Re: Sterinhg wobble

[rsoll]

I noticed under hard acceleration and changing lanes or the least bump in the road I get front end wobble.

I placed my 900 mile 07 vmax on the center stand and had someone sit on the back to get the wheel up in the air. Then I did the wheel fall test to the stops and it fell fast and bounced off the stops.

Can someone explain how to tighten these head bearing nuts. Also would a steering stabilizer help?
RIck

 

[maleko89]

You need to tighten the lower castellated nut. Use this as a guide:

http://www.vmaxchat.co.uk/furbur.htm

You can get a steering dampener but would only hide problems with the steering. It isn't needed.

 

[Heretic]

That write-up is way to much work and I think that the 'furbur washer' is BS. The key is getting the torque on the nuts right, the washer does NOTHING except for giving you a cushion to line up the upper and lower nuts. Follow these instructions to resolve your issues;

1) Jack the front end off the ground, remove the four bolts holding the handlebar, and move the bar. This will give you easy access to the steering head nut on top of the triple tree. Loosen, but do not remove, that nut.

2) Get a large screwdriver, punch, or anything else that you can find to hit both the lower and upper nuts at the same time, and a hammer. Using the screwdriver and hammer tighten BOTH nuts 1/8-1/4 turn at the same time.

3) Re-assemble everything making sure the steering head nut is torqued to Yamaha spec of 80lbs. and re-check for the bounce. Continue to do this until the bounce has just disappeared or you have a very limited bounce.

Over tightening the nuts can lead to high end issues, so do not tighten more than 1/4 turn at a time. I used 1/8 when I did mine, but I had to re-check it a bunch to get it right.

 

[naughtyG]

I agree, the Furbur washer's just a band aid. When I replaced my steering head bearings I went back to the rubber washer, and as long as that lower head castle nut is tightened to the right torque everything's fine.

The problem is 'feeling' whether the bearings are ok or not, when I tried moving the bars for the bounce test they felt just fine, but once I'd removed the front wheel/forks/headlamp etc it became very obvious that they totally shot.