Still watching this with interest Bos. intend to tighten mine on the weekend though I'm also looking at front end alignment as well.
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Noise in steering head
- Thread starter bosco659
- Start date
David Toll, what do you suspect is wrong with your alignment? Could be as simple as a slight twist on the forks.
Hello Paul
I agree. It just doesn't look quite right and the front wheel was a devil to get in place. I suspected the the front forks may have been bent but I wasn't into a fork rebuild then as I had so much on my plate. I figure I'll loosen the bottom clamps, the axle, the fender mounts and the calliper bolts and give the whole front end a good "bouncing" with both wheels straight and on the ground and the bike held upright by some volunteers. If necessary, I'll put the wheel between my knees and twist it little to finish the job. The trouble with rebuilding the whole bike is that you have to be good and so many different jobs - I may have short cut on the front end alignment.
If that doesn't cure it, I'll rebuild the forks with new tubes from TC Bros and check my steering bearings at the same time, but not just yet. Plan on riding her a little first. She's running OK on the road without any noticeable issue apart from an occasional clunk which I suspect to be bearings.
I agree. It just doesn't look quite right and the front wheel was a devil to get in place. I suspected the the front forks may have been bent but I wasn't into a fork rebuild then as I had so much on my plate. I figure I'll loosen the bottom clamps, the axle, the fender mounts and the calliper bolts and give the whole front end a good "bouncing" with both wheels straight and on the ground and the bike held upright by some volunteers. If necessary, I'll put the wheel between my knees and twist it little to finish the job. The trouble with rebuilding the whole bike is that you have to be good and so many different jobs - I may have short cut on the front end alignment.
If that doesn't cure it, I'll rebuild the forks with new tubes from TC Bros and check my steering bearings at the same time, but not just yet. Plan on riding her a little first. She's running OK on the road without any noticeable issue apart from an occasional clunk which I suspect to be bearings.
It might be the triple trees that are out of alignment with one another. Sit on the bike and look over the instrument pod down at the front wheel. Is it centered under the fender? If not, it's pretty easy to "bump" it back into alignment. Loosen the bottom triple tree pinch bolts and fender bolts, and knock the off-center side of the front wheel against a door jamb. You can usually knock the forks back straight like this.
My Virago has an issue just as 5twins described above. When I dismantle the front end it always takes some effort to get the triple trees and forks realigned. I also use a door jamb. Remember to loosen the fork brace when realigning.
