Adjusting steering head bearings on 750SF with steering damper

LV71H

LV71H

New member
Location
Germany
Hi again,
Is there a special trick to adjusting the steering head bearings on a 750 with factory steering damper?
I loosen the damper, then loosen the bolts on the bottom triple clamp and then tighten the 32mm nut between the top triple clamp and the steering head - all with the wheel off the ground and until I feel slight resistance. Then torque everything to spec.
However, play seems to increase after only a few kilometres.
What am I doing wrong?

Esben
 
On my 3c 2 important things are, to make sure the top nut touches the bottom nut, they should touch and act as jamb nuts locking together and preventing any movement after it's adjusted. One of the locals didn't have this contact and it self-tightened as he rode the bike getting to the point of locking his steering, to be avoided. What you need is a very thin 32mm open-ender spanner, pushbike shops have them to hold the lower hex nut in place after it's adjusted. If you don't hold it once the upper nut touches the bottom nut both will turn on the final tightening. My 3c doesn't have a friction steering damper so I don't know what effect they have on this adjusting procedure. It takes a few goes to get mine correctly adjusted. My experience is it tightens and not loosens but as I said I don't have a steering damper. Good luck with this.
 
You do not have to loosen all the fork tube pinch bolts on the triple clamps, only the pinch bolt on the upper triple clamp that tightens the locknut. The adjuster nut under the top triple clamp goes down through the upper bearing, with the locknut protruding above the upper triple clamp. It sounds like you are using correct procedure, and if you are locking the adjuster nut firmly onto the adjuster (it doesn't need to be torqued really tight), it should not be able to move at all once the pinch bolt in the upper triple clamp is tightened onto the locknut. If you suspect it to be creeping tight, put some bits of tape on nut and triple clamp to mark where it is after you have done the adjustment and see if it moves. You should be able leave the friction damper on the shelf.
 
You only need to loosen the top triple clamp of course.
If your bearings aren't seating properly in the frame, play will increase every time you tighten.

Paul
 
Another thing is that if you set for good feel without the locknut tightened it will loosen a tad when you do tighten it. It takes up slack in the threads between the adjuster and the locknut. Agree with Rob about tightening down hard and backing off with new bearings.
 
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