My Z1R front axle: akin to English muffin, rough..

I pulled the front wheel off my 1978 Kz1000-D1 to remove paint and the front axle nut on the right side is (rust?)-stuck to the axle.

I put the axle in a table vise. I also put a vise-grip on it to keep it from spinning in the table-vise -- I locked the vise grip onto the axle while the handle of the vise grip was lodged against the table vise -- so I've got a vise grip and a table vise tightened as tight as possible and I used my 24" (2 feet of leverage) breaker bar on the axle nut and turned it. This was *after* soaking the nut/axle in penetrating oil.

The gott-dang axle spun in the vise AND the vise grip. All the while I thought the nut was finally turning, nope the axle had been spinning in the table vise and vise grip, removing metal from the axle.


Metal has been removed from the axle -- see the pics below. I think I run the risk of a slight front wheel wobble even if I ever do get the wheel nut off -- do I need to throw out this axle?





THESE ARE SCORE MARKS FROM THE TABLE VISE

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationIf it was mine I would get a new axle and try to find a couple new or like new axle nuts (collars). According to Kawasaki.co there are a whole bunch of KZ's that use the same axle (see list below). There are always at least one or two NOS ones on eBay. Here's one (double check part number):




H1-D (1973)
H1-E (1974)
H1-F (1975)
KH500-A8 (1976)
KZ1000-A1 (KZ1000) (1977)
KZ1000-A2 (KZ1000) (1978)
KZ1000-A2A (KZ1000) (1978)
KZ1000-B1 (KZ1000 LTD) (1977)
KZ1000-B2 (KZ1000 LTD) (1978)
KZ1000-B3 (KZ1000 LTD) (1979)
KZ1000-B4 (LTD) (1980)
KZ1000-D1 (Z1R) (1978)
KZ1000-D3 (Z1R) (1980)
KZ1000-G1 (Classic) (1980)
KZ650-B1 (1977)
KZ650-B2 (1978)
KZ650-B2A (1978)
KZ650-B3 (1979)
KZ650-C1 (Custom) (1977)
KZ650-C2 (Custom) (1978)
KZ650-C3 (Custom) (1979)
KZ650-D1 (SR) (1978)
KZ650-D1A (SR) (1978)
KZ650-D2 (SR) (1979)
KZ650-E1 (LTD) (1980)
KZ650-F1 (1980)
KZ750-B1 (1976)
KZ750-B2 (1977)
KZ750-B3 (1978)
KZ750-B4 (1979)
KZ750-G1 (LTD II) (1980)
KZ900-A4 (1976)
KZ900-A5 (1977)
KZ900-B1 (LTD) (1976)

650ed wrote: If it was mine I would get a new axle and try to find a couple new or like new axle nuts (collars). According to Kawasaki.co there are a whole bunch of KZ's that use the same axle (see list below). There are always at least one or two NOS ones on eBay. Here's one (double check part number)

That's what I thought. I've never had an axle bolt so stuck that I had to make a go/no go decision, what's the stability of the front wheel and my health worth, I'm tossing out the old one. If there's that much rust on the thread that a 2-foot breaker bar is not doing it, the structural integrity of that side of the axle is dicey. Thanks 650, you're right there's tons of 'em on ebay.


Z1ENTERPRISES are you out there, I'm surprised I cannot buy a new axle on your site -- we who buy from you work on these old machines I bet you could sell maybe a few look at all the triples and 4-cylinder Kaws using the same axle, man. That's maybe a market? Give it some thought Z1E, would have bought one.

Pm kz1006,Ive bought several axles from him.
Really decent prices