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Message started by buster6315 on 09/28/17 at 19:03:03

Title: steering head binding
Post by buster6315 on 09/28/17 at 19:03:03

I was riding to the bone orchard today & I realized that I was making a series of 'unsmooth' corrections to keep me going straight. It felt as though the steering head was binding; not operating freely. I lifted the front wheel when I got home and the forks turned from side-to-side freely. Any thoughts? Thank you!

Geo

Title: Re: steering head binding
Post by Dave on 09/29/17 at 04:16:04

Put a couple of sheets of paper on the ground, then put the front tire on the paper, sit on the bike, and turn the wheel side to side (the paper will reduce the friction of the tire on the pavement). See if the forks turn left to right smoothly and don't bind.

Check your tire pressure.

Title: Re: steering head binding
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 09/29/17 at 05:08:20

62757374657236333135000 wrote:
I lifted the front wheel when I got home and the front fork turned from side-to-side freely. Any thoughts?

Geo,

Are you saying that one of the fork tubes is loose enough that it freely turns in the triple clamp? Or are you saying that the axle is loose and the slider rocks from side-to-side? Or are you saying that you raised the wheel and everything seems normal. I just want to be clear.

DO NOT RIDE THIS BIKE UNTIL THIS IS RESOLVED.

Title: Re: steering head binding
Post by hotrod on 09/29/17 at 05:18:15

Could be dry steering head bearings.

Title: Re: steering head binding
Post by buster6315 on 09/29/17 at 06:55:33

Thanks for the ideas. Fork tubes are tight in the triple clamp. Axel is tight. I shall check tire pressure. I will put paper beneath the front tire and see if'n it operates smoothly. I don't notice any looseness in the steering head bearings. Perhaps it is dry bearings. I'm talking about a 1988 model w/12,800 miles.

Title: Re: steering head binding
Post by Gary_in_NJ on 09/29/17 at 07:28:51

With the front end raised off the ground, grab the fork tubes and see if there is any fore/aft motion. If there is, or if you feel any clicking, your head bearings are loose or worn.

Title: Re: steering head binding
Post by buster6315 on 09/29/17 at 08:02:19

Yep. 22 psi in the front tire was the cause. Thanks again!

Title: Re: steering head binding
Post by Ruttly on 09/29/17 at 15:15:05

Shame on you , air is cheap ! ;D

Title: Re: steering head binding
Post by buster6315 on 09/29/17 at 20:11:11

The darn front tire showed no signs of being under inflated. I suppose that is because with its advanced age, petrified, (like myself), the sidewalls did not collapse. No bull. :-[

Title: Re: steering head binding
Post by IslandRoad on 09/30/17 at 01:00:12

My bike was getting a bit wobbly on the twisties. I started looking at fork braces ..... ended up, tyre pressure was low 8-)