Front wheel alignment issue (what am I missing/doing wrong!?)

[franklyfranks]

alright guys,
woke up to those posts about the fork tube and went and out started looking. I disassembled the front end and compared them on the ground and thought I started seeing a bent tube on the rider's right but couldn't tell. So I decided to do a sort of reverse install of the fork and wheel to the way I did it last time. If the fork lowers fit with the axle and everything clamped together as it should then it would at least isolate the problem to the triple or tubes. When I did that everything bolted up nice and snug and in doing so, a good size kink in the rider's right tube was extremely noticable!
Pic:

It's a little hard to notice the amount of bow in the picture but you can see it lined up next to the rider's left fork.
I guess when i installed the rider's right fork into the triple tree the first time i must have locked it with the bow facing outward, creating that space between the dust cover and the wheel.
So Peanut, good fucking eye man and thank you guys for all the suggestions and patcients.
Now, does anyone have a straight right fork you wanna sell me?????
ha!

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Anybody remember these optical illusions? Unfortunately, teebs pics disappeared, but shows the wierdness that can happen when crash parts appear in the supply stream.

http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26388

I think you've got it sussed

Sussed? Now you've GOT to tell me the origin of that...

 

[peanut]

Anybody remember these optical illusions? Unfortunately, teebs pics disappeared, but shows the wierdness that can happen when crash parts appear in the supply stream.

http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=26388



Sussed? Now you've GOT to tell me the origin of that...

Its slang ,I suspect it originated in London's swinging 60's ,it means to understand completely
it can also be slang for 'suspect ' as perp is for perpetrator
suss (ss)
tr.v. sussed, suss·ing, suss·es Slang
1. To infer or discover; figure out: "I think I'm good at sussing out what's going on" (Ry Cooder).
2. To size up; study: "Suss out the designers in whom you are interested" (Lucia van der Post).

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Its slang ,I suspect it originated in London's swinging 60's ,it means to understand completely
it can also be slang for 'suspect ' as perp is for perpetrator
suss (ss)
tr.v. sussed, suss·ing, suss·es Slang
1. To infer or discover; figure out: "I think I'm good at sussing out what's going on" (Ry Cooder).
2. To size up; study: "Suss out the designers in whom you are interested" (Lucia van der Post).

Thanx peanut. At first it sounded like what some of the locals might use when being chased out of the brush, like: "Who's thar?" "Dammit, don't shoot, 'suss!"

 

[peanut]

I don't recognise the English language as spoken by yoof today, its all textspeke slang . Its nothing like wot I learnt at skol

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Frank, those tubes aren't so bad that they can't be straightened. I'd recommend pulling the forklegs apart, and rolling each tube on a flat/level tabletop, looking for wobbliness. Then, like in the previous mentioned post, place the upper triple, upside-down, under the steering stem triple, and check for precise alignment/spacing of the forktube holes...

 

[xjwmx]

So it's bent, but why wouldn't it pull together at the bottom? It might not have been usable but it should have pulled together if the rest of it is right.

 

[franklyfranks]

Two many,
Going to give that a shot and see what happens. Worst case, I was thinking about lowering the front but probably will now and replace the tubes if I have to.
Xj,
I wasn't looking for bent tubes to begin with and the bend is right under the trees where the gaitors were so it was hard to recognize. Plus these things are pretty hard to close a gap on when they're laced up in the triples and was afraid of possibly bending what I thought were my straight tubes. Just glad this headache has been resolved.

 

[ReycleBill]

As long as there are no creases where the bends are you can probably straighten the bent tube(s). It's been 30 years since I did it but we always did ours on a set of wooden V-blocks on an arbor press but I'm betting a set of wooden V-blocks an oak board and a hammer might also work if you don't have access to an arbor press.

Take your time, roll them on a really flat surface to check them. I've straightened tubes with obvious bends in them-- give it a try or find a helper who has done it before.

 

[XSLeo]

As long as you are careful and don't oval the fork tube that will work.
On you oak blocks drill them so they match the diameter of the tubes. This will lessen the chance of ovaling.
Leo

 

[Tomterrific]

Install the axle correctly:

First, tighten the axle nut on the axle to 80 ft lbs to clamp all the spacers and bearings.

Second, only afterwards tighten the clamp bolt on the other fork slider.

Tom

 

[650Skull]

Chances are the lower triple is bent. A smack to make the forks bend like that has to have a flow on effect somewhere. I would be looking at the lowers for any damage as well