Kawasaki 750 hard tail (was rear end ratios)

[minimutly]

Hi, as promised, hopefully this should work. If it does I'll add another. Been busy dismantling the back end - one thing's for certain, whoever built this was no genius with a welder, they came from the school of more must be better. Hours of grinding, and best of all, after removing the chequer plate over the axle i could see something wasn't right. So I held up a straight edge to the axle - kind of above it but in line if you know what i mean. I was right - the axle is actually bent, the wheels going forward around 5mm I would guess.
Anyone seen this before? I'm not too concerned, so long as the casing isn't cracked.
Now I need to cut the axle off, before making some brackets so it can be welded back on properly. All I wanted to do for now was fit a king and queen seat - amazing how a simple job ends up mamoth...
huw

[minimutly]

Oh, forgot to add, posted recently on the subject of rear brakes - this doesn't have any - well much anyway, feels like cylinders seized. But the weird thing is, it has mini cylinders - the ones held on with the awkward circlips. I suspect the backplates are mini too...
Huw

[Olds]

A bent axle is quite common (mine was). Sometimes this is caused by the way it's been mounted in the trike (no support near the hubs), a clipped kerb, or it may have come out of the donor vehicle that way. The tube are very thin. Unfortunately this can put strain on the bearings, half shafts and differential. As well as having a possible detrimental effect on handling. Check to see if the tubes are bent equally or if it's just one.

As for the brakes, the Kitten had twin piston slave cylinders instead of the sliding ones normally found on Reliants.

[fifer]

Regarding the mini brakes , the Robins from about 1995 on also had Mini Brakes .
The only difference is the handbrake lever is angled differently .
Have a look at my site ;

https://sites.google.com/site/fifersrelianthintsandtips/brakes/rear 
.
.

[Manky Monkey]

My brother Brock has a reliant axle in the roadster he's building at the moment. He used a Ford Popular transverse rear spring, (a leaf spring mounted behind the axle & running across the width of the car). It proved strong enough to bend the axle tubes. Not sure if it actually bent them, or moved them slightly in the aluminium diff casing, as they're only held by 3 rivets. Problem sorted by adding a bolt on brace across the back of the axle.
Rather than welding your axle into the frame, it might be better to make up clamps to hold it. As Dave says, Reliant tubes are quite thin, compared to the wall thickness of your frame. Also means you can take the axle out easily if there's a problem with it. Most of the Reliant axles I've had have had Mini brakes.

[Olds]

Standard Reliant axle tube. Note that it's just welded tube. I replaced mine with 5mm wall cds.

[kapri]

It would be very easy to warp that while welding any brackets to it.

Exhaust tube is 1.6mm!

[minimutly]

Yes brackets it will have - a little further out than original as well. You have to question the strength of the origina design that puts all the weight of the bike and rider almost in the middle of the axle -certainly not where mr reliant intended it. Having said that, my axle is bent in the horisontal plane, I can't see a 750 8v engine producing enough torque to do that. I'm not sure if one or both tubes are bent, or is it where the tubes join the casings.
Fifer, that's one very useful web page, thanks.
Huw

[minimutly]

Well as usual the deeper you dig the worse things get. With thoughts of narrowing the axle, as well as a niggling doubt over the wheelbearing on one side, I pulled the nearside shaft. The bad news is the splines have had it -nearly worn through. Probably through wear caused by the bent axle, but I cant be sure of that.
So, anyone in South Wales got a spare axle?
Huw

[hunter]

There is an axle in mountin ash,
But it is a regal,
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Reliant-Back-Axle-For-Trike-Etc-Project-a-Axle-/271401100029?pt=UK_CartsParts_Vehicles_ATVQuad_Trike_Parts_Accessories_SM&hash=item3f30c422fd

[minimutly]

Yes I had seen it, the casing is different, are the innards the same?
Huw

[zakboy]

regal diff inners are diffrent

[minimutly]

Thanks zakboy,  got my eye on another and there may be one locally. If I didn't have so many projects on the go I'd bite the bullet and go to a sprung rear end with sierra diff, but I really want to race my metro this year and currently its only a roof and sides.
Huw

[minimutly]

I've picked up an axle, looks nothing like the mini braked axle I had on the trike. The casing is different and it has reliant brakes, so I guess it's an early axle. Ratio is 3.5 something (39/11), so I could run bigger tyres to improve the ride. The half shafts look the same, but haven't checked the bearing sizes yet. Oh, and its rusty....
Huw

[Olds]

I've picked up an axle, looks nothing like the mini braked axle I had on the trike. The casing is different and it has reliant brakes, so I guess it's an early axle. Ratio is 3.5 something (39/11),

If the diff casing is different, then it is an early axle as fitted to the Regal in which case the ratio should be 4.375 : 1 unless it's come from a van then it could be 5.14 : 1
Is it the Mountain Ash axle?