Just bought a used Gio Mini Beast, question able rear axle carrier

[PMac]

I just purchased a used 2008 Gio Mini Beast (was listed as a 2005 Taotao 110cc), and I'm in the process of completely rebuilding it to get it in good shape for my son.

I've got it completely stripped down to the bare frame, and everything is pretty straight forward, except for the rear axle carrier.

The original owner had this thing rigged with tons of electrical tape in lieu of proper bushings due to what seems like either a worn axle or carrier/bushings, and I'm trying to make sense of how it's SUPPOSED to be assembled.

The rear axle diameter is MUCH smaller than the bearings in the rear carrier, so I'm assuming there's supposed to be some sort of bushings on/in there, but I haven't been able to find any info/pictures/videos on the internet detailing how a proper rear axle should fit on these machines.

Originally I assumed the axle should fit snugly inside the bearings in the rear carrier, but there's AT LEAST 3/16" of play in there.

I've gone ahead and ordered a new carrier, since the bearings are a little tight, and the dust covers/plastic bushings(?) are pretty banged up, so I thought that might be attributing to some of the play.

Photo for reference (the dust covers are removed in this photo):


https://imgur.io/ggDqLrj

Are there meant to be some sort of metal bushings/sleeves around the axle where it passes through the bearings in order for it to fit snug and actually turn the bearings?

As it sits, the axle just slops around inside the carrier and only makes contact with the inner bearing where the weight of the bike pushes down on the axle, so it bounces all over the place inside the carrier and doesn't actually use the bearings.

[PMac]

I just measured the bearing/axle.

The ID of the bearing in the carrier is 30mm, and the axle is 24mm at the widest point where it should be inside the bearing carrier.

Am I missing a bushing or sleeve or something?

[Bruces]

Member Flashlightboy is a gio dealer ,he can help you .Its also possible the bearings are incorrect .

[PMac]

Originally Posted by Bruces

Member Flashlightboy is a gio dealer ,he can help you .Its also possible the bearings are incorrect .

Thanks for the tip. All of the axle carriers I've found online also have a 30mm bore diameter (which is consistent with a 6006 bearing). And all of the axles I've found state either 24mm or 23.96mm, which is what led me to believe I must be missing a piece.

I've gone ahead and ordered some 24x30mm sleeves that I found on ebay, but they won't arrive until sometime in January, so I'm definitely open to other suggestions.

I've been browsing this forum for a while, but have just joined today; how do I tag a user in a post?

[dirtbkr188]

The numbers on the bearing cover usually indicate the ID, OD, and width of the bearing. If you can, post those numbers up for all to see. As Bruces stated, the previous owner may have just stuffed bearing with the same OD and width to fill the hole and "built up" the axle with electrical tape to make up the difference.

[PMac]

Originally Posted by dirtbkr188

The numbers on the bearing cover usually indicate the ID, OD, and width of the bearing. If you can, post those numbers up for all to see. As Bruces stated, the previous owner may have just stuffed bearing with the same OD and width to fill the hole and "built up" the axle with electrical tape to make up the difference.

They're 6006RS bearings, which are 30x55x13mm

[Bruces]

Since it’s a Gio bike ,they are only available in Canada ,there are lots of snowmobiles running that exact bearing ,so my guess is somebody had a sled bearing which are very popular up here and used what he had .I just looked in my stash of junk ,and unfortunately I don’t have any gio beast rear axles left ,but any bearing shop or even Princess Auto should have a bearing for you .

[PMac]

Originally Posted by Bruces

Since it’s a Gio bike ,they are only available in Canada ,there are lots of snowmobiles running that exact bearing ,so my guess is somebody had a sled bearing which are very popular up here and used what he had .I just looked in my stash of junk ,and unfortunately I don’t have any gio beast rear axles left ,but any bearing shop or even Princess Auto should have a bearing for you .

Unfortunately it's not really the bearing that's the issue, it's the 6mm difference between the bearing ID and the OD of the axle that's causing the issue. I need something to properly fill that gap, which is what leads me to believe this atv came missing a piece that the previous owner just "fixed" by wrapping the axle in tape.

[dirtbkr188]

The Parts Website for TaoTao Parts can be found HERE, and if you click on Rear Suspension System (B1), you'll get the parts list for the parts in the picture, if it's any help.

[PMac]

Originally Posted by dirtbkr188

The Parts Website for TaoTao Parts can be found HERE, and if you click on Rear Suspension System (B1), you'll get the parts list for the parts in the picture, if it's any help.

Thanks for the link to that site, it looks like a great resource for parts. Unfortunately it doesn't seem like it'll help me figure out what's causing this play in the rear axle on my son's atv though...

[PMac]

I'm starting to wonder if maybe the axle has been replaced with the wrong one, or if it's somehow been worn down 6mm in the center.

A new axle is going to end up costing me $100+ anywhere that I've been able to find it, so I'm nervous about ordering one in case it's not the real issue

[dirtbkr188]

Would a 24.5mm ID and 29.5mm OD sleeve on the axle (to fit into the bearings and the width of the axle carrier housing) work for you, by any chance?


Trying to think outside the box a little bit here.

[dirtbkr188]

Also, looking at the parts list above, it does state that the bearings are 6006-2RS with the 30mm ID, and that the axle is 24mm OD, so I'd say you have the original factory parts.

[dirtbkr188]

I just took a quick look at the TaoTao ATA110B I have here, and it appears that both the rear sprocket hub and brake disc hub "may" fit into the bearings on both sides. I can't get the calipers on either one to measure the OD of the flanges on both sides. If you have those off the axle, can you get a measurement on them at your end?

[PMac]

Originally Posted by dirtbkr188

I just took a quick look at the TaoTao ATA110B I have here, and it appears that both the rear sprocket hub and brake disc hub "may" fit into the bearings on both sides. I can't get the calipers on either one to measure the OD of the flanges on both sides. If you have those off the axle, can you get a measurement on them at your end?

I don't have a set of calipers, though they are close in size, but don't quite fit into the bearing. They may have fit into the plastic/rubber dust cover before this one got deformed over time from the previous owner, I won't know for sure until my new bearing carrier arrives next month - but that doesn't seem to be very sensical, since it's just made of plastic and would be bearing the entire weight of the atv and rider...

I've ordered some metal sleeves off of ebay to try out, but the closest I could find is an EXACT fit at 24x30mm, so I doubt I'll be able to get them on the shaft, but I thought it was worth a try.