Forks. How to undo those top nuts???

[John Falconer]

There won't be any issue of spring tension with these forks so ignore the caution about springs.

You do need to resist turning the inner pieces by using an appropriate hex key.

Impact, either applied to a box wrench or a socket, is likely necessary to get removal started. Once things are moving you'll have to use a hex key to keep the progress.

Don't do this with the forks up against a stop - keep any pressure off - forks centered or nearly so.

[Ross]

The nuts are 41mm. So maybe this would do the job???

T&E Tools 41mm Motorcycle Clutch Wrench. Special 41mm 6 point socket wrench fitted with two pins for servicing clutches on motorcycle engines. Pin PCD: 59mm Opening Size: 41mm Pin Size: 11 mm Round x 2 Length: 11"(280mm)

[Chuey]

The nuts are 41mm. So maybe this would do the job???

T&E Tools 41mm Motorcycle Clutch Wrench. Special 41mm 6 point socket wrench fitted with two pins for servicing clutches on motorcycle engines. Pin PCD: 59mm Opening Size: 41mm Pin Size: 11 mm Round x 2 Length: 11"(280mm)

Aside from me writing about forks which are older and have a smaller nut, that wrench is similar to the one in my post. A rubber mallet turns it into an impact wrench.

Chuey

[Ross]

The nuts are 41mm. So maybe this would do the job???

T&E Tools 41mm Motorcycle Clutch Wrench. Special 41mm 6 point socket wrench fitted with two pins for servicing clutches on motorcycle engines. Pin PCD: 59mm Opening Size: 41mm Pin Size: 11 mm Round x 2 Length: 11"(280mm)

Aside from me writing about forks which are older and have a smaller nut, that wrench is similar to the one in my post. A rubber mallet turns it into an impact wrench.

Chuey

Goodo.

[SteveD]

Looks good. How much and where from Ross?

[Roy Gavin]

Just put head bearings in my 350,00 km 85 G/S - all three top nuts are 36 mm , but I had to loosen the two on the stanchions with the flat tool kit item and a lump hammer.
I marked the stanchions at the bottom clamp so I could put them back the same way the have been running for the past few years.
Needed the Cycleworks bearing remover too - the top bearing had no lip at all,so I had to screw the remover down real tight to split the bearing . I needed to add a chamfer to the inside of the split collar before it would move the bearing.

Makes things easier if you can park the bike below a rafter and rig up a ratchet strap to lift to support the bars straight above the head stem.

The center dome nut gets torqued down to 80/90 ft lbs - do it in stages and check that it is not altering the bearing adjustment - it was on my worn out old G/S.

[Ross]

Looks good. How much and where from Ross?

$32 from http://www.toolworks.com.au/c7028-41mm- ... rench.html

[ME 109]

Tightening the 3 top nits seems to be the main cause of a good alignment process going bad, even with a torque relief bar. ime.
Yes, nits. I did a lot of head scratching to work out how to counter this problem, but counter it I did.
On the subject of removing the steering head bearing outer races, I found my arc welder to be a superb tool. A 3/4" long, small bead of weld and they fell out.
A mig welder would be ideal for the purpose.
Poor engineering seems to often result in very little 'lip' available to get a proper tool in there to drive/pull the outer races.

[Roy Gavin]

ME 109, I thought about a cheap second hand arc welder, rather than the bearing remover, but I am a incurable bodger , and the damage I could cause with an idiot stick doesnt bear thinking about. We employ a few welders at work and my welding gets usually done free so I dont have a use for a mig.
Not at work right now, or riding a bike, as I have a mystery chest infection which has left be as weak as a kitten.
aking the chance to catch up on a bit of maintenance, repainting, etc, on the bikes
What is your procedure for maintaining alignment when tightening the fork top nuts- I haven't done it yet, but I dont have the strength to lift the bike off and on the center stand,

[Duane Ausherman]

Tightening the 3 top nits seems to be the main cause of a good alignment process going bad, even with a torque relief bar. ime.
Yes, nits. I did a lot of head scratching to work out how to counter this problem, but counter it I did.

Please explain how you did this. The torque relief bar is the best that we could come up with all those years ago, but I would love to learn a better way.