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Tweeking a bent steering head

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    #1

    Tweeking a bent steering head

    So you dont have a press or frame shop close and your project bike had been wrecked by the PO ( I was aware of this fact when i bought it ). But you didnt know just how bad it was till its torn down and looked over. Mine wasnt crushed back or any down tubes bent..just seemed someone walked up and twisted it counterclockwise about 3/16 inch...as your standing in front of the head.

    So now, the task is how are you gonna get enough torque and be able to twist the head back in line and check for plumb?? Well I didnt take pics of the first stage of how i stabilized the bike and made my rig so I will try and describe that part as well as I can.

    How to get the bike locked down so you can apply twist to the head.....simple. You set the bike against the rear wheel of a Ford 8N tractor and chain the frame right behind the head to the rear axle. And then you use a come along around the swing arm and ratchet the bike tight up to the wheel. Bike solidly locked to the rear wheel I needed to begin to twist the head back..but with what???

    To twist the head I drove the top bearing race of the head and stuck a bent fork down the hole. next went a pair of vice grips on the tube about a foot above the top of the steering head. This was a stop for the chain.

    Next was to wrap a chain around the fork sticking up, set an 8 foot 4x4 landscaping timber ( one with the rounded edges) against the bottom edge of the head. Now wrap the rest of the chain around the 4x4 and get at twisting the head. Now I dont know exactly how much pressure it takes to snap one of those timbers but I broke this one twice....but i got enough twist to get it darn close by eyeballing it.


    Posb two will be on making a tool to read the center line of the lower triple to check for left to right plumb.
    Last edited by chuck hahn; 11-29-2016, 07:47 PM.
    MY BIKES..1977 GS 750 B, 1978 GS 1000 C (X2)
    1978 GS 1000 E, 1979 GS 1000 S, 1973 Yamaha TX 750, 1977 Kawasaki KZ 650B1, 1975 Honda GL1000 Goldwing, 1983 CB 650SC Nighthawk, 1972 Honda CB 350K4, 74 Honda CB550

    NEVER SNEAK UP ON A SLEEPING DOG..NOT EVEN YOUR OWN.


    I would rather trust my bike to a "QUACK" that KNOWS how to fix it rather than a book worm that THINKS HE KNOWS how to fix it.
    Tags: None
    #2
    MAKING A TOOL TO CHECK PLUMB...

    Theres a 1/4 inch hole in the center of the tubes lower plug thing. I had to get a way to center the rod down the bore of the tube so I simply wrapped it with painter tape till it fit snuggly into the bore of the triple tube. next was just lay a level on the left and right sides of the rod to see if the bore of the lower triple was true.













    MY BIKES..1977 GS 750 B, 1978 GS 1000 C (X2)
    1978 GS 1000 E, 1979 GS 1000 S, 1973 Yamaha TX 750, 1977 Kawasaki KZ 650B1, 1975 Honda GL1000 Goldwing, 1983 CB 650SC Nighthawk, 1972 Honda CB 350K4, 74 Honda CB550

    NEVER SNEAK UP ON A SLEEPING DOG..NOT EVEN YOUR OWN.


    I would rather trust my bike to a "QUACK" that KNOWS how to fix it rather than a book worm that THINKS HE KNOWS how to fix it.

    Comment

      #3
      Originally posted by chuck hahn View Post
      How to get the bike locked down so you can apply twist to the head.....simple. You set the bike against the rear wheel of a Ford 8N tractor and chain the frame right behind the head to the rear axle. And then you use a come along around the swing arm and ratchet the bike tight up to the wheel. Bike solidly locked to the rear wheel I needed to begin to twist the head back..but with what???

      To twist the head I drove the top bearing race of the head and stuck a bent fork down the hole. next went a pair of vice grips on the tube about a foot above the top of the steering head. This was a stop for the chain.

      Next was to wrap a chain around the fork sticking up, set an 8 foot 4x4 landscaping timber ( one with the rounded edges) against the bottom edge of the head. Now wrap the rest of the chain around the 4x4 and get at twisting the head. Now I dont know exactly how much pressure it takes to snap one of those timbers but I broke this one twice....but i got enough twist to get it darn close by eyeballing it.

      Absolutely useless without pics Chuck

      Seriously be good to see some "grass roots" engineering in action
      1980 GS1000G - Sold
      1978 GS1000E - Finished!
      1980 GS550E - Fixed & given to a friend
      1983 GS750ES Special - Sold
      2009 KLR 650 - Sold - gone to TX!
      1982 GS1100G - Rebuilt and finished. - Sold
      2009 TE610 - Dual Sporting around dreaming of Dakar..... - FOR SALE!

      www.parasiticsanalytics.com

      TWINPOT BRAKE UPGRADE LINKY: http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...e-on-78-Skunk/

      Comment

        #4
        After my Big Bambi Bash in 2013, I did something similar to verify whether my KLR's frame was straight. I used two of the discs from a set of tapered bearing drivers so that they would self-center, and drilled out the hole in the tapered discs to match the length of threaded rod.

        Much to my astonishment, the headstock was still straight -- I was able to measure to within about 1 or 2mm referenced to the swingarm pivot point. The front end and rear subframe were demolished, but the basic frame structure was OK. The radiator was bent but not leaking and the crash bars were bent but fixable.


        I ended up rebuilding the bike (thanks, eBay!) and it tracks perfectly true. I've put about 20,000+ miles on it since then. The steering stops on the frame were smashed, so I ended up cutting them back a bit and tapping holes in the stops to insert bolts and locknuts -- basically making adjustable steering stops.
        1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
        2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
        2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
        Eat more venison.

        Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

        Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

        SUPPORT THIS SITE! DONATE TODAY!

        Co-host of "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at tro.bike!

        Comment

          #5
          Well Dan all thats left of the tweeking stage is the broke timber. Sorry.
          MY BIKES..1977 GS 750 B, 1978 GS 1000 C (X2)
          1978 GS 1000 E, 1979 GS 1000 S, 1973 Yamaha TX 750, 1977 Kawasaki KZ 650B1, 1975 Honda GL1000 Goldwing, 1983 CB 650SC Nighthawk, 1972 Honda CB 350K4, 74 Honda CB550

          NEVER SNEAK UP ON A SLEEPING DOG..NOT EVEN YOUR OWN.


          I would rather trust my bike to a "QUACK" that KNOWS how to fix it rather than a book worm that THINKS HE KNOWS how to fix it.

          Comment

            #6
            You need a camera man Chuck
            1980 GS1000G - Sold
            1978 GS1000E - Finished!
            1980 GS550E - Fixed & given to a friend
            1983 GS750ES Special - Sold
            2009 KLR 650 - Sold - gone to TX!
            1982 GS1100G - Rebuilt and finished. - Sold
            2009 TE610 - Dual Sporting around dreaming of Dakar..... - FOR SALE!

            www.parasiticsanalytics.com

            TWINPOT BRAKE UPGRADE LINKY: http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...e-on-78-Skunk/

            Comment

              #7
              He wasnt home at the time. I can tell you it took all my weight bouncing on that timber to get it twisted back. Set the front tire and fender tonight and it look pretty darn good so far.
              MY BIKES..1977 GS 750 B, 1978 GS 1000 C (X2)
              1978 GS 1000 E, 1979 GS 1000 S, 1973 Yamaha TX 750, 1977 Kawasaki KZ 650B1, 1975 Honda GL1000 Goldwing, 1983 CB 650SC Nighthawk, 1972 Honda CB 350K4, 74 Honda CB550

              NEVER SNEAK UP ON A SLEEPING DOG..NOT EVEN YOUR OWN.


              I would rather trust my bike to a "QUACK" that KNOWS how to fix it rather than a book worm that THINKS HE KNOWS how to fix it.

              Comment

                #8
                You done good there chuck !. I tweak frames to pay the bills, very ingenious using the tractor !. Top job use whatever you have handy .
                GS1000 805.jpg
                My bikes 79 GS1000 1085 checked and approved by stator the GSR mascot :eagerness: and 77 GS750 with 850 top end, GS850g, and my eldest sons 78 GS550, youngest sons GS125. Project bike 79 GS1000N

                Comment

                  #9
                  UK...yes when you dont have any resources to have it farmed out you anallize, make a plan, and the go MacGyver on it.
                  Last edited by chuck hahn; 12-02-2016, 07:47 PM.
                  MY BIKES..1977 GS 750 B, 1978 GS 1000 C (X2)
                  1978 GS 1000 E, 1979 GS 1000 S, 1973 Yamaha TX 750, 1977 Kawasaki KZ 650B1, 1975 Honda GL1000 Goldwing, 1983 CB 650SC Nighthawk, 1972 Honda CB 350K4, 74 Honda CB550

                  NEVER SNEAK UP ON A SLEEPING DOG..NOT EVEN YOUR OWN.


                  I would rather trust my bike to a "QUACK" that KNOWS how to fix it rather than a book worm that THINKS HE KNOWS how to fix it.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Well the test ride is in the books.. 40 MPH and let go of the bars and she still goes straight. Im calling this one a success.
                    MY BIKES..1977 GS 750 B, 1978 GS 1000 C (X2)
                    1978 GS 1000 E, 1979 GS 1000 S, 1973 Yamaha TX 750, 1977 Kawasaki KZ 650B1, 1975 Honda GL1000 Goldwing, 1983 CB 650SC Nighthawk, 1972 Honda CB 350K4, 74 Honda CB550

                    NEVER SNEAK UP ON A SLEEPING DOG..NOT EVEN YOUR OWN.


                    I would rather trust my bike to a "QUACK" that KNOWS how to fix it rather than a book worm that THINKS HE KNOWS how to fix it.

                    Comment

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