[ezman671]

New 15/52 sprockets.



New rear sprocket has the area where the bolts go recessed. Which way does it go on? Does it matter?

I will put it on with the recessed side toward the left side (bolt head side) unless someone knows different.



Locking Tabs - Why are they on the head of the bolt with nothing on the nut end?

 

[biglefti]

New 15/52 sprockets.



New rear sprocket has the area where the bolts go recessed. Which way does it go on? Does it matter?

I will put it on with the recessed side toward the left side (bolt head side) unless someone knows different.



Locking Tabs - Why are they on the head of the bolt with nothing on the nut end?

You are putting it on in the correct orientation. You wouldn't want a gap between the sprocket and wheel hub that would warp the sprocket when you tighten the bolts. As to your question about the locking tabs. They make no sense to me either. The only way they would work is if the holes in the sprocket that the bolts go through were threaded. Since my bike did not have the original sprocket when I changed mine out, I don't know if that is the case. I'm not too worried about it though as mine does have self locking nuts on the bolts so even if they were to work their way loose, I would realize the issue long before it left me stranded somewhere.

 

[GlassAnkles]

recessed side facing out is right. i just put on 15/49's and left those dumb locking tabs off. i used new shorter bolts with a little blue loctite to secure it.

 

[lizrdbrth]

The point of the locking tabs is that they're softer than the sprocket material, allowing some "crush" to prevent spinning of the bolts and to get a better grip on the hardened metals, allowing more grip for less torque on the bolts. The tabs augment this. Hardened washers allow sliding between themselves and the hardened sprocket. Kinda hard for some to get their head around, but hardened washers are not an improvement over the factory setup. If they were Yamaha would have used 6, 5 cent washers instead of bothering with the expense of manufacturing the tab plates.



Second best to the factory setup if yours are missing or trashed would be hardened bolts with mild steel washers.



On recessed sprockets I just let the recess bend the tabs as the bolts are tightened.



I have a wheel here with oblonged, cracked sprocket mounting holes from the PO using hardened round washers instead. Not pretty.

 

[qwerty]

The lock tabs prevent the bolts from turning, shifting, and wallowing out the holes in the aluminum hub. Repair manual requires Loctite on the nuts. Use Loctite. If using the $%#$%% thin hub JT Sprockets sprockets and can't source hardened, fine-thread hardware, place the sprocket on the hub, run the bolts through the lock tabs, through 1 or 2 hardened flat washers so the nut doesn't run out of threads, through the sprocket, through the hub, then apply loctite and torque the bolts to 25ft/lbs. You do not want the threads to contact the hub as they will chew it up--be careful when using shorter hardware that the shoulder is exactly the right length.

 

[lizrdbrth]

If you have an aluminum hub I'll send you a steel one like the rest of us have plus a couple hunnert dollars fer it

Gawd, I hate that 36 pound anchor at the end of my 13hp

 

[phazer]

i just changed out my stock rear sprocket with a 47 tooth JT sprocket. two of the locking tabs were the same but one was a little different so it did not fit inside the recessed part of the JT. no biggie though i just did some lite grinding and it slipped right in.

 

[qwerty]

If you have an aluminum hub I'll send you a steel one like the rest of us have plus a couple hunnert dollars fer it

Gawd, I hate that 36 pound anchor at the end of my 13hp

Shhot, my bad. Potmetal hub. It's quite soft.

 

[TW_in_BC]

recessed side facing out is right. i just put on 15/49's and left those dumb locking tabs off. i used new shorter bolts with a little blue loctite to secure it.

+1 for the Loc-tite. Those metal tabs are expensive for what they are! Use the GREEN Loc-tite if you're worried about disassembly, all you're doing is preventing that they don't vibrate loose.

 

[qwerty]

Green LocTite? All we can get is red, blue, and purple.

 

[TW_in_BC]

Never heard of the Purple stuff before...I guess as long as it is LOW strength. I used GREEN on my stator coil because it is oil resistant.

 

[wrench-puller]

Be cautious with the green, it is high strenght and usally needs heat to remove. The lowest is purple for small fine thread, then blue for normal strenght, then red for med to high strenght, and finally green for high strenght. Very few areas on a TW that you would ever want green, some red, but mostly blue will do on anything you may need to fix on the trail. We use mostly red on diesel engines in our shop due to vibration and heat, and blue on gas/ outboard motors. The brand is important too, Loctite is the best and well worth the extra cost as one lost bolt can ruin your whole day if your 50 miles from the nearest road.