Had a close call

[Flyinfool]

2 weeks ago riding home from work on the interstate at 75 MPH, with the cruise set and just enjoying being able to ride again after last years health crap.

I noticed the bike starting to wander in my lane and getting hard to keep on line.

A few seconds later I heard a crack sound and the steering locked nearly solid. I was just able to muscle it to the side of the road and get it stopped while still upright and not hitting anything. It took enough force to control the bike that I bent the left handlebar. I really did not think I was that strong or are the bars that week?

So I called a buddy and he came with his trailer to get me home, It was interesting loading a bike that will not steer. Now the fun starts.

By the time we got it home and went to unload it from the trailer, the steering was back to normal. It felt fine.

 

Dang, I HATE intermittent problems.

 

Once I got the bike up on the center stand, and put 80 lbs in the trunk to hold the front wheel off the ground. I did the usual checks for steering bearings. There no perceptible play in the bearings but there was a very noticeable notchyness at center. So I figured that I had found the problem, worn out steering bearings. So I ordered a set and set out to do the change. I noticed a few strange things during the disassembly process.

 

First odd thing I got to was the front fender, it was broken into many pieces around the mounting points, to the point that it looked like the front fender may have fell nearly off while on the road and that the steering lock "may" have been caused by the front fender hitting the front of the bike. There are scratches on the fender and paint transfer on the front of the bike to indicate this may be what happened. The bouncing on the trailer coming home bounced the fender back into its proper position to allow the breaks to hide.

 

The next strange thing I noticed was that the nut that holds down the top of the steering head was not even finger tight. I was able to tighten it about a quarter turn with just my fingers.

 

As I went in deeper, I found the same issue with the top jam nut for the bearing preload, it was also just a bit looser than finger tight. But the bottom nut that actually does the preload was properly tightened.

 

I was able to get the bearings out without any cutting, my bike had the 2 notches to allow a punch to get to the back of the lower bearing to be able to drive out the race with very little difficulty. The top bearing was a bit more challenging, there was such a small lip of the bearing showing that I could not catch it with a punch to drive it out. Sooooooo. I headed for the basement and made a driver out of a hunk of scrap metal that I had laying around, I turned the whole thing to fit into the head tube of the frame but tight enough that it would not fit thru the bearing. a couple of whacks from below with this special hammer and the top race went flying out all the way thru the open door and landed out in the grass, making no sound for me to track. I had to use my magnetic broom to find it.

 

My new bearings and bottom seal should be here today.

It will take me a couple more days to get the fender repaired.

I plan to install as much as I can till I need the fender. Once I get that much done it sounds like a good time to install the progressive springs and new fork oil.

 

I do plan to make a how to thread on changing the steering bearings once I am done. I could not find one when I went looking.

 

Yes after the fact I am realizing just how lucky I was to keep the bike upright and me on it. heavy rush hour on a Friday is no place to not be in full control. Then I remembered a post a while back of someone had a front fender break and drop down and lock the front wheel causing a bad crash. I guess some one still has some plans for me..............

 

Here are some pics of the outer races that I took out.

The bigger one is the bottom one, it carries the weight of the bike, it is heavily dimpled, that would be the notchyness, the smaller one that just hold alignment and carries the weight of the front end during wheelies , shows signs that the rollers were skidding on the outer race, with some galling around center, This is the other possible point of causing my steering stiffness. Unfortunately I was not able to get a good pic of that galling.

[VanRiver]

Glad you got the bike safely to the side of the road Jeff!!! Sounds like it could have had a much unhappier ending for a less experienced rider....or for someone without the strength to bend a handle bar trying to steer a locked up from end!!!

 

I look forward to seeing more info on the bearing swap process as I too will probably need to do that soon on my Black 1986....I have too much play in my front end.....sorry that sounds dirty now that I read that statement back to myself.

[KIC]

Great save. Close calls have to remind us that checking nuts and bolts and routine maintenance is a must especially on these older bikes. As I stated in my thread on Friday regarding my missed ride, I thought my brakes on my 89 were "fine". If I had not got a nail on my rear tire, I would have been on a very twisty curvy ride with my wife when I would definitely lost my brake pads, front and back to metal on metal and one of my brake pins were almost 1/2 way out as the little retaining pin had somehow popped out.

 

I am with you on counting the blessings that it didn't go further south causing damage and injury.

[uncledj]

I see the dimples, but do you think that could have locked the steering???

I'd think if you put enough force to bend a handlebar, it'd have forced past the dimple, or even broken something in the bearing...roller, needle...whatever it may have been.

Something just don't seem right there.

I'll be very interested to see what your final determination is.

In any case, I'm very pleased that you came through it without a scratch.

[Flyinfool]

@VanRiver

I do not consider myself a highly experienced rider. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good.

Yes you sound like a dirty old man................

 

@Uncledj

I do not think it was the dimples that caused the lock. There are marks on the smaller bearing that I could not get in a pic that show that the rollers were skidding and not rolling on the race, whether it was from dried grease or other crud that got in there I can not say, I did not find any foreign material in the bearings. I am still thinking it was a combination of the top bearing seizing and the fender coming off that did it. I am NOT going to put it back the way it was to do any testing. One new pair of shorts needed is enough. I will never know for sure what it was, but at least I found 2 possibles that are both being remedied.

 

If it was the bearing I do not think it would have fixed its self on the trailer ride of shame to my house. Once the wind loads were off the fender the plastic would have gone back where it belonged. But at this point this is all guess work.

[videoarizona]

Very close call, Jeff. Glad your Angel :2133:was with you on that day!

 

I'm betting on the fender locking up steering. You were able to steer a touch by forcing the fender somewhat.

Whew is all I can say!

[OrlinEngh]

Sure do hate those close calls, I had something very similar happen to me on my 92, I was going around a slight turn and I couldn't get it to keep going around the curve I got it slowed down enough to stop before I went off of the road.

And that was the steering head bearings it was a slow ride home and very hard to steer.

Its good you got off of the road and stayed in the saddle.

Orlin

[cowpuc]

WOW ZZZZZZ WOW WOW WOW JEFF - THAT COULD OF TURNED OUT REALLY REALLY BAD MY FRIEND!!! Thank you for keeping it all together to get er stopped - YOU DA MAN BROTHER!!:clap2:

 

Regardless of how it happened - having a front end lock up like that can result in an instant crash. I had an old Honda 90 with the steer lock on the neck.. Got to wondering one day while riding whether I was quick enough to lock/unlock the steering while in motion:missingtooth:.. To my recollect, the face plant happened as soon as the lock went click:255:... Many years later I also lost a really good friend when his coffee mug fell from his cupholder - have used styro cups since that day...

You done good brother and, for sure,, the good Lord was watching over your shoulder on that one!!!

[venturesome]

Glad you are OK.

Your post is probably saving some injuries and possibly lives. I know several members (me included), will be carefully checking their steering and fenders before riding again!!

[Flyinfool]

Got it all back together and out riding. I think the steering was hosed from the day I bought the bike and I just did not know any better having never ridden any other bike this size for comparison. What a difference good bearings and fresh grease make. I an sure that the new springs and fork oil are helping some too.

 

I have most of the text written up for the how to on the steering bearings.