Tue Jun 3 10:10:38 1997 - Message No. 981
From: Pierre DEBRAS

Subject: Steering Adjustment: the "scientific" method


Here is the scientific method for checking the steering bearings.

- Raise the front wheel from the ground;
- Make sure nothing prevents the steering to rotate freely (wires, cables
...)
- Attach a dynamometer to one of the fork tube. Make sure the dynamometer
makes a square angle (90°) with the plan passing by the two tubes.
- The force required to rotate the fork must be between 1.1 and 1.6 kg.


If it is not the case, you need to adjust the steering screew:
- Unlock and remove the steering top screew;
- Unlock (no need to remove) the four bolts of the top T;
- Raise the top T a few mm (with a rubber/wooden hammer);
- Tight the big screew under the top T at 1.1 m.daN. You need a "hook
wrench" and a dynamometric wrench to do that. Note that 1.1 is a very
'delicate' tightening! I just say that for all those "big fingers"
mecanics ... who believe that the more tighten is the best :-)
- Refit the top T. Torque for top T bolts: 2.7 m.daN. Torque for top big
screew: 10.0 m.daN.
- Perform the "dynamometer test" again.

As a general remark, I would say that the first time you use a
dynamometric wrench, you realise that you were tightening all the bolts
*far* too much. If you plan to service your bike yourself, a dynamometric
wrench is worth the investment.

Pierre - Frustrated by the AT requiring virtually no maintenance. I bought
an old CB400 "Four", just for the pleasure to strip it down and put it
back together ;-)



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dipper@normans.isd.uni-stuttgart.de