Speed wobbles

[gunrunner]

As of the otherday i experienced the Death Wobble for the first time , on just over 100kmph on a sweeping bend going over a bridge . As havent had my Max that long i am looking at doing the Furbur Fix . Everyone says it is easy to do but for me as i dont have a torque wrench etc am i still able to do this without it or is it harder to do than people say , can anyone give me some pointers on this that have done it before .:ummm:

 

[dannymax]

As of the otherday i experienced the Death Wobble for the first time , on just over 100kmph on a sweeping bend going over a bridge . As havent had my Max that long i am looking at doing the Furbur Fix . Everyone says it is easy to do but for me as i dont have a torque wrench etc am i still able to do this without it or is it harder to do than people say , can anyone give me some pointers on this that have done it before .:ummm:

I have not done "the fix," from what I have read it doesn't make any difference with the wobble. Logically, I don't see how it can.
You can probably fix your problem with a flat bladed screwdriver and a hammer. A small spanner wrench works good also, if you have one.
Look up Sean Morley's method, there are several posts in the forum describing this, it worked perfectly for me and it's free. :clapping:
Good luck

dan

 

[naughtyG]

I have not done "the fix," from what I have read it doesn't make any difference with the wobble. Logically, I don't see how it can.
You can probably fix your problem with a flat bladed screwdriver and a hammer. A small spanner wrench works good also, if you have one.
Look up Sean Morley's method, there are several posts in the forum describing this, it worked perfectly for me and it's free. :clapping:

dan

hey could expand a little on what this fix is about? I only just got my '86 Vmax, and took it to 125mph and thought I was gonna die when it started wobbling uncontrollably and kept doing it until I slowed down all the way to about 70! Very scary, so if there's a fix I'm REALLY interested!

thanks

 

[maleko89]

Basically, you replace the rubber washer that fits in between your steering ring nuts with a metal washer.

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

 

[naughtyG]

great stuff I will be doing this soon!

 

[lankeeyankee]

Any of you that find yourself getting into a high speed wobble you DONT want to grabe a handful of breaks.
When I come into a highspeed wobble I whack the gas WOT to take the weight / load off the front wheel / forks. I know its hard to think this in your mind at the moment of oh shit! Its kind of like going down at a high speed your first instinct is to try to stand up after your sliding, but thats usually when the problems start, you think you have slowed down enough to get up on your feet when really your still sliding at 35MPH and thats when your tumbling and breaking wrists and arms.

 

[4gasem]

Torquing them to the correct value is all you really need to do IMO. I have the aluminum washer and it works great but I bought it before knowing the true cause of it.

I was running up behind (Mitchell) board member at about 140 indicated and his was wobbling like a bitch... Mine was as steady as a rock the whole time. :eusa_dance: I believe he had yet to make the adjustment.

 

[Jayhawk]

Sorry to hijack, but can anyone please explain why Yamaha never fixed this frickin' problem, especially after knowing about it for so many years? Doesn't sound like it takes retooling or a structural change to the forks or anything, perhaps only a washer (if that) and proper torquing of the steering bearing.

 

[Thevmaxrider]

My thought on this is that the steering head bearings are not fully seated during production at the factory. After a few miles and a couple of good whacks on the suspension they reseat and are now loose. My Max did the wobble to me once, I used Sean's method and viola no more wobble. I installed new bearings this spring and made damn sure I retorqued them after about 25 miles. They were surprisingly loose, even after I took my time and used a bearing installer to put the outer races in. Never having done the "Furbur Fix" myself I am not too sure of its real value. Proper tightening/loading of the bearing is the sure fired way to cure a case of the wobbles, or a USD front end:biglaugh:

 

[Jaoteay]

In some of the instructions they show some sort of tool to tighten the top nut. Did they just cut apart a socket and leave the nubs so it'll fit and then you can use a torque wrench?

Anyone done that?

 

[SvenDGAF]

I have only chad "the shakes" it about 3 times, always at the same speed, at the same place in town - about 35-40 mph. I think that it must be triggered by the road surface at that spot, but I have run mine for a couple of years right up to 130 ish with no high speed problems at all.

 

[maleko89]

Exactly. Just but a 1.5 inch socket and then have someone weld woodruff keys or other bits of metal to it.

 

[lankeeyankee]

In some of the instructions they show some sort of tool to tighten the top nut. Did they just cut apart a socket and leave the nubs so it'll fit and then you can use a torque wrench?

Anyone done that?

I fixed mine having the front end off the ground and adjusting the nut until the forks wont swing with no effort and tight enough to where if you bump the forks they will swing over, and that solved my wobbling, If i can just get rid of my flexxing I would be ok. I know this way may be hard to understand, I guess I just adjust mine by feel.

 

[naughtyG]

anybody has the instructions for the Sean Morley speed wobble fix or a link to it?

 

[gunrunner]

I fixed mine having the front end off the ground and adjusting the nut until the forks wont swing with no effort and tight enough to where if you bump the forks they will swing over, and that solved my wobbling, If i can just get rid of my flexxing I would be ok. I know this way may be hard to understand, I guess I just adjust mine by feel.

Went to do mine as with front wheel off ground its all over the place but couldnt get the main bolt off between tach and speedo , is it clockwise or anti clockwise - have to ask as tried both ways and no joy . Also heard that you dont have to take the clip , washer and nut off just tighten bottom nut is this true ?:ummm:

 

[maleko89]

anybody has the instructions for the Sean Morley speed wobble fix or a link to it?

Basically take a hammer and screwdriver to tighten the two ring nuts on the steering.

 

[naughtyG]

Basically take a hammer and screwdriver to tighten the two ring nuts on the steering.

But won't the securing clip stop the nuts from spinning? That has to be removed first, right?

 

[maleko89]

You can do that or loosen the head nut and that will allow the lock washer to rotate. Otherwise you're correct...it would be destroyed.

A lot of people don't even use a lock washer.

 

[82ndCowboy]

Joe at Boxenstopp just fixed mine by simply jacking up the front end, loosening the top nut, then used a handy lil spanner to turn the bottom bearing nut, (the top bearing nut turned with it). He kept tightening it till the handle bars stopped slamming against the stop. They just lightly tap it now. then he tightened the top nut back up. Removed the jack...
whaaaalaaa.
Low speed wobble is now gone.

 

[naughtyG]

Low speed wobble is now gone.

Hmm mine's a High speed problem - we are talking about two problems fixed by the same method, right?