Steering Stem Head Bolt Loose

[kremtok]

Greetings,

Today while I was out riding I noticed that my steering stem bolt was loose. I happened to glance down and I saw it moving. I was concerned, so I hand-tightened it while riding and at stops. When I got home, I torqued it down to 35 foot pounds, but I haven't been back out on it yet.

Over the last few weeks I've noticed that the front end has been behaving strangely. During hard stops if I have any weight on the bars I can feel it push forward right before the bike comes to a complete stop. In addition, over hard bumps, of which there are many on this friggin island, the front end seems to 'crash,' for lack of a better term, and it makes a moderately loud slamming noise.

Do you think these problems are related? Should I inspect for any other damage or wear based on what you see here? Do you need any more information to help me keep my bike from falling apart on the way to work tomorrow morning?

[choneofakind]

pull the triple, tighten the stem nut until the bars don't have any more slop but still turn freely, then re-install the triple and tighten the stem bolt to spec.

Stem bolt =/= stem nut.

[kremtok]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

pull the triple, tighten the stem nut until the bars don't have any more slop but still turn freely, then re-install the triple and tighten the stem bolt to spec.

Stem bolt =/= stem nut.

Not to sound skeptical, but why would I do that?

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by kremtok

Not to sound skeptical, but why would I do that?

Because all the symptoms that you described led Chris to believe that the ball bearings of your head are loose and probably damaged after weeks of banging in there.

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Steerin...ng_replacement

The bolt that you torqued down is only a counter-nut that fix the position of the top track of the top ball bearing.

You will need to access that top track and turn it until the proper adjustment is achieved.
Better that that, you should disassemble the top and bottom bearings and inspect the conditions of the tracks and balls and clean and lubricate those.

[Live2ride]

I just had this problem on my r6 two days ago, just tighten the triple tree nut down to spec, loosen it and retighten it again. Your problem should disappear.

The reason you tighten, then loosen and retighten is to ensure that the bearings are seating correctly, otherwise it can still have that loose feeling.

Originally Posted by kremtok

Greetings,

Today while I was out riding I noticed that my steering stem bolt was loose. I happened to glance down and I saw it moving. I was concerned, so I hand-tightened it while riding and at stops. When I got home, I torqued it down to 35 foot pounds, but I haven't been back out on it yet.

Over the last few weeks I've noticed that the front end has been behaving strangely. During hard stops if I have any weight on the bars I can feel it push forward right before the bike comes to a complete stop. In addition, over hard bumps, of which there are many on this friggin island, the front end seems to 'crash,' for lack of a better term, and it makes a moderately loud slamming noise.

Do you think these problems are related? Should I inspect for any other damage or wear based on what you see here? Do you need any more information to help me keep my bike from falling apart on the way to work tomorrow morning?

[kremtok]

Originally Posted by Motofool

Because all the symptoms that you described led Chris to believe that the ball bearings of your head are loose and probably damaged after weeks of banging in there.

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Steerin...ng_replacement

The bolt that you torqued down is only a counter-nut that fix the position of the top track of the top ball bearing.

You will need to access that top track and turn it until the proper adjustment is achieved.
Better that that, you should disassemble the top and bottom bearings and inspect the conditions of the tracks and balls and clean and lubricate those.

Thanks for the explanation. I'll order some parts then do the complete inspection and replace as necessary.

Originally Posted by Live2ride

I just had this problem on my r6 two days ago, just tighten the triple tree nut down to spec, loosen it and retighten it again. Your problem should disappear.

The reason you tighten, then loosen and retighten is to ensure that the bearings are seating correctly, otherwise it can still have that loose feeling.

Good advice, thanks.

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by Live2ride

I just had this problem on my r6 two days ago, just tighten the triple tree nut down to spec, loosen it and retighten it again. Your problem should disappear.

Right idea, sort of. Only tightening the bolt on top of the triple tree won't do it. It's a different setup than the R6. The stem nut is what controls the slop in the steering, the stem bolt just keeps the triple tight on the stem nut so it can't come loose.



As always, thanks for the explanation Hernan I just did the whole replacement of the bearings in there with Tapered Roller bearings, so it all seems so second nature to me. I guess I could have explained a little better.

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

........As always, thanks for the explanation Hernan ......

You are welcome

[kremtok]

Originally Posted by Motofool

Because all the symptoms that you described led Chris to believe that the ball bearings of your head are loose and probably damaged after weeks of banging in there.

http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Steerin...ng_replacement

The bolt that you torqued down is only a counter-nut that fix the position of the top track of the top ball bearing.

You will need to access that top track and turn it until the proper adjustment is achieved.
Better that that, you should disassemble the top and bottom bearings and inspect the conditions of the tracks and balls and clean and lubricate those.

That guide seems to be for the pregen 250. Am I just reading it wrong?

Also, if I order the All Balls kit 22-1014, do I need any other parts to complete the job?

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by kremtok

That guide seems to be for the pregen 250. Am I just reading it wrong?

Also, if I order the All Balls kit 22-1014, do I need any other parts to complete the job?

Yes, that guide is for the pre-gen.
Sorry, it was the only one that I could find that had a exploded view showing how things worked.
However, the principle remains the same for all the models (and most bikes).

I am not sure if the same parts fit the new-gens.

[choneofakind]

Yes it's for the pregen. Process is identical for the pregen, newgen, and 300, as are the parts that you need to order. If you order the kit from All Ballz, all the parts required come in the kit.

@old3 has done this as well. He's the one who convinced me to do it, and it was worth the effort since my old bearings and races were pitted and sloppy after 18,000 miles of riding.

Link to the bearings kit.