Modern Buddy

I have a set of new Michelin S1 tires waiting to be put on my buddy 125. I called the local shops and they quoted me $65 per wheel to have tires installed (if i bring the whole scooter in). For that cost I'm much more inclined to just do it myself. I'm a fairly handy person and have a decent amount of tools that have served me well on the buddy so far.

But i have a few questions before i jump right in and take it apart:

Would anyone tackle this job without a torque wrench? the torque values seem very very low to me, all in the single digits for lb/ft.

Do these bolts need loctite on reassembly? The manual doesn't suggest it but with low torque values i worry about the bolt/nut backing out.

Anything else i should look out for before starting?

I believe i had the kg-m conversion wrong so this is what I've come up with for torque values:

Front wheel: (21-29) lb/ft
Rear wheel: M6-(5-8 ) lb/ft
M14-(58-72) lb/ft

So clearly this is quite a bit more torque. But the question still remains, would anyone tackle this without a torque wrench?

I would go to Harbor Freight and buy a torque wrench- http://www.harborfreight.com/1-2-half-i ... h-239.html they go on sale for $10-15 dollars.

I would also recommend buying a set of tire irons, I use these - http://www.revzilla.com/product/motion- ... tire-irons

There are plenty of videos on Youtube that show how to get the tire off the rim and back on. I just cut the old tire off the rim.

I pull my own wheels, and pay $12.00 to have a tire shop mount them. Be sure the dot on your tire lines up with the valve stem. You can leave the rear hub on and avoid the 15/16" socket for the rear axle. Go to harbor freight and buy a torque wrench. You should torque the fasteners to spec. Do you want even the slightest chance of your axle nut working loose?

I think i wasn't clear enough. I just want to pull the wheels and then bring them into the shop to be professionally mounted.

After thinking about it a few minutes i just ordered a pretty well rated torque wrench off Amazon for $40.

So the service manual says M6 and M14 bolts on the rear wheel, isn't there only 5 of the same size bolt holding the rear wheel to the brake drum? I'm confused where the 2 sizes come in unless they are including exhaust bolts.

I just did my tires on the Honda Elite 150. What I did was to take the tires off, take them to my dealer Carlisle Cycle and Scooter, and Bill just mounted the tires on for me and I reinstalled. I'd rather leave the tire mounting to the pros. He had the old tire off and the new one on in 15 minutes.

Impact drill is essential for removing the rear wheel. So much easier. I use one from Harbor Freight as this is only for removing, not installing.

The torque values you listed seems low. For my rear wheel it was around 70 ft lbs. Are you sure about those numbers? There should only be 1 nut holding the rear wheel on to the rear drive spindle.

I believe the buddy rear wheel is removed by taking out the 5 bolts that hold it to the brake drum. The drum stays with the scooter and the wheel/tire come off. No large nut in the rear. I'm sure there are many people that can let me know if this is accurate.

But the front wheel is definitely a nut and large axle bolt. The service manual says 3-4 kg-m, which converts to about 21-29 lb/ft.

4th reply from top. Here you go.

topic21240.html

Not for a Buddy but very similar.

These two YouTube videos may be helpful for you - the same steps apply for all Buddy scooters.

Genuine Buddy 170 Rear Wheel Removal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHsmJQ8EGnc

Genuine Buddy 170 Rear Wheel Installation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsctmVtYV5E

I saw your removal video, but i missed the installation one. So you have no fears about not torquing those 5 bolts?

Can anyone verify the 21-29 lb/ft for torque on the front axle? I want to torque that one properly since its all relying on that 1 nut to stay together.

I stand corrected. The Buddy's are way different than the Honda Elites.

Joel Buddy 125 wrote:I saw your removal video, but i missed the installation one. So you have no fears about not torquing those 5 bolts?

Can anyone verify the 21-29 lb/ft for torque on the front axle? I want to torque that one properly since its all relying on that 1 nut to stay together.

I would suggest that if anyone is not comfortable following the video and familiar with how much torque they are applying when using a wrench - then don't do it or get a torque wrench just to be sure.

That said, we have done it exactly per the video for several years on several scoots with no problems (and no fears). Just keep in mind if you don't torque you may do one of two things: over tighten and break or strip the bolts or not tighten them enough and have them work loose while riding.

So all buddy's have the rim bolted to the brake drum like this correct? I like the idea of avoiding that large rear nut since it requires so much torque. Do you have any videos for front rim removal or replacement? It's nice to see this work done before stating so i know what to expect.

I did end up buying a torque wrench since i don't have a "calibrated wrist" as some do. Maybe I will develop it after using a torque wrench for a while.

Blue Loctite. My dealer applies a thin bead to the bolt before installing the nut. A little peace of mind.

Joel Buddy 125 wrote:I believe the buddy rear wheel is removed by taking out the 5 bolts that hold it to the brake drum. The drum stays with the scooter and the wheel/tire come off. No large nut in the rear. I'm sure there are many people that can let me know if this is accurate.

But the front wheel is definitely a nut and large axle bolt. The service manual says 3-4 kg-m, which converts to about 21-29 lb/ft.

I only take off the large nut in the rear. It's quick, easy, and I can clean out the dust from the rear brake while I'm in there.