costa Mesa

[layenPipe25]

I found the problem. I took the clamps off to check if they were bent as a few of the other members suggested and quickly noticed that the top clamp appeared to be a different offset. Made a quick call to BRP; they looked up the part# and confirmed the year. The previous owner bought an aftermarket BRP top clamp but for an '06 (year of the bike) not for the '05 forks that are on the bike.

[billyghog]

So the top and bottom clamps had two different offsets? It's impressive that they were even able to assemble it! I would be there's a lot messed up because of that if it was ridden; bearings and possibly the steering stem, frame, and/or upper fork tubes. Make sure you check everything out!

[layenPipe25]

So the top and bottom clamps had two different offsets? It's impressive that they were even able to assemble it! I would be there's a lot messed up because of that if it was ridden; bearings and possibly the steering stem, frame, and/or upper fork tubes. Make sure you check everything out!

The '06 clamps are 2mm wider(spread apart) than the 05 clamps. I replaced all the fork bushings and the fork tubes seem to be good. Why would the frame have any problems?
Going to keep my eyes out for a clean set of used SSS forks because these forks have seen better days.