Steering stem

dalahare said:

I've got a 99 fc501, i've pulled the forks off yesterday to put in new seals and noticed the top tripleclamp is loose, the bearings are tight, just the top triple wasn't tightened down well, so i went to tighten it, and the whole bloody stem spins in the bottom tripleclamp, i thought these were meant to be an interference fit and not be able to spin? anyway i cant undo or do up the nut on the top at all as it spins the whole stem, looking up from underneath i notice there is a circlip on the bottom of the stem, what is it meant to do? surely thats not there to stop the stem coming up thru the bottom tripleclamp? it is looking a bit worse for wear...

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Thats what it is there for, to keep it from pulling loose. There is suposed to be an interference fit between the lower clamp and the stem. The lower bearing inner race is a very snug fit on the stem also.

So, remove the clip and the bottom clamp will fall off?

If so then you have something to hold while you remove the top nut, hardware and clamp.

If everything goes well, clean up the stem and lower clamp with brake disk cleaner, put RED Loctite (stud mount is the best) on the clamp hole and lower part of the stem and reassemble (don't forget the circlip). Bake in the oven for about 1 hour at 170 degrees F to cure the loctite.

Then reassemble the stem/clamp assembly using a liberal amount of Boat Trailer Wheel Bearing Grease, which is water proof 'aluminum based' grease on the stem and the bearings and the races.

If there was ANY sign of corrosion on the bearings and races, replace them.

Regards,

Joe

you're a lucky man!

i don't want to even think about what might have happened to you. feel lucky on this one mate!

i'd start over and get a used pair of TCs. i think that this age machine is being broken everywhere and i'd get one that still has an interference fit etc etc.

regards

Taffy

Here are the 2 pages from the 99 parts manual that detail the front fork

Regards,

Joe

dalahare said:

Thanks for that joe, i had that pic already, the issue is the circlip, what is it there for? if the stem is a true interference fit then the circlip would be redundant as it should already be very tight by the time it gets down there, if it isn't a proper interferene fit then i can see the circlip would just be used to stop the stem pulling up thru the bottom clamp whilst you tighten down the bearings, and i figure once the clamps are tightened onto the fork tubes the tripleclamps can't move so the circlip isn't taking all the loads from the forks.

What I am after is conformation from anyone else who's bike has this setup to see wether their steering stem is slightly loose, so it can spin, or it is tight and mine is stuffed. :? :wink:

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I don't know about your Extreme forks, but I can tell you for sure, my 79 Husky 390 OR front forks had a clip, and the stem was solid when I replaced the assembly with 40mm forks from an 82.

The forks on my 00 501 have a clip and the stem in it is solid also.

I would say yours should be tight also. Any thing like this that has aluminum as an interface must have an interference fit or it will fret and enlarge the clearance. Not good!

Take it apart and check it out.

Regards,

Joe

on second thoughts ask an engineer to bush the aluminium lower yoke. you'll be alright!

regards

Taffy

RE: Re: Steering stem

do any of you guys know where i can get the nut that goes on the very top i also have a 98 FC501 that i am working on

Re: RE: Re: Steering stem

mberg501 said:

do any of you guys know where i can get the nut that goes on the very top i also have a 98 FC501 that i am working on

Click to expand...

part # 13001801

From Motoxotica in Vacaville Ca.

707 446-4282

Regards,

Joe