Lossening the top nut for steering head bearing adjustment

[Midnight]

I need more advise. I decided to tighten the steering head bearing a bit today. I tried to loosen the top nut but could get it to budge. How hard should it be to move this? Do I need to use a cheater to break it free? I dont want to break anything. Thanks JR

[Freebird]

There is a locking nut. It will have a tab that bends up into one of the slots. Did you bend that tab down?

[Midnight]

Hi Freebird:

Maybe I am missing something. I didnt see a tab. I was trying to loosen the chrome nut. So I could then tighten the ring below. I attached the pic from your tech article. JR

[V7Goose]

One of us needs more information! You say you are trying to loosen the "top nut", but frankly, I'm not sure of what you might be referencing. Have you already taken off the fairings and handlebars, so that you are looking at the round ring nuts with the notches? There really shouldn't be any trouble at all getting those loose, since there is just a rubber washer between the two ring nuts. The tab lock washer just slips over both of them, so make sure you take it off before you try to remove the top ring nut.

 

But if you haven't really stripped the whole front end to "properly" adjust those ring nuts, you probably just want to check the tech library and see how to do the underneath sneak adjustment. When you use that method (with a screwdriver and a hammer), you don't worry about the tab washer at all since it is not keyed to the shaft. You will just slightly move both ring nuts together until you get the proper preload on the bearings.

 

Goose

[bikenut]

JR

That top chrome nut between the handlebars is very tight. At least when I did mine I used a 1/2 breaker bar with a small pipe to get mine to come loose.

Hope this helps.

You can do it. I did.

Bikenut

[V7Goose]

Hi Freebird:

Maybe I am missing something. I didnt see a tab. I was trying to loosen the chrome nut. So I could then tighten the ring below. I attached the pic from your tech article. JR

OK, that answers it. You cannot remove that cap nut until you take everything else off the front of the bike. Even if you remove the handlebars so you can actually remove the cap nut,it will do you no good. Best look into the underneath sneak (it is not really called that - I just made it up!).

Goose

[Midnight]

Sorry if I have confused anyone. I havent taken anything apart. I am trying to do the underneath sneak adjustment as it is shown in Freebirds tech article. I cant seem to get the top nut loose so I can do the adjustment below. Pic attached. Article short cut attached. Thanks for the help. Jim

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=511

[V7Goose]

OK, that makes it clear. But you do not need to loosen that top ring nut. In fact, you can't do it even if you really want to. When you adjust it with the hammer and screwdriver from underneath, you just move both of the ring nuts together. Start by placing the screwdriver blade in a notch on the bottom ring nut and watch how far it moves. In most cases, both ring nuts will move together without problem. If your bottom ring nut moves a small amount and then stops, then the top ring nut may be hanging up and the tab washer preventing the bottom nut from turning alone. In that rare case, try to reach in through the hole to put a screwdriver in a slot on the upper nut and get it to move. Once it starts moving, you won't have any further trouble moving both nuts together while just tapping on the bottom ring nut.

 

Remember, the tab washer locks both ring nuts together, but there is no need to try to pry the tabs out. Since the tab washer is not keyed to the shaft there is nothing preventing both nuts from moving together other than the slight tension from the rubber washer between them.

Goose

[BradT]

Sorry if I have confused anyone. I havent taken anything apart. I am trying to do the underneath sneak adjustment as it is shown in Freebirds tech article. I cant seem to get the top nut loose so I can do the adjustment below. Pic attached. Article short cut attached. Thanks for the help. Jim

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=511

 

Midnight the picture shows the top nut already backed off but that photo is from the tech article correct.

 

Too loosen that top nut I used a open end wrench turn the bars to the left and pull on the wrench. Make sure it is sitting on the nut very well. It is tight and may require a pipe on the wrench to help.

 

Some say they can move it with Channel lock pliers but I would not even think of it. I am sure it would slip.

 

Brad

[Midnight]

Hi Goose:

I'm still confused. The nut I am talking about is the chrome one right under the handlebars (by the yamaha emblem). It is 1 1/16" (27 MM). I cant seem to get it to budge. In Freebirds tech article it says I have to loosen it before I can do the screwdriver thing below. I just wanted to know whether I should put a cheater on it to break it loose. From one of the replies above it seems to indicate it is on tight and they needed a long bar on a socket to break it free. Is that what you have experienced? Thanks again. Jim

[Midnight]

Hi Brad:

Yes the photo is from the tech article. It sounds like It will take a big pull to move it. I will get the right size wrench so it wont slip and give it a go. Thanks for your help. Jim

[V7Goose]

That cap nut is just for looks. I have never looked that closely at the tech article, and I didn't even know it said you should loosen it. In fact, you do not need to loosen that cap nut to adjust the ring nuts.

 

I guess it is possible that the cap nut can push the aluminum tree cover down on the top ring nut, but even that doesn't make much difference since you will be turning the ring nuts down and away from the aluminum cover. I have done a lot of these and never touched that cap nut. Good luck.

Goose