putting forks back in...

Hey guys,

I've gotta drop the front end out of my Xj650 soon and I was wondering if you guys had any tips on getting them back in - and more importantly correctly level and balanced. Any help appreciated.

Cheers
Rich./

 

K-moe, that is exactly why I said:


VIEW THEM FROM THE TOP OF THE FORKS. If they are parallel, so are your forks, if they are the tiniest bit not parallel, then neither are your forks. It's EASY.

DAVE

 

thanks for the replay - no I just need to pull the forks out to put the gaters on.

I was just wondering if there's an easy way of making sure they are level when I put them back in - not sure about the broom handles - where do you tie them too and how do you know they are themselves 100% perpendicular to the forks?

 

The fork height is set with the top edge of the upper tube flush with the upper surface of the top clamp.

The broom handles don't have to be perfectly perpendicular to the fork legs. You sight down the fork tubes from above, looking for the upper handle to completely obscure the lower handle.

 

Or you can do the the Fork Bouncy Tightening Thing as Fitz explains it in the linked thread.

 

As far as how/where to attach the broom handles---here's how I do it:
1 broom handle gets tired across the forks as high up as I can get it, usually right under the lower triple clamp. (if I have the bucket off, I tie it right across the forks just under the top clamp.

The lower broom handle goes through the front rim, and I roll the rim backward enough hold the handle across the forks at a spot where they are even. The I do the sighting from the top.

The farther away the handles are the better you can dial it in.

Dave

 

I understand that, but it seemd to me that someone else didn't :wink:

 

Oops..... Didn't catch that other post ---- my bad.

Carry on.

Dave

 

Thanks guys - I'm still not convinced about this method - seems a little non-scientific to me but I'll see how it works in practice. I'm not taking the tree off and I'm just going to drop the forks out - put the boots on and push them back up so I think the relationship between the forks should remain the same with the front stock fender on right?

 

It's a very scientific method. The Great Pyramids were surveyed and built using notched sticks as measuring tools. You have the advantage of a set of precision machined parts that are already meant to go together. You can do it.

 

Yet another way to do it, which I have used on every used bike I've ever bought, (because they are all out of alignment when bought) is this:

Slacken the top nut, (actually a bolt) the top yoke clamp for the steering stem, the bottom yoke fork tube clamps, the mudguard mounts, the spindle nut and the spindle clamp. Leave the top yoke fork tube clamps done up, after checking that both tubes are at the same height.

Roll the bike off the centre stand, pump the forks up and down about five or six times with the front brake on, pull the bike back squarely onto the centrestand.

Starting with the top yoke clamp for the steering stem, then the top nut, tighten all the bolts and nuts up, working from top to bottom.

This works a treat, except when the fork tubes are bent. As I found with my XJ a couple of years back. Possibly pilot error in the distant past.

 

Thanks guys! A wealth of knowledge and experience shared is why I'm here

 

Ribo, if all you are going to do is loosen the tube pinch bolts, then there's nothing to worry about. Loosen them, slide to forks down, put the gaiters on, slide the tubes back up, tighten the pinch bolts.

I thought you meant really removing the whole front, like to do bearings, etc.....

It may sound unscientific, but its IS scientific. Simple science--- it two perfectly straight sticks are perfectly level with each other, the the underlying pinnings are also level. They don't need to be parallel, level is the key.

So, all you're doing is the same thing but with an incline.

If the forks are level top to bottom, the sticks will be parallel end to end WHEN VIEWED FROM THE TOP OF THE FORKS. If the sticks aren't parallel when sighting down the length of the forks, then the forks are not square.

Now, if you really NEED to do it the real, official way, you'll have to spring a lot of $$ for a set of V-blocks, and get them set up.........

 

Sounds good - like anything the first time you do it, it seams like a big task but one it's done it becomes small. I've already learnt a lot here and just by getting stuck in. I'm going to try and get this done this weekend.

 

Looks like I need a jack to get enough clearance to drop these out...