It's about 1mm out and won't go on. What do you do to get it to line up? Pushing the wheel does not seem to help.
Still got to slacken some bolts off and bounce it to make sure all straight... ...and don't forget to adjust the headstock bearings, Grandma.
When you remove the top yoke, the adjustment for the headstock bearings can have changed. If you don't know what I mean, try checking the play leaving the adjustment collars alone, then fit the yoke and tighten the yoke pinchbolt and try checking the adjustment again. And as you have been pushing the wheel backwards and forwards to get the bottom yoke spindle in, you could easliy have put a slight twist in the forks despite the lower yoke bolts and wheel spindle not being touched.
Surely when you tighten up the yokes and the wheels in itll all align up anyway? Rich will just need to check the torque on the top nut once reassembled to make sure the bearings arent under to much pressure? Or does this sound too simple and Im missing something
I got the impression he hadn't slackened the lower pinchbolts and the wheel off; so I reckon as he has been shoving the wheel around it may have caused a slight misalignment...... The bearing collar / nuts should almost be finger tight (if too tight, then weave and slap are a possiblities)........but for some unknown reason on three SSs that I have done the bearings on, tightening the top yoke pinchbolts appear to add pressure..... ....I think is to do with lateral movement on the yoke as it gets tightened so it tries to move the headstock spindle, which in turn puts lateral pressure on the bearings...... .....but whatever, it's good practice to check the adjustment and alignment if the top yoke has been removed. It's a bit like trying to retain alignment of the rear wheel when it is removed for a new tyre fitting....you wouldn't put it back without checking the axle alignment and chain tension, would you?
You have the inferior version with dodgy frame head that cracks under minimal stress so no doubt your torque setting will be lower......
Is that a Haynes manual extract? There is no mention of it in the Ducati Workshop Manual IMO there should hardly be any torque on the steering head nut.....not the type that you use a C spanner on anyway...... In fact I would go so far as to say you cannot adjust taper roller bearings by 'torque' as such.............come to that, you can't adjust a ball bearing at all. A bit over finger tight should be enough.........It's a case of jacking the front up and testing lock to lock, plus pulling the forks back and forwards at the bottom to check for play..........A good way of testing it is to get someone to push/pull the forks, while you have a finger pushed in under the yoke top (and bottom)..........you can feel the play if there is any. Don't rely on what you feel at the bottom of the forks alone.....there is sometimes an acceptable amount of play in the fork sliders.......if you can test by push/pull on the fork shrouds (ie with the fairing off) that will eliminate any confusion.
Al, Thats is haynes. I found the steering head taper bearings had a little play in them when new so I guess they can take some adustment.
One of the biggest mistakes made is that before the new headstock bearings are fitted, the bearing seats in the frame are not fully cleaned out..............and having disturbed the crap under the old bearings, the new ones may not sit down properly in the seat. Two things can happen in that case............1) the crap compacts and the bearing sits down a bit more, or 2) the crap doesn't compact and that leaves the inner and outer race misaligned, so the adjustment is effectively hit and miss, ie OK in one position, but tight in another as the sterring is turned. Then after that, the classic error occurs..........'adjustment checked OK, go for a ride'...........and never checked again. Even without crap left under the bearings, new bearings settle and should be IMO checked after 50 miles
Surely if the shells are bad, they would be replaced at the same time, I managed to pick up a set cheap for when they need doing. The previous owner liked to wheelie.......
