Steering Head Adjustment

[jdm9123]

Can anyone tell me the proper steps in adjusting the steering neck on my 78 xs?

 

[xjwmx]

The main thing is to not overtighten it. You will read to tighten until there's resistance turning the bars, and then back it off. I destroyed my bearings waiting to feel some resistance. It gave them a bad notch. So Weekendrider sent me a set of races he had, and I got some 1/4" balls at a local supply house, and had much better results the second time around! I still have race and balls type bearings there.

 

[jdm9123]

ok so you're suggesting to tighten the lower spanner nut until i feel resistance and then back off that nut how far? then I assume just tighten the top spanner lock nut and she is good to go?

 

[5twins]

With the ball bearings, basically all you want to do is take the play out so the steering stem isn't loose in the neck. Tapered roller bearings do get run a little tighter but they have much more bearing contact area and can take the added pressure.

The easiest way to set and adjust the ball bearings is with the wheel and forks removed and only the trees installed. That way, the added weight of those components won't mask over the "feel" you're trying to get.

 

[Belle]

I go about it like the stem on a bicycle or adjusting a bottom bracket in a bicycle.

 

[angus67]

i have tapered, and just took the slack out, and kinda snugged it a little more. after i get a few miles in it, ill do it again, then 100miles...then a few hundre,,,,,,,

 

[daroberts3]

don't forget to loosen the lower triple tree fork clamp bolts and verify that the fork tubes are not seized in the tree!

 

[angus67]

don't forget to loosen the lower triple tree fork clamp bolts and verify that the fork tubes are not seized in the tree!

good point!!

 

[Capt_Zoom]

What do you mean by, seized in the tree?

Also, if your running the tappered wheel bearings, it seems like not as much of the step is going into my top clamp (stock or billet). Would it ever be appropriate to only run one of those spanner nuts under the top clamp to get more threads of the top most bolt into the stem?

 

[5twins]

You want both top ring nuts. They lock together and hold your bearing adjustment. It's normal for the top race to sit sticking out a bit from the neck. That's just the way they install. It looks wrong but it's not.

 

[Capt_Zoom]

Using the Alls Balls kit my stem is sitting 5mm or about a 1/4" under the top surface of the top clamp. Is this too much?

 

[5twins]

I'm not sure of the exact amount. Take a look through these pics, maybe it'll help .....

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v463/GoranXS650/XS650 Tinnis Project/Steering Bearings/

 

[Capt_Zoom]

Thanks for posting those pics earlier. I used them during the install. THat's how mine look. But I'm using a billet aluminum top clamp.