axle bolt size for zx wheels? (for my conversion)

Hey gang, I got my 02 ZX750 wheel for my project bike, and I either need to buy an axle bolt, or make one. My question is, what size is the bolt that I need?
If nobody knows, I could probly find someone who could mic the bearings, but I thought I would check here first incase anyone knew right off, thx
Scott

Just look at the number on the bearings, that will tell you the bearing ID, which will be the axle diameter.

thanks Steell, I guess Ill clean it up a bit tonight and have a look, souds real easy:)

I looked it up at buykawasaki.com, and according to the parts diagrams it is a 6205UU (I'm assuming we are talking about a rear axle based on your sig).

IIRC, that has a 20mm ID, which means a 20mm axle, but I'll look up the bearing to be certain.

According to McMaster Carr, a 6205 bearing is for a 25mm shaft, that's a fat axle you have there

Just for comparison, the 77-79 KZ1000 uses a 20mm axle.

Post edited by: steell, at: 2006/04/25 18:49

Scott...if it helps You at all...the rear axle on a 99/00 ZRX1100 measures 20mm...and the front is 25mm.

Well I tried looking at the bearings tonight, but I couldnt get the seals out(didnt want to pry on them and ruin them). I didnt have a metric ruler out in the shop with me, but it looked like it was right around a 1 inch hole with a measuring tape, so 25mm.
Looks like you got it right on the money Steell, haha and yeah it is a beefy axle.
I must say, the new wheel/tire/drilled rotor looks pretty sweet mocked up in the swingarm, I'll post some pics tomorrow as Im pretty sure some guys will want to see too.

I just double checked the 2002 ZX7 and it does say 25mm rear and 20mm front, and while I was there I looked at the 2000 ZRX1100, and it did say 20mm rear and 25mm front, that's pretty strange :S

steell wrote:

I just double checked the 2002 ZX7 and it does say 25mm rear and 20mm front, and while I was there I looked at the 2000 ZRX1100, and it did say 20mm rear and 25mm front, that's pretty strange :S

That is a little wierd, I would think that such similar bikes would share more chassis features, like wheel bearings and axles, but I guess not

steell wrote:

I just double checked the 2002 ZX7 and it does say 25mm rear and 20mm front, and while I was there I looked at the 2000 ZRX1100, and it did say 20mm rear and 25mm front, that's pretty strange :S

where are you checking these numbers out? Im looking at a few axles on ebay, and I want to know if they are 25mm or not. thx

I figured out what I needed, the axles will swap, the parts diagrams on kawasaki.com show the same bearings for the 02 zx7(my wheel) and the 93 zx7 axle Im looking at

Post edited by: 77KZ650, at: 2006/04/27 02:45

If you are doing parts swapping, you had best get you a digital caliper. Harbor Freight has them on sale all the time for under $20... lose that darn tape measure!

You are looking at this issue WRONG! You have wheels with a hole for a bearing race assembly. You will go nuts trying to find the correct axle. The diameter won't be the problem; the LENGTH will!

The swingarm and fork width will be different on each bike... OK, now that I have said all that... FIND THE CHART STEEL REFERRED TO ON THE McMASTER TOOL SITE!

Get your old axle out and measure its diameter using that brand new digital caliper you just bought on my suggestion. The old axle will the pretty much the right length, won't it? Anyway... a bearing has only three measurements... the thickness which is governed by the recess in the wheel it sits in. MEASURE the recess for thickness or pull the current set of bearings and measure the thickness. You have the inside hole diameter from measuring the axle. Now measure the OUTSIDE DIAMETER of the old bearing or the hole it sat in. With these three measurements, you are likely to be able to buy the correct bearing. In the event there is no correct bearing available, get the axles and put in new Kaw bearings as you will want to swap those anyway.

The only number on the chart that will make a LOT of difference in the bearing number is the 6205 or 6302 or, as I am trying to say, the first four numbers; these are coded to the three dimensions I noted: thickness, ID of the hole and OD of the outside. The UU mentioned by someone else from the kawasaki.com site is the material that covers the ends. I can't remember a lot of it, but sealed on one side has a certain code, sealed on both sides another and the actual material of the seal makes the codes different. I generally use the bearings with aluminum sealing both sides and I "THINK" this is ZZ code but could well be wrong.

If you are looking for bearings, as I suggested, call a BEARING SPECIALTY STORE... ask them about "bearings for an electrical motor" as that is where they will find the correct type in their lookups. Just tell them the bearing number (such as 6203) and then then how you want them sealed... It doesn't matter much but many folks like to have them sealed on both sides. Only sealing on one side (use the seal on inside) allows greasing the bearings after removing the rubber outer grease seal.

wiredgeorge wrote:

If you are doing parts swapping, you had best get you a digital caliper. Harbor Freight has them on sale all the time for under $20... lose that darn tape measure!

You are looking at this issue WRONG! You have wheels with a hole for a bearing race assembly. You will go nuts trying to find the correct axle. The diameter won't be the problem; the LENGTH will!

The swingarm and fork width will be different on each bike... OK, now that I have said all that... FIND THE CHART STEEL REFERRED TO ON THE McMASTER TOOL SITE!

Get your old axle out and measure its diameter using that brand new digital caliper you just bought on my suggestion. The old axle will the pretty much the right length, won't it? Anyway... a bearing has only three measurements... the thickness which is governed by the recess in the wheel it sits in. MEASURE the recess for thickness or pull the current set of bearings and measure the thickness. You have the inside hole diameter from measuring the axle. Now measure the OUTSIDE DIAMETER of the old bearing or the hole it sat in. With these three measurements, you are likely to be able to buy the correct bearing. In the event there is no correct bearing available, get the axles and put in new Kaw bearings as you will want to swap those anyway.

The only number on the chart that will make a LOT of difference in the bearing number is the 6205 or 6302 or, as I am trying to say, the first four numbers; these are coded to the three dimensions I noted: thickness, ID of the hole and OD of the outside. The UU mentioned by someone else from the kawasaki.com site is the material that covers the ends. I can't remember a lot of it, but sealed on one side has a certain code, sealed on both sides another and the actual material of the seal makes the codes different. I generally use the bearings with aluminum sealing both sides and I "THINK" this is ZZ code but could well be wrong.

If you are looking for bearings, as I suggested, call a BEARING SPECIALTY STORE... ask them about "bearings for an electrical motor" as that is where they will find the correct type in their lookups. Just tell them the bearing number (such as 6203) and then then how you want them sealed... It doesn't matter much but many folks like to have them sealed on both sides. Only sealing on one side (use the seal on inside) allows greasing the bearings after removing the rubber outer grease seal.

Yes, I plan on getting a dig caliper, just havent gotten around to it yet....

I will have to disagree that Im looking at the issue wrong. the bearings take a 25mm shaft, and finding out the lenth of an axle is easy, when I find one the right length, I can check the kawasaki site to see if they use the same bearings. thats what I did last night, confirming that a 93 zx7 axle will swap with an 02

Swingarm and fork width is different on most bikes, but many years will interchange, as Im sure you know. Oh and as to the chart, yes I will try to find it, I didnt know it was a brand of tools (thought that it might have been a person:silly: )

No, my kz axle is a lot shorter, and not even close to being the same diameter(waay smaller). Also, since the bearings are maximum 4 yrs old (if they are still the original factory ones) I doubt that they would need to be replaced as they turn fine with a finger with no wobble or roughness.

Thats very good info on bearings tho, you know your stuff there, but I believe that getting an axle that will swap right in would be far less hassle since I need one thats longer anyway.

What WG refers to as "Electric Motor Bearimgs" are known as ABEC-1 bearings, AFAIK, the ABEC series extends to ABEC-7. ABEC is the precision standard to which the bearings are manufactured with 1 being the lowest and 7 being the highest. A 6205 ABEC-1 (electric motor bearing) costs $6.55 at McMaster Carr, while a 6205 ABEC-5 costs $212.83

I use McMaster Carr just because it's convenient for me, the bearing sizes can be found at lots of places online.
To find the bearing list at McMaster Carr just scroll down to "Power Transmission" then look for "Ball Bearings" and click on it. Then at the top of the Ball Bearing page click on "ABEC-1".
The "6" in 6205 refers to a 6000 series bearing, the "20" refers to the OD and width, and the "5" refers to the ID. If the last number is less than 4, then it refers to a specific ID, if the number is larger than 3, then just multiply that number by 5 to get the ID in MM.
So 6205. muliply the 5 by 5 and you get a 25mm ID.
There is a listing of Kawasaki wheel bearings in the FileBase.

Here is the link for McMaster Carr www.mcmaster.com/

If you have an axle that is the right length but the diameter is to small, then you can make (or have made) a steel sleeve to fit over the axle and inside the bearings. It's fairly common to do that.

Post edited by: steell, at: 2006/04/27 12:23