steering and rear brake issue

Ok everybody, I need some advice. My 82 xj650 maxim's rear brake lever does not return to its original position after i release it. it tends to stick, leaving the brake light on. it doesn't feel like there is any friction on the brake, but i'm sure there is. is this a worn out return spring in the drum brake? i have new shoes and springs coming from Chacal but i didn't know if there might be any other issues i could troubleshoot.

second, when i'm riding i feel like i have to overcome a little resistance to turn the handlebars. it is more than what i might think of as usual. i'll try to describe it as best i can. it doesn't feel like grinding or mechanical friction. it almost feels like the steering is sunken down and i have to "turn the bars uphill". i'm not sure if that makes sense. my forks are wretched at the moment and i have parts coming to rebuild those but i wasn't sure if that would fix the problem. it doesn't feel like the bearings in the steering are worn out, wouldn't it feel crunchy then? it definitely doesn't feel crunchy. its smooth, but at low speed there is definitely resistance to overcome.

thanks for the help guys!

 

You shouldn't ride it until those brake shoes come in. When you have it apart for the install, remove the actuator shaft from the drum cover, clean it off using some 800 grit paper and wd-40 to lubricate it. Grip the paper from the ends and give it a shoe shine motion to get the oxidation off, then apply a thin coat of grease in the groove of the shaft and it should move smooth as butter. I used antiseize in the groove. You might also want to lubricate any other pivot points in the braking system.

You steering bearings could be too tight or cables could keep it from turning freely. You could also have detents in the ball bearings. Get the front wheel off the ground (center stand and jack stand under the front of the frame works well). Turn the wheel from lock to lock, and it should move smoothly, without binding. With the wheel straight, it should fall to the left or right. If there's a "notch", you're going to need to replace the bearings <- this is a VERY UNSTABLE and UNSAFE condition!

How "wretched" are your forks? Rusted and corroded, or twisted and mangled?

 

Get rid of the Original Headset Bearings.

Get a Haynes Manual and use the "Shortcut" that leaves the Master and Controls on the Handlebars.

Drop the Front-end.
Knock-out the old Bearing Races.
Install > Tapered Roller Bearings.

New Rear Brakes.
With Springs and Hdwe.
Overhaul the moving parts.
Lube everything.

Replace the Brake Lever Tension Spring.

 

thanks guys. that sounds like what i had expected. when i say wretched, i guess i just mean "haven't been attended to in a long time". they're very soft. i'm sure they're down on oil and probably have some water in there. so i'm going to rebuild them with some new seals, and hit the brakes before this season.

i'll have to look into the headset bearings. i'd like to get all of this done in one big project while i have the time and motivation.

the haynes manual will be getting some very good looking oily fingerprints on it before the spring.....

 

I'm betting this http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=15874.html is what happened to your rear brake. Let us know if you would.

You can make the front end thing real easy on yourself.

You already know you have to rebuild the forks. Pull the wheel and fender, pull the forks for their rebuild, and while all that's OFF, attend to the steering head bearings. With all of the heavy stuff off the front end already the job will be much easier.

 

Make yourself a Project Stand to assist in getting the Front End work done.

Grab a sturdy cube-type Milk Crate.
Remove some of the Open End with a straight-cutting back saw.

Make the Cut on a slight angle so you can slide it under the Exhaust Collector when the Seat is pushed-down raising the Front Wheel off the floor.

Hit the cut-off edges with a sander and round-off the cuts so it slides nice.

Get a Manuel.
Bead the Section on Forks and Steering Bearings.

You need a Tool to reach down into the Fork Tube to hold the Damper while the Allen Bolt at the Bottom of the Forks is loosened.

 

thanks for the ideas Rick. i have jack stands i was thinking of using, i just haven't looked to see if they'll work well. if not, i'll use your idea. i've got the manual and i've been pouring over it and the forums of all the fork rebuilds i can find. i also have a fork tool being made for me for the dampening rod. i think i'm all set as far as that all goes. i've been amazed at all the information contained on this site, and the sheer magnitude of parts made available from Chacal. i probably wouldn't have bought the bike that i did had i not known about all you guys. thanks again!

 

I'd honestly give rick's idea a try, if you are going to have the whole front end off.

I used a jackstand, but because of the oil filter housing (on my seca), the frame really rests precariously on the jackstand. It should be obvious, but don't do any other work on the bike until you get the front wheel back on. I stupidly tried to tighten the rear axel because I was in a hurry (did both tires) in this "compromised" position, and ended up needing my wife's help to lower the center stand while I lifted the bike off the exhaust from the handle bars. Not fun

 

ok i received my parts from chacal today, got some 10w yamaha fork oil from my local motorcycle super store, some lubricant grease for the head bearings and i will be shortly ordering the tapered bearing kit. is there anything else that you guys can think of that i should do while i have the front end off? i don't need this bike to be factory perfect, its my first bike and i just want it to be a great rider and safe. i think the forks and bearings will make it a great bike to ride, thanks for your help guys!

 

Consider upgrading front fork springs to modern progressive ones? (Ask chacal).

Rebuild front calipers.
Replace front break lines.
Rebuild front master cylinder.
To name a few...

 

If you truly want the bike to be a safe, reliable, daily rider, then read this, and live by it: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=24010.html

There is a "process" involved in properly recommissioning an old motorcyle. Take the time to go through the entire process, and you'll be rewarded with a bike that's even more reliable and enjoyable than when it was brand new.

However, if you try to shortcut the process, it will lead to frustration and a constant string of "problems."

 

is the exhaust collector strong enough to rest the whole weight of the bike on? for the milk crate thing? what i might end up doing for the future is kind of fabricating a stand for my bike but for the mean time i can work on the front end first then the rear brake. i just don't want to stress the exhaust system if it can't handle the weight of the bike.

 

DO not support the motorcycle by the exhaust system, you could open up a whole new arena of issues.

I put mine on the centerstand and use a single jackstand under the crossbar, placed between the #2 and #3 pipes.

 

The Idea of the Milk Crate is to distribute the Minimal amount of force necessary to raise the Front Wheel off the Floor across a wide area while Front Tire or Brake work is being done.

The WEIGHT is still upon the Center Stand.
A minimal amount of weight is distributed on the Collector.
Just enough to Counter Balance the Downward force needed to lift the wheel.

The back-end can be pushed-down by the weight of a 40 Pound Concrete Block.
So the force needed is about 40 Lbs. or less.
Distributed over top of a foot-square Milk Crate: = 40 Lbs per Square Foot.
(0.27 lbs. per Sq. In.)

 

Great thread as always guys. Just a few questions.

1) My steering bearings are worn, but I just did the front fork seals and and oil a few months ago. Can I take the whole front end off at the steering head without taking everything else apart or is that just wishful thinking?

2) I fall somewhere between a novice and an intermediate mechanic. Is this an insane project to take on myself?

3) Approx. how many hours can I expect to need to put into this project?

Consider, this is my only mode of transportation in Los Angeles. So I need to be able to get it done and done right in a day or two tops. But the local shop wants $180 + parts to do the steering bearings. A bit high in my opinion.

 

1) You have to pull the front end off the bike, but I left my forks attached to the lower triple tree when I did it. This makes it harder to maneuver things around.

2) Not too difficult, but take your time. You may need access to certain heating and freezing implements, as well as drifts, hammers, and a dremmel can work well to cut the lowest race on the lower tree (I had trouble with this one).

3) It's always better to allow yourself a little more time.

 

So I can leave the forks on the tree but in might end up being more trouble than just taking them apart.

Heating & Freezing??? Like a hair dryer and my freezer? or do I need compressed CO2? or nitrous for freezing and an actual heat gun? Also what is the heating and freezing for? Expanding and shrinking the rubber seals?

Sorry, I've always found there is nothing worse than getting into a project and then realizing you don't have the proper tools. So I'm just trying to fully understand what I'm going to need here.

 

You can tackle these projects by yourself.

What you NEED is a Factory Workshop Manual.

The Manual will guide you through the process "Step by Step".

That and having the necessary Tools will make the tasks a matter of following directions and take you as much time as your ability permits you to work at.

 

I have a Haynes guide and the Yamaha owners workshop manual. I'm looking at it right now. It makes it look really simple. No where does it mention heating or cooling anything. In theory the job seems simple enough.
But I thought I'd lean on the expertise of some of the guys on this forum who have done the job before and let me know what kind of little surprises to expect.

Thank you ManBot for the heads up about the last race. I'm still not sure what the heat/freeze is for but I think I can figure it out with what I've got.

 

1: Yes but it's SOOO much easier if you just bite the bullet and take the forks out of the trees altogether. Having done it both ways over the years, the more weight you can take off the whole mess the easier it will go; and it's much easier to be sure it's correct if you do it that way.

Tip: Dismount the handlebars, and wrap the whole assembly in a couple of old bath towels then set it on the front of the tank. Hang the brake caliper(s?) from convenient spots on the frame with a couple of wire coat hangers cut to suit.

2: Not at all. It's actually pretty straightforward but it requires a bit of finesse and paying close attention to exactly what you're doing.

3: Give yourself 4 hours and it will probably be done in half that. Myself, I don't like to rush things, I tend to triple-check so I don't forget anything.

$180 is pretty high. You could almost buy my airplane ticket to come out there and do them for you for that...

 

I just wanted to thank everyone for the tips. I did the bearings last weekend. It was pretty straight forward like you guys said. The only real issues were getting those races out. Those things were jammed in there so tight it took over 2 hours to wiggle/pry them out. I had to cut the bottom one out. Luckily I had a dremel on standby expecting that problem. Thanks ManBot. All in all 4 hours of work. Most of which trying to get out those races. Thanks guys.

 

Next time, ... Buy yourself a 9-Inch Line-up Tool.

The 9-Inch Lineup Tool gives you a Tool that you can use to Punch-out those Races.
Keep the Tool "Pointed-up".
Grind a nice sharp-edged end on the Tool.
Dress any Mushrooming that might happen from hitting the handle-end with a hammer.