CLunk-clunk noise in front end

Front end doesn't feel loose but I have this clunk-clunk noise every time I roll on a bump at low to medium speeds, it is very noticeable on my lawn between the street and my shed, for example.

I restored my front shocks last year so they are ok.

Am i up for a steering stem bearing replacement, or could it be something else?

 

Same thing happened to my bike, ended up I was a weight inside the handle came loose.....took me a long time to figure that out

 

placing bets that it's your steering head bearings - probably just needs adjustment.

I had a new set installed in 2012, by a local shop, and didn't know about checking them after first few hundred miles. During the winter I was getting that exact knock on bumps. I gave them the proper tightening and the knock was totally gone. Actually need to adjust mine again this weekend.

 

How did the shock bushings look when you had the shocks apart?

 

Are you sure it isn't more like a knocking rattle? (I know, I know everybody describes the same noise in a different way). Where specifically? Are you sure it is coming from that height (stem) or farther down the line like at the calipers?

I have a knock/rattle (or however one might describe it) like you are describing, down low at the left side caliper. It seemed to have appeared after the front end was dismantled for fork seal replacement. Everything has been put back in place and everything is torqued to spec. Almost seems as if when releasing the front brake lever, there is too much room in there and the pad is rattling. When applying just the bit of squeeze (while riding) on the lever, the noise goes away as if the piston/pad just took up the possible gap in there. I can even hear it when rolling the bike around in the garage. One little "knock" (tap, rattle, etc...) when applying the brake lever for each direction roll. In other words, roll bike forward... squeeze lever and you hear a little noise. If you roll again in the same direction, there is no noise. If you roll backward and squeeze (after having gone forward) you'll hear it again. Continue rolling back and squeeze, and it is not there.

And just for the additional info... I replaced pads 1 year ago but did not rebuild the entire system. It has stainless braided lines from PO. The MC is working, but I'm looking at replacing (and rebuilding MC... I have my used, spare blasted & cleaned, ready to go) everything over the winter.

 

Have heard that clunk. If someone has not reinstalled stainless steel brake pad shims this allows pads to clunk on bumps

 

I'd say it doesn't come from the calipers because I totally rebuilt the front brakes myself, and I remember I put new shims behind the pads. This said, i'll check to make sure.

 

They looked pretty fine.

 

Actually, the whole front end turns very easily on the right or left side when the bike is on the centre stand, is it a sign that the stem has to be tightened?

 

With all the weight of parts on the front it probably does feel easy to turn. I'm not worried about that. If it's easy to turn with JUST the forks in the triple clamp with nothing else attached, then I'd be concerned that it's a bit loose.

BUT.... The bigger question is-- can you pull up/down (diagonally) on the rim and feel any free play in the stem? If so, definitely needs tightening.

You could also just take the top clamp off and re-tighten

 

remove you handle bar off top clamp and shake it...I'm telling ya mine felt like bearings or caliper issue too. clunk clunk ...clunk cluck....

its an easy check before you start messing with bearings..

 

Do you mean just loosen the top clamp and tighten it back , instead of take the top clamp off?

 

Sounds like a good idea. Last time I tried to remove the bars I failed because the bolts felt stuck like he&& and I didn't want to break anything. I'll give them another try.

 

What I forgot to say is that I had that clunk before I started working on the front brake system and forks two years ago.

 

You need to remove the top clamp so you can retighten the steering stem nuts. They are under the top clamp

 

Makes sense !

 

Update: I sat on the floor of my shed, grabbed both forks at the very bottom ends , put my feet on the headers and pushed the front wheel of the ground and jerked the forks back and forth gently first and felt no freeplay. Then I shooked them pretty hard and felt a litlle free play, I suppose this means the stem bearings need a bit of adjustment, right?

 

What he said! Even with the new tapered bearings on mine (and smooth as hell on rides), when the stem was too loose it would fall to the side fast and "smack" the steering stops. According to everything I've read, that isn't right. I think I watched a video that someone linked on the site.

If you have original bearings, and a lot of miles, could be they're worn as well. On the center stand you could see it if there is dead center flat spot when you lightly push the stem left to right.

 

Bike had original brake lines when I bought it, I wouldn't be surprised if it has original steering bearings. I'll check for any flat spot.

 

Last update: the steering doesn't feel like there is any flat spot, it just feels damn too easy to turn from left to right and back to left, just like it's too loose.

 

So, back to my bet that the steering head needs tightening. Its actually easy, but you need a big socket from what i recall

 

The way I understand it, I'd have to remove the fairing, handlebars, the upper tripletree clamp, and then i'd need two steering nut wrenches, is that right?

 

If you had two spanner wrenches you might be able to loosen the top nut and reach under to tighten it

 

Brass drift.

 

Brass drift.

 

And a brick to hit it with

 

shake the handle bar!!!!! lol

 

That's what I did last time. And anyone correct me if I'm wrong, you should loosen the bottom clamps where the turn signals attach, so those move up a little as you tighten.
Should you loosen the bottom headlamp bracket bolt, too?

 

The 900 came factory equipped with the tapered roller bearings. You will not get the normal flat spot that the ball bearings get.
No need to remove the handle bars, Just the top crown with the bars still attached.

~Ghost

 

+1, and I would NOT loosen the lower fork clamps. Otherwise you're gonna need to re-square the forks, too----

 

Hmm. I should check MY forks then

 

Sounds like an easy job that way, but I'm pretty sure I only have ONE spanner, not TWO...

I'll have to remove the fairing anyhow, right?

 

I haven't been able to remove the bars to shake them yet, bolts are stuck !

 

Correct!
Pull the fairing with gauges attached and set them on the rag covering the front fender/wheel.
Pull the top crown with handle bars attached and set them on the rag covering the fuel tank.



~Ghost

 

It's better with two so you can "lock" them, but if you only have one; adjust the lower ring, then carefully snug the top ring down against it. The crown sits on top of that one and the center bolt will draw it down tight anyway before tightening anything else

 

Thanksm this answers my question about the procedure,

 

Thanks for you advice, Dave

 

I just took a shot a mine, actually - the drift and a hammer was perfect! Needed about a quarter turn. I recall that I borrowed some tools three years ago when I did it last.

Really interested in how it turns out, quebecois!

 

I just did mine with one spanner wrench and a big flat screwdriver with a hammer, not that easy but feasable.

Crown nut was tight like he&&, I had to go buy a 27mm socket and a 1/2 shank (not sure if it's the right word) pry bar to loosen it up. Also, my SS top brake line didn't give me too much free play to remove the top crown (with handlebars, levers, controls and mirrors) but it was just enough to pull them out of the way

I found out that the top (locking) ring wasn't tight at all, I turned it out by hand ! No wonder the whole thing was loose. .

I will post again as soon as I have time for a short ride. Steering feels a bit tight right now, I'll see if it bothers me while riding.

 

saturday afternoon update: the clunk-clunk is gone, so now I can feel and hear the rattle that was hidden by the clunk noise. It sounds like a brake pad rattling in its ca;iper, and now I remember I put only one shin instead of two in each caliper, because I figured it could be enough and because I found them expensive and I'm a cheap bastard...

 

I just double checked my "rattle." It was hard to hear (but annoyingly there) above the sound of the engine. Tonight, in a long parking lot, I got her up to about 35mph and killed the engine. With no engine noise, I could hear that it is actually pretty loud. Again, pulling in on the brake lever ever so slightly makes it go away and it is definitely localized to the left side. When I swapped in new pads last year. The set I purchased from a local shop did not come with shims, nor were there any shims in there when I pulled the old pads. Anyone know if there should be?

 

There should be anti-rattle shims behind the pads, as well as a set that clip to the calipers.

 

Mine didn't have the shims either when I changed the pads. Went to the local Yamaha to try to find some and they were just clueless! (Surprise surprise) Anyway I still don't have them but I'm not having any noise issues at all

 

I thought it was odd that there were no shims. Weird that I didn't notice the noise from the beginning... just since the front end rebuild. Another thing to add to the next Chacal order!

 

Yeah I've been coming up with quite a list for Chacal also. Already planning for my winter "to do" list!

 

Hum, my rattle doesn't go away when I squeeze the brake lever, now I wonder if the loose brake pads are really the culprit...

 

did you ever try just giving the tire a kick and listening for rattles?

 

I can't get a sound with a good kick. I tried... believe me I tried... My neighbor stopped talking to the psycho across the street (me) who's spent a lot of time kicking his front tire and talking to himself. Heh...

Come to think of it, the constant throttle blipping while syncing and color tuning probably didn't help either...

The only way to get the thing to "talk to me" clearly (without the 35mph & kill the engine as described above) is the rolling back and forth while sitting on it (also described in better detail above in this thread.)

 

my whole caliper rattles because the holes the pins go through are ovaled out, some day i'll put bushings in them. until then i know my brakes don't drag because they rattle

 

Perhaps that is my problem. Need a closer inspection.