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steering head bearings

154048

154048

Atomic City Boxer
I snugged down my steering head bearings, but now I get a clunk and see the head move when I apply the front brake near a stop (like pulling into the garage.) It didn't seem to do this before I snugged it down...

I can wiggle the front forks front to back. My question is how many eigth or quarter turns might the ring take (I tightened about 1/8 of a turn). I am concerned about over tightening the bearings. The 'ring' felt pretty tight when I was done, yet the front end still seems loose. Might it be that I need to really tighten the cap nut on top? How tight should that be? What exactly does it do?

Sounds like ramblin, I know....I attempted to decypher Snowbums article, but got lost....
Thanks,
 
I guess my question is: How tight should that cap nut be (on top). I really feel like the bearings are ok (handle bars slowly but surely go to the stops when nudged...my previous low speed wobble is gone etc).

But it seems like the top plate slides forward under hard braking or pot holes and clunks. I think I just need to really bear down on that acorn nut..eh???
 
The top nut is supposed to be torqued to 90 lbs/ft. This nut locks the bearing adjuster and locates the top plate. When you tighten it, it will (via the top plate) press against the bearing adjuster, futrher tightening it, so recheck your adjustment before you ride the bike.
 
Don't forget to loosen the lower triple clamp/fork interface while you adjust the tension on the bearing. And of course to re-tighten it when done. It's too tight when you feel the giant hand causing you to appear to weave all over the road.
 
I bought a 36 mm flat spanner from a bicycle shop and ground it down to fit. Nice operation in that I don't have to remove the handlebars to tighten the 'acorn nut'...which I did handily. It was finger tight before. All seems well.

Taking it for a test run tomorrow. she needs to be up to standard for the rally here this weekend.
Thanks to all.
 
If you've had any slop in the bearings for long, feel for "notching" of the bearing races. It doesn't take much radial movement in the bearings to ding the races. The symptom is the front end wanting to turn in little jerks rather than smoothly.

Once in a while you need to replace the steering head bearings.

pmdave
 
Fortunately there is no notching. The PO had the bearings replaced just before I got it (makes me wonder if the mechanic fully tightened the cap nut when he was finished...that nut should not just 'come loose', should it?
 
If I understand you correctly you have fork play and are trying to correct it with the cap nut. The cap nut is really a lock nut of sorts. The bearing play is adjusted with the "nut" under the it. On my 82 this nut is under the upper tripple tree and not visable from above. You have to look at it from the side. A hooked spanner type of wrench is used to adjust it. Look at the headset on a bicycle it is adjusted the same way. I have to remove my gas tank to adjust this.
 
"You have a gas tank on your bicycle! WOW!"



Mine does too-it just gives up on hills. Try keeping it full of Magic Hat (VT beer)
 
Last edited:
I was able to snug down my bearings using the head set nut (had to use hammer and screwdriver to tap it) and got good adjustment there. My trouble was that I wasn't sure how tight to get the 'cap nut'. I followed Snowbums advice to get it as tight by hand as possible "then give the wrench a couple of whacks with a hammer'...Not as accurate as a torque wrench, but the bottom line is that it needs to be tight.

I took a test run last night and 'OOO' La La how sweet it is. I had a discomforting wobble at low speed, which is gone and the bike tracks so well now. I might not even need to put my hands on the bars again...oh, wait, maybe I better not get too crazy.

I also added the controvercial 'Dyna Beads, and note that from low to high (relative term with a 30 year old Airhead), the bike is shimmy and wobble free. Nice to have those nasty stick on weights gone.
 
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