The Leader in Chain Slide N Guide Technology

I've noticed that when most riders look at a Pro's quad, they usually only notice the big things that have been changed - the front suspension, bars, steering stem, swing arm, nerf bars / pegs, bumper - the obvious things. I personally think that the things that make a Pro "a Pro", are the things that aren't as easy to notice. The small pieces that make a difference, that many beginners wouldn't think of.

One of those small things happens to be the chain sliders, chain guides, and case saver. The case saver is a little more obvious to most people than the rest. The stock thin metal case saver usually just won't get the job done if you throw a chain during a race. I've seen many people crack their case even with an aftermarket saver, so you can imagine what it would have been like with the stock one still there.

On the YFZ450 in particular, when you ride motocross, freestyle or lots of high-speed jumps anywhere else, the upper chain rollers wears out really fast. This is even more of a problem when you extend the travel in the rear. With more travel, your swing arm and chain are allowed to come up a lot closer and a lot more to the upper guide. If you don't replace it with an aftermarket roller, you can bet on wearing through the guide very quickly!

There's also a guide bolted onto the swing arm itself that protects the cap and swing arm that surround your bearings. Its easy to forget about and it also wears out quickly. My stock one eventually wore down to nothing, and the chain started hitting my swing arm. The chain went all the way through my swing arm and bearing, and I had to replace my swing arm because of it. Replacing this with an aftermarket slider will save you from this expensive mistake.

For all of these parts, I decided to use T.M. Designworks. T.M. is currently used by many top riders and has been a quality manufacturer of these products for many years. T.M. design uses a die cast material finished with their exclusive raised Powerlip design on their rollers. They claim that the chain runs faster and truer than stock or universal rollers with this Powerlip design. All of the rollers come with sealed racing bearings, specific fit stainless or OEM hardware, and a one year wear replacement warranty.

Stock bottom chain roller left; TM Design botton chain roller right

The bottom chain roller is held on with one bolt, but is kind of a pain to get to with the swing arm on. I was able to remove the bolt and install the new one, but it would be much easier to install the part at a time that you have the swing arm already un-installed.

The upper roller and bracket kit is much easier to install. The new bracket moves the roller up much higher for when the suspension compresses farther. *Make sure to install the bracket with the skinny part down. Two bolts hold this roller and bracket on.

The chain Slide N Guide that mounts on the swing arm is molded with an oil additive to reduce drag for HP. The new length reduces the chain torque for improved suspension performance. The thicker top wear pad will accommodate a larger front sprocket. It is also possible to install with the swing arm on, but again, I would recommend you do with the swing arm off. Make sure the bolt isn't going to come loose, but be sure not to break it off in the swingarm.

Stock case saver on left; TM Design case saver on right

The case saver is the only one on the market with a patent pending energy dispensing plastic design. It removes most of the chain impact load off of the two 6mm bolts by having the front section solidly mount against the case. The ornamental cutout reduces weight. The stock case saver and mud guard is held on with two bolts, easily removed. With this case saver, you can use up to a 15 tooth front sprocket and use the stock mud guard if needed.

These four products all cost about $30 each, making the total cost to replace all of these parts a little over $100. But a swing arm costs a lot more than that to replace, and these rollers and guides look a lot better than stock.

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