twowheelnut
R.I.P. Our Motorcycling Friend
Dang, Bounce! You made me pull out the Websters on crenellated! But that sorface one still has me lookin'. <leaves door open> Must be a contraction of some sort?
Steering head ring nuts
- Thread starter GPRIDER
- Start date
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dobias
Well-known member
Yep, there is a long socket made for the FJR. I've been thinking about it and I remember it was about $75 plus S&H...too rich for my blood.
The "notched" hex nuts will accept a six pointed socket.
I guess I'll just have to measure it this winter while I have everything apart.
dobias :glare:
The "notched" hex nuts will accept a six pointed socket.
I guess I'll just have to measure it this winter while I have everything apart.
dobias :glare:
G
gski
Guest
According to my dealer the nut is a 35mm. I asked them to check the size for me when I was there the other day.
g
g
dobias
Well-known member
gski,
Thank you very much for the size. Now I can look for an inexpensive steel tubing type socket. If necessary, I can castellate it with a hack saw & a grinder.
You gave me the idea of buying another nut to have as a guide.
dobias :glare:
Thank you very much for the size. Now I can look for an inexpensive steel tubing type socket. If necessary, I can castellate it with a hack saw & a grinder.
You gave me the idea of buying another nut to have as a guide.
dobias :glare:
SilveradoSlick
Well-known member
Work the front suspension between the initial and final tightening. I had to take mine up to 17 ft/lbs.
are you meaning the top nut[1] or the inner, bearing retaining nuts[2]? the top nut is a socket type the retraining nuts call for a spanner. details of sizes, tools, torques, etc. are in the service manual but also here:
https://www.bikes-n-spikes.org/maint/shb/shb.html
[1] Steering Stem Nut - different sizes for different years
[2] Ring Nut
radman
R.I.P. Our Motorcycling Friend
My 05 takes a 36mm for the top nut. I use a rag before attaching the socket so as to protect the finish.
JimV
Well-known member
Check this one out: Komotodraggin Steering Head ToolThanks for all the input guys. Dobias, the only wrench I've seen so far is the half moon looking thing. May be another one out there. Just haven't seen it.
GP
dobias
Well-known member
JimV,
BINGO!
That's the one I was trying to remember. I didn't forget that price of $75, though. It sure looks like a socket to me. I'm still looking for a thinwall substitute for it.
dobias :glare:
BINGO!
That's the one I was trying to remember. I didn't forget that price of $75, though. It sure looks like a socket to me. I'm still looking for a thinwall substitute for it.
dobias :glare:
Geez....count me among the hackers who just tightens the steering head bearings by feel....LOL.
The service manual instructions are generally written in a "legal" fashion so that even if a moron is working on the thing the "procedure" will be bulletproof IF THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE FOLLOWED. I am pretty sure that that is why there is a torque spec on that ring nut for the steering head bearings. Given that it is a safety item that could affect steering and control Yamaha surely wants to avoid any liability that could be incurred by simply saying "tighten by feel..."
I cannot see any other rational for suggesting a torque on that nut for setting bearing preload. Knowing how many variables that there are in measuring torque it cannot be that critical for bearing preload. The main thing is to get any freeplay out of the bearing and yet not tighten it so much that stiction becomes an issue. Given that a simple "torque" spec covers that in the service manual there must be a pretty huge band of bearing preloads that will work fine because torque on a nut like that (that preloads a bearing) is not precise at all.
Ball bearings and their races are pretty darned hard and pretty hard to dent or brinell unless you start hitting the assembly with a large hammer. I wonder just how tight you would have to tighten that stem nut to actually brinell the bearings....??? You would have to be a gorilla on it I bet.
That whole torque, loosen, retorque procedure is designed to pull the assembly together, eliminate any freeplay, squeeze out any excess grease and then loosen and preload lightly. You can do that by hand...or just by feel. I simply tap the castled nut radially with a small drift and hammer to turn it and watch how much it turns. Lift the front of the bike and feel the forks for freeplay in the bearing. Turn the steering side to side. Feel for any excess drag. If it is too tight, you will start to feel drag. Too tight. Loosen a flat or too and re-feel. If you get clunk in the front end....loosen the triple clamp nut, tap the castled nut a flat or two tighter with the drift and retighten the triple clamp nut and ride. It is called trial and error. Yamaha avoids trial and error in shop work by the specs but there are other ways to do it.
You guys are reading WAY too much into "torqueing" that nut and spending WAY too much time and money making and buying special tools for a simple simple task.
It is nonsense to waste so much time and posts on such a simple task when there are oil viscosities and brands and types to agonize over.....
The service manual instructions are generally written in a "legal" fashion so that even if a moron is working on the thing the "procedure" will be bulletproof IF THE INSTRUCTIONS ARE FOLLOWED. I am pretty sure that that is why there is a torque spec on that ring nut for the steering head bearings. Given that it is a safety item that could affect steering and control Yamaha surely wants to avoid any liability that could be incurred by simply saying "tighten by feel..."
I cannot see any other rational for suggesting a torque on that nut for setting bearing preload. Knowing how many variables that there are in measuring torque it cannot be that critical for bearing preload. The main thing is to get any freeplay out of the bearing and yet not tighten it so much that stiction becomes an issue. Given that a simple "torque" spec covers that in the service manual there must be a pretty huge band of bearing preloads that will work fine because torque on a nut like that (that preloads a bearing) is not precise at all.
Ball bearings and their races are pretty darned hard and pretty hard to dent or brinell unless you start hitting the assembly with a large hammer. I wonder just how tight you would have to tighten that stem nut to actually brinell the bearings....??? You would have to be a gorilla on it I bet.
That whole torque, loosen, retorque procedure is designed to pull the assembly together, eliminate any freeplay, squeeze out any excess grease and then loosen and preload lightly. You can do that by hand...or just by feel. I simply tap the castled nut radially with a small drift and hammer to turn it and watch how much it turns. Lift the front of the bike and feel the forks for freeplay in the bearing. Turn the steering side to side. Feel for any excess drag. If it is too tight, you will start to feel drag. Too tight. Loosen a flat or too and re-feel. If you get clunk in the front end....loosen the triple clamp nut, tap the castled nut a flat or two tighter with the drift and retighten the triple clamp nut and ride. It is called trial and error. Yamaha avoids trial and error in shop work by the specs but there are other ways to do it.
You guys are reading WAY too much into "torqueing" that nut and spending WAY too much time and money making and buying special tools for a simple simple task.
It is nonsense to waste so much time and posts on such a simple task when there are oil viscosities and brands and types to agonize over.....
Last edited by a moderator:
radman
R.I.P. Our Motorcycling Friend
I found that when I switched to Mobil1 grease and STP I was able to reduce the torque to 1 ft lb. YMMV.....
I found that when I switched to Mobil1 grease and STP I was able to reduce the torque to 1 ft lb. YMMV.....
SEE WHAT I MEAN........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :clapping:
dobias
Well-known member
Jestal & Rad,
I feel the same as GPrider, I'm too ham-handed to be trusted with "snug" & "tight". That's why torque values were written for guys like us. I was perfectly OK with cars before the advent of aluminum (....well, except for pot metal & the occasional rusted bolt).
Be considerate of the inexperienced guy, like me, isolated here in the boonies. "Just a little bit more" means tighten that sucker 'til it snaps.
I agree torque warnings in the manual aren't what they're cracked up to be. I have helicioil inserts to show for it. But at least it's a beginning.
While I lived in Livonia I could always drop in on my buddies at the local race car builder ,Roush, for advice.
dobias :glare:
I feel the same as GPrider, I'm too ham-handed to be trusted with "snug" & "tight". That's why torque values were written for guys like us. I was perfectly OK with cars before the advent of aluminum (....well, except for pot metal & the occasional rusted bolt).
Be considerate of the inexperienced guy, like me, isolated here in the boonies. "Just a little bit more" means tighten that sucker 'til it snaps.
I agree torque warnings in the manual aren't what they're cracked up to be. I have helicioil inserts to show for it. But at least it's a beginning.
While I lived in Livonia I could always drop in on my buddies at the local race car builder ,Roush, for advice.
dobias :glare:
Last edited by a moderator:
G
Growler
Guest
All
I'm new to this forum but here's my two pennies worth:
In the past I have always made thisa adjustment by hand
on the many ground up rebuilds on race bikes (dirt). But
in my old age I have resorted to using a torque wrench on
everything I can find a spec on. I set mine at 16# and
they feel great. I have also found that they need adjusting
every 6K-7K miles.
B) B) B)
I'm new to this forum but here's my two pennies worth:
In the past I have always made thisa adjustment by hand
on the many ground up rebuilds on race bikes (dirt). But
in my old age I have resorted to using a torque wrench on
everything I can find a spec on. I set mine at 16# and
they feel great. I have also found that they need adjusting
every 6K-7K miles.
B) B) B)
radman
R.I.P. Our Motorcycling Friend
We are, glare similie noted. Forum fun is allowed, see section 12, para c, sub-para 1:21-
"fun be cool".
You are the shop that did my first SHB service and I claim my 5 notched castle nuts! You can see what looks like a divot chopped out of one of the "teeth" of one of my castle nuts. Clearly the service guy used a hammer and (something). I suspect that if they were too cheap to buy the proper spanner, that they simply used a flat blade screw driver that was nearby instead of buying drifts or chissels.
I replaced the damaged ring nut when I did the next service myself.
fjrchooser
Well-known member
Somebody at 1 of the 3 Yamaha dealers that put tires on my bike stripped out one of the rear brake caliper mounting bolt holes.
Last shop called me to let me know I was on the hook for 271 bucks for a new caliper when they discovered the damage.
I called bullshit, mentioning I had reciepts for all tire changes done at authorized Yamaha dealers. They went to bat for me and Yamaha ate it under the YES. Had to wait a while for the new caliper, meanwhile I paid the price for a helicoil to keep me on the road.
Long and short of it - I wished whoever had used a torque wrench instead of an impact wrench...
Last shop called me to let me know I was on the hook for 271 bucks for a new caliper when they discovered the damage.
I called bullshit, mentioning I had reciepts for all tire changes done at authorized Yamaha dealers. They went to bat for me and Yamaha ate it under the YES. Had to wait a while for the new caliper, meanwhile I paid the price for a helicoil to keep me on the road.
Long and short of it - I wished whoever had used a torque wrench instead of an impact wrench...
Nonsense. With a small drift and the triple clamp upper nut loose you can almost turn the castle nuts by hand using a punch or drift. It only takes a light tap. Certainly nothing that would distort the castling of the nuts. If someone ate yours up that way they must have tried to turn them while the triple clamp jam nut was still tight. THAT is a hacker move but tapping the nuts gently with a brass drift doesn't hurt a thing. Mine have been moved several times like that and they look brand new. In fact, my whole bike has been apart and if you can find ONE rounded nut, bolt or scratched fastener I'll eat it. It does not take an $80 socket and a torque wrench to adjust the steering head bearings.
If YOU were my shop mechanic, then I'd be likely to be less concerned. That's not the case and, from the posts that are rampant on nearly every forum I've ever read, such attention to detail is seldom found in a commercial service environment.
radman
R.I.P. Our Motorcycling Friend
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