Adjusting steering head bearings

[riffer]

Ok, I've decided the 'click' when I brake hard is the steering head.

I've got my T-stem nut wrench and my Haynes manual and I'm going to adjust it this Saturday.

I've read how to do it maybe 20 times (wife getting totally sick of seeing the Haynes manual at the dinner table now) and I've got a couple questions for you guys.

The procedure as far as I can see is:

1. Jack up front end of bike so front wheel is off the ground
2. Remove the tank
3. Undo top nut on top triple clamp. Undo top triple clamp and remove.
4. Loosen bottom triple clamp
5. Undo first t-stem nut and remove
6. remove rubber washer between first and second t-stem nut
7. Tighten up second t-stem nut to 56ft-lb torque
8. Undo second t-stem nut and re-tighten to whatever the torque is (must re-read Haynes manual)
9. Check steering for tightness/binding etc. and if still 'clicking' replace bearings.
10. Put it all back together again.

All looks good but I have 1 question. After I do step 4, will the forks just drop down inside the triple clamps?

Should I support the tyre underneath so this doesn't happen? That seems the logical thing to do. How important is it that I get the forks ABSOLUTELY lined up exactly the height they were previously? Will .5mm discrepancy be a problem?

I'm really enjoying working on this bike and hopefully can get some feedback from some of you on this.

Cheers

Simon

[merv]

Firstly if you think the click is in the bearings you should be able to feel the movement by putting a finger of your left hand across the bottom of the steering head and the lower triple clamp and/or bearing housing and then rock the bike back and forth using your right hand with the front brake on.

Then depends how easily you can get your fancy new tool in there, but I'm apt to just loosen the top end i.e. top stem nut above the triple clamp, loosen your top triple clamp on the forks, leave the bottom one done up, don't even jack the bike up and then loosen the first top stem nut - that is the lock nut on top of the bearing adjustment, then just tweak the actual bearing tightening nut so you tighten the bearings up. Do it by feel and check its not making the steering too stiff - I've never used a torque figure for that just the old fingerometer. (56ft-lb sounds way too much for the nut tightening the bearing, the lock nut maybe.) When you think it feels right, do up the lock nut and tighten up your triple clamp top nut and onto the forks. Easy eh!

I'd only take more apart if you really want to see the bearings, grease them, or replace them. For the first try probably not worth that effort, just do it like I said above.

As for fork height you can slide them up and down in the triple clamps as much as they can if you want and it takes a lot to make any difference to steering geometry. You would not be able to tell the difference with .5mm, 20mm maybe. No problem if you don't loosen the bottom ones in the first place.

[riffer]

Thanks Merv,


yeah the click is definitely in the bearings. I've tried to get the tool at the t-stem nut but the tank is in the way and so is the fairing, so I'll have to dismantle. Besides, isn'[t the manual always right?

My main concern is that I'll put it together and the forks will be different lengths and I'll stuff up my handling. I'd like to do this job once and so would Gini (my wife) who's not keen on my spending YET another complete Saturday in the garage working on "that bloody bike".

Of course, she's very appreciative of the workshop bills I'm avoiding.

And anyway, I spent $100 bucks on this spanner. I have to try it out now, don't I?

I'm a bit dubious about undoing the bottom triple clamps myself, as the forks are then sliding about. It seems with the Haynes manuals that you need to read them and then take it with a bit of a pinch of salt, following the bits that make sense. Maybe they are just pedantic, I dunno. That 56ft-lbs seemed real tight to me too - especially since I'll probably use the fingerometer too as I can't find a way to use both my t-stem wrench and torque wrench combined. The manual says its to make sure you take up any slack and then you loosen off.

Anyway, I'll let you know how I went.

[Big Dog]

It seems with the Haynes manuals that you need to read them and then take it with a bit of a pinch of salt, following the bits that make sense. Maybe they are just pedantic, I dunno. That 56ft-lbs seemed real tight to me too - especially since I'll probably use the fingerometer too as I can't find a way to use both my t-stem wrench and torque wrench combined. The manual says its to make sure you take up any slack and then you loosen off.

Anyway, I'll let you know how I went.

Yup, manuals are written with worst case senario's and perfect workshops in mind. If you understand the process as a whole and can see a short cut it won't usully hurt (as long as you are reasonably mechanically apt in the first place.

When I followed my Gregory (same thing but for cars) to change my head gasket (excuse I gave the mrs "I don't want to break down in whanganui and they usually go around 180,000kms, real reason I had just bought a adjustable heavy duty torque wrench on special and nothing else on the car needed one, good fortune? a pinhole was just forming to between the cylinder and the water jacket. ) there was a lot of things like disconnect starter motor from belhousing that while they have better access when on a hoist for removing the headders it makes no difference when parked on the lawn.

On the other if you are mechanically inept following instructions explicitly may help you to learn, provide you have ALL the tools..... if you have never done something before invite someone who has over for a beer so they can offer advice if you get stuck but don't let them help or you won't learn.

When following a manual visalise each step before you start, and again before each step.

[merv]

Sounds like take your tank off and then try what I'm saying above. No need to loosen the forks on the lower triple clamp. Even if you do (that's when you will need to support the front end) don't worry, once you've tightened all the steering head stuff back up then you can slip the forks up and down to you're hearts delight - all you need to do is make sure they are at an even height - eyeometer can measure that or if you are fussy do it with a ruler unless the forks normally sit flush with the top triple clamp and then no worries just line them up.

As for manuals, well you all know I fitted a new shock to the WR. Manual says in one of the instructions - drain the radiator coolant. Why the hell would you do that? I had to undo the rear subframe at the top to tilt it back to gets the shock in and out, which meant simply disconnecting the coolant overflow pipe from the radiator (the overflow tank on the WR is mounted at the back you see) and the coolant all stays where it was and once finished I just connected the pipe again. Go figure.

So commonsense always prevails.

[pete376403]

Celtic, if you get stuck come on over - I have a shed full of tools from when I worked for GG&H - (did a diesel mechs apprenticeship). I'm supposed to be wallpapering this weekend so any excuse...

[riffer]

Celtic, if you get stuck come on over - I have a shed full of tools from when I worked for GG&H - (did a diesel mechs apprenticeship). I'm supposed to be wallpapering this weekend so any excuse...

Sweeeeeeet. I've pm'd you Pete - definitely take you up on that offer. I'll bring my fancy new $100 spanner!