Funny handling after fork rebuild

[Carl0s]

Yeap... Finaly got my forks rebuild:

- New seals
- New bushings
- New steering head bearings

And it handles like crap... It goes straight nice and easy. It does smooth corners nice and easy, but... If there is any hars on the road its undescribeable. its just like a paniced deer infront of a truck.

If feels like there is some extreme play on the stearing, that starts to resonate and woble. Also, if you do and hard braking, the handlebar vibrates odly.

tho, if the road is nice and smooth, it drives like a beaty (and if you dont touch the front brake)

Any ideas ?


EDIT:

Went to give it one more look before going to sleep. The front isolator is exploded, and if you lift the bike up from the exhaust, grab from the bottom of the forks and wedge it up'n down to see if theres any play, you can see the FRAME(?!!?) has the extensive play when the isolators bolt moves inside the isolator body.

 

[snrusnak]

Who rebuilt the forks? Who assembled the front end? What parts did you use, what oil weight? What steering neck bearings?

Are you sure the steering neck bearings were fully seated into the frame and torqued to spec?

Maybe a wheel bearing problem?

 

[Carl0s]

I rebuilded the forks by my self, and assebled the front end. Parts were genuine buell parts from local H-D dealer. Forks were filled whit H-D Type E oil, oil level was 110mm from the top.

The stearing bearings were fully seated. (Double checked whit light, and by sound) and the "cap" was torqued to spec (57nm).

If you lift the front end up, and turn it to left and right, everything feels right. But if you woble it, you can see the frame flexing and causing the play, but is it normal that the frame flexes that much when the fron isolator goes kabom ?

 

[uly luigi]

No, that is not normal, that is something that really needs to be inspected, front isolator generally just causes a lot more vibration and a clunking noise on-off of the throttle

 

[oh9bolt]

Pic of isolator?

This is how it should look.

Which shouldnt have anything to do with the suspension.

 

[snrusnak]

filled whit H-D Type E oil, oil level was 110mm from the top.

Did you follow the proper procedure to fill the oil? I'm not 100% familiar with it, but you have to pump the forks several times to get the oil level correct. Something along those lines. If you just fill and cap, it's wrong.

 

[uly luigi]

yep, have to cycle them several times to get all the air out[up]

 

[snrusnak]

This sounds like it could be the problem. Air in the forks would compress easily and I'd think could cause what he's describing...

 

[snrusnak]

Also, just curious, what steering neck bearings did you use?

 

[konarider94]

are both the forks adjusted the same? if you have any of the settings different from side to side it will get pretty sketchy on you.

 

[Carl0s]

Did you follow the proper procedure to fill the oil? I'm not 100% familiar with it, but you have to pump the forks several times to get the oil level correct. Something along those lines. If you just fill and cap, it's wrong.

Yeap. filled the first 8oz, pumped for ~30times (after first ~6 you started feel some damping in there). Then added the another 8oz, and pumped again for ~30times. No "shhhhhhhhhhhhh" (air running out) when reopened the cap. Adjusted the oil level to 110mm from the top and fixed the cap.

Also, just curious, what steering neck bearings did you use?

OEM from local H-D / Buell dealer.

 

[Carl0s]

But, need to recheck the forks, check the oil level (and listen for "shhhhhhhh" when opening cap, check the assembly, and check the stem capnut torq.

 

[Carl0s]

Just to be 100% sure, how is the oil level supose to be checked ?

The service manual shows that the oil level needs to be 116mm from the top of the outer tube. Last time i measured it by unscrewing the fork cap, lowered the outed tube by 116mm and filled it up. This is right or?

 

[Carl0s]

Craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap!!

Correct me if im wrong, but after some googling, it seems like that the measurement of the fork oil should be done like this:

- Open the fork cap
- Compress the spring, open the 14/17mm bolts and unscrew the forkcap
- remove spring
- let the outer tube drop all the way down
- Now measure 116mm from the top of the tube

Correct ?

 

[snrusnak]

I'm honestly not sure of the procedure, as I haven't done it. I paid someone to rebuild my forks when I had it done. I just remember when I gave the guy the service manual he skimmed through it to be sure he could do the job and it said something about this whole process with pumping the forks several times to get the fluid level correct....

Hopefully someone else can help you out. Do you have a service manual for your bike? (if not you can download one at the top of the forum there is a link for them).

 

[Carl0s]

Yeap, i have the service manual, but theme manual does not clearly state how and where to measure the oil level.

But, since the fronend feels too stiff, i assume that it were supose to measure forks compressed.

 

[snrusnak]

Yeah I don't know. When I had mine done I was honestly really worried that it would be done wrong. I almost never have other people do work for me, but the bike rides great and feels better than before. They did put heavier oil in IIRC and adjusted it stiffer for me(I'm a big guy). I can tell mine is noticeably stiffer than before, but my seals were also leaking and the suspension was all F'd up.

 

[konarider94]

its pretty clear in my manual. do you have 41mm or 43 mm forks. the 41mm forks say 118mm from the top not 116mm or 110mm like it says in your posts.

 

[GAXB9R]

So did you figure out the wobble. Low fluid or too much would have nothing to do with that. Just wandering.[cool]

 

[Carl0s]

Yeap, i did.

First of all, the forks were overfilled... a lot. Like i sayd, first i measured the height all the way from the the top, when the shock was extended to its full lenght, when the oil were supose to measure when the shock is compressed to its minium lenght.

Second was the steeringhead capnut. was realy loose, the torque wrench that i used to tighten it was broken, (who the hell puts 1 broken torque wrench in a shelf whit 7 working ones?) tightened it whit a propper torque wrench, and now it works like a charm