1998-2004 Honda Foreman 450 factory service manual, Page 312Get this manual
FRONT DRIVING MECHANISM If the difference in measurements exceeds the serv ice limit, it ndicates that the bea ring is not insta ll ed squarely, or the case is deformedInspect the bearings and caseIf the backlash is excessive, replace the ring gear left side shim with thinner oneIf the backlash is too smallreplace the ring gear left side shim with thicker oneBacklash changed by about 0.06 mm (0.002 in) when thickness of the shim is changed by 0.10 mm (0.004 in) NOTE: Shims are available in 23 different thicknesses, from 0.50 mm (shim A) to 1.60 mm (shim W) in increments of 0.05 mmRing gear shims: A: (thinnest): 0.50 mm (0.020 in) K: (standard): 1.00 mm (0.039 in)W: (thinnest): 1.60 mm (0.063 in)Replace the right side spacer with spacer that is the opposite thickness of the new left side spacerFor exampleif the left spacer was replaced with 0.10 mm (0.004 in) thicker spacer, replace the right spacer with one that is 0.10 mm (0.004 in) thinner