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Somethings bent in my front end. Questions

Discussion in 'Tech' started by Mran556, Jul 13, 2018.

  1. Mran556

    Mran556 Well-Known Member

    I believe i have a bent part in my front end.

    When im going straight down ghe road my top triple and it looks like my lower triple are bent to right (right sides lower than the left)

    I have a vibration in the handlebars too like pushing it left and right. If i let go of the handle bar at higher speeds on occasion ill get a mini tank slapper.

    I assume it may be the left front fork so i rotated it 180 degrees and the vibration became less i believe and no mini tank slappers.

    Ive checked the forks with a straight edge and the seem straight enough with my ghetto straight edge. I didnt disassemble them so i cant check the entire lenght of chrome part.

    My lower triple also seems to sit flush on the straight edge but the stem comes down to far so i cant place it on a piece of glass to check.

    Just looking for ideas. Im sure some of you have alot more experience at this than i do. Could it be the frame? Is there away to check that? Down and dirty not trying to send this to GMD.

    Ive drove it for 3 thousand miles its a new bike to me so i dont know the history. Doesnt look like any damage to the forks or frame. Front brakes are smooth. Wheel looks straight enough. Cant feel any slop in the bearings. 2002 fz1.
     
  2. stangmx13

    stangmx13 Well-Known Member

    If u can see a misalignment in plain sight, I wouldn’t be surprised if the triple and both forks are bent. Maybe even the axle too.

    Easiest way I’ve found to find a bent fork on the bike is as follows:
    - loosen the axle pinch bolts only on the fork that can move on the axle. It helps if that part of the axle is greased too.
    - remove the caliper on that same side
    - loosen and rotate one fork
    - as u rotate, look for any change in position of the axle in the fork w the loose axle pinch bolts. The axle will move in and out if the fork is bent.
    - check both forks, one at a time. whichever fork causes movement is bent

    If both your forks are straight but the triple is bent, it might be hard to rotate the fork in the triple. Or installing the top triple with the forks already in could be tough because of misalignment.
     
  3. TurboBlew

    TurboBlew Registers Abusers

    is there evidence its been crashed (like rash or anything?)

    Like stang says... disassemble.

    Run the wheel & brakes on an axle and check the run out with a dial indicator.
     
  4. RM Racing

    RM Racing Tool user

    OEM upper triples are made of cheese. That would be the first thing I'd check. Surface plate.
     
  5. Mran556

    Mran556 Well-Known Member

    Ill do this when i get it back together may take a few days tho.

    Not rly no damage any where rly its odd. Small dent in the gas tank from what looks like the right handle bar hitting it.


    Ill check that today bikes apart so that will be quick. I know you run a shop or something. Do you know where or do you sell a castle nut socket to fit the triple tree stem? I want something i can torque to spec. Or do that make a trick adjustable one that fits all?
     
  6. stangmx13

    stangmx13 Well-Known Member

    How pounded are the steering stops?
     
  7. metricdevilmoto

    metricdevilmoto Just forking around

    There is absolutely no way to accurately verify that those forks are straight without taking them apart and rolling them.
     
  8. Mran556

    Mran556 Well-Known Member

    They look fine not bad at all.

    Just about got them disassembled.

    Anyone know if i can seprate the lower tube from the upper without removing the cart? The seals not budging but im sure by now its glued in there just dont wanna damage rhe cart if it has to be removed. Yes i took the oil seal retainer c clip out..
     
  9. Mran556

    Mran556 Well-Known Member

    Yea got to pull the cart.. forks apart going to check it on kitchem table

    Looks pretty straight to me. Tables not perfect but i moved it around on the table
     
    Last edited: Jul 14, 2018
  10. metricdevilmoto

    metricdevilmoto Just forking around

    Checking fork tubes for runout is a bit different than checking for a straight cue stick on the bar pool table.
     
    Boman Forklift likes this.
  11. ducnut

    ducnut Well-Known Member

    A fork alignment tool would be handy for you.
     

    Attached Files:

  12. stangmx13

    stangmx13 Well-Known Member

    i just replaced an upper tube because one end was off by ~1mm. u arent going to find that rolling it on a table.
     
  13. Mran556

    Mran556 Well-Known Member

    I get that just dont have any v blocks ill shop for some i guess. Got a dial indicator all ready. I just thought like it would really be noticeable being that im getting little tank slappers and the triple trees off 1/2"

    Ive never seen anyone use that ive never had to on my other bike and ive take the forks out alot and its always 100 dead on.
     
  14. Mran556

    Mran556 Well-Known Member

    Ok ill get some v blocks any other good way gunna take me a week or more to get v blocks. Wanted to get it done in a day or 2


    Whats the proper way v blocks on one of the granite tops and clamp the v blocks too it then clamp the dial to something sturdy
     
  15. Jaketheone46

    Jaketheone46 Well-Known Member

    If your triple trees are off by a half inch somethings bent for sure. Stangmx13 post 2 explained a very easy way to check forks while still in clamps on the bike but if you can vesably see the clamps are a half inch off it should be fairly easy to see what’s bent. I’d search and find your nearest local that can do some accurate measurements and check that frame.
     
  16. ducnut

    ducnut Well-Known Member

    It’s a handy tool. You can put it against your tubes between the clamps and check alignment there. If it doesn’t lay flat, you know the clamps are twisted. If it does lay flat, then, put it anywhere along the tubes below the clamps and check alignment. If it lays solid between the clamps and doesn’t below the clamps, you know you’ve got a bent tube.

    What I don’t get is this stuff is very basic to figure out and doesn’t take a ton of knowledge, if you know what you’re looking at. People have offered various ideas, from experienced perspectives, yet, you refute everything everyone offers. It’s obvious you’re completely lost. Take the thing to a suspension shop, tell them what it’s doing, and wait for a phone call. You’re wasting people’s time, here.
     
  17. Mran556

    Mran556 Well-Known Member


    Nah you sound stupid. Im doing everything i can at the moment. Mdm said no way to tell unless i roll them on a flat surface. So i disassembled them and am now shoping for
    V blocks. I all ready have a dial indicator. Im going to do what was mentioned in post #2 aswell after i get the front end back on the bike. Sounds like your lost and have no idea what your talking about. Ive all rdy posted and said this stuff so maybe ya just cant read. Thanks for coming tho
     
  18. Jaketheone46

    Jaketheone46 Well-Known Member

    I’ve used this method when looking to purchase bikes very easy very fast and a quick way to see if there is any type of run out in each fork. After this checking the lower tubes can be eyed out fairly easy too by removing the axle and spinning the lower tube which if there’s a bend it’s usually fairly easy to find. Being a machinist for many years helps too I suppose especially being a lathe operator.
     
  19. Mran556

    Mran556 Well-Known Member


    Ill do that as well when i get it back together. Yea im sure especially if you do it for a living. From what you said in you previous post i agree i rly thought it would be blatantly obvious since its off so much. I cant see it with the naked eye tho. So i just run the dial first now that i got it apart.

    I got pretty luck i think today. Picked up an entire front end with new seals for less that it would cost me to replace the seals on my current forks. So mean while I'm waiting for tools ill throw it on there and see how it does. Hoping it will fix the issue
     
  20. Jaketheone46

    Jaketheone46 Well-Known Member

    Did the forks slide out of the clamps fairly easy?? A bent set of triples will cause the forks to get bound up a bit. I would love to see a pic of where you said you see a 1/2” bend.
     

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