CL360 front end alignment

[sancho]

hello all,

Just trying to figure out an alignment issue I have with my CL360. When I bought it, I immediately noticed this misalignment, but the handle bars were crooked. So I thought there is some misalignment but the handlebars might be throwing me off even more. Anyway, I recently had a chance to rebuild the forks. Put it all back together, and the misalignment was still there. I tightened the top fork nut and kept the bottom one loose, then I loosened the stem bolt, pressed on the bars and put weight on them. I think this is how you're supposed to align them. Not sure.

Whats the correct way or the best way to do this? My forks seemed fine, no bend or anything.

Also the front axle has a small gap between the fork and the hub. I have to really press the forks together in order to have a tight axle. I am guessing this is because of the misaligned triple.

Any input/education/schooling is appreciated!

Thanks guys!

 

[Chronic]

ive got a dirt bike doing the same thing! i had done as you have but always seems to go back. like to see how you fix it

 

[xb33bsa]

those handlebars are bent,and it is likely you have a bent stanchion tube and or axel

 

[sancho]

those handlebars are bent,and it is likely you have a bent stanchion tube and or axel

yeah handlebars are obviously bent, not sure about the stanchion, seemed fine.

 

[xb33bsa]

you took the fork legs out of the triple clamps and rotated the stanchion tubes in order to observe any runout ?
i guarantee you at least one side is bent

 

[Redliner]

Crack the nuts holding one of the fork legs JUST enough so that you can rotate it in the trees. Leave the lower bolted to the axle.

Now spin the stanchion that you loosened while holding the front end steady. When you spin the bent one, the wheel will move side to side.

You may have a bent triple. The way to test (after cracking everything INCLUDING the top stem nut and pressing down a few times on the bike so it aligns, then torquing it down) is to take a straight edge, piece of drift, anything with a straight edge and put it across the front of the tubes near the bottom clamp. Put another one across the tubes at the upper clamp.

When you look at the two pieces, they should align at the edge. If they don't align, most likely the triples. Take them off and put them on a flat surface. They should be flat where the tube is clamped.

 

[sancho]

Crack the nuts holding one of the fork legs JUST enough so that you can rotate it in the trees. Leave the lower bolted to the axle.

Now spin the stanchion that you loosened while holding the front end steady. When you spin the bent one, the wheel will move side to side.

You may have a bent triple. The way to test (after cracking everything INCLUDING the top stem nut and pressing down a few times on the bike so it aligns, then torquing it down) is to take a straight edge, piece of drift, anything with a straight edge and put it across the front of the tubes near the bottom clamp. Put another one across the tubes at the upper clamp.

When you look at the two pieces, they should align at the edge. If they don't align, most likely the triples. Take them off and put them on a flat surface. They should be flat where the tube is clamped.

wow awesome! will do all of those and report back! Thanks!

 

[sancho]

Crack the nuts holding one of the fork legs JUST enough so that you can rotate it in the trees. Leave the lower bolted to the axle.

Now spin the stanchion that you loosened while holding the front end steady. When you spin the bent one, the wheel will move side to side.

You may have a bent triple. The way to test (after cracking everything INCLUDING the top stem nut and pressing down a few times on the bike so it aligns, then torquing it down) is to take a straight edge, piece of drift, anything with a straight edge and put it across the front of the tubes near the bottom clamp. Put another one across the tubes at the upper clamp.

When you look at the two pieces, they should align at the edge. If they don't align, most likely the triples. Take them off and put them on a flat surface. They should be flat where the tube is clamped.

Hey man just wanted to follow up, I did exactly what you described and narrowed it down to my right fork, that was bent up at the top. Barely noticeable when you place it on a flat surface or a level. But I guess since it is the top part of the fork that was bent, a slight misalignment up there will resonate more at the bottom. Anyway I am in the market for straight CB360 forks.

Thanks again for the tips!

 

[Redliner]

Be sure it's not bent trees. Place each triple on a FLAT SURFACE and check that both clamps are touching the surface evenly. You say you can't tell that the fork is bent, so it's worth a check to save costs and time.

 

[sancho]

Be sure it's not bent trees. Place each triple on a FLAT SURFACE and check that both clamps are touching the surface evenly. You say you can't tell that the fork is bent, so it's worth a check to save costs and time.

Yup will do, thanks!

 

[xb33bsa]

but not all trees have a machined perpundickular surface on the bottom, upper ones usually do, buttnot bottoms, once you have straight stanchion tubes they should clamp up paralell to each other and to the stem
and bent triples are rare in my experience
as far as bent tubes i straighten them all the time just got done straightening one so no need to go shopping, for a slightly bent stanchion

 

[irk miller]

I've got one spare straight fork pipe from a CB360. It has some rust spots and an old registration sticker on it, but it's straight. A good polishing should clean it up for the most part.

 

[sancho]

but not all trees have a machined perpundickular surface on the bottom, upper ones usually do, buttnot bottoms, once you have straight stanchion tubes they should clamp up paralell to each other and to the stem
and bent triples are rare in my experience
as far as bent tubes i straighten them all the time just got done straightening one so no need to go shopping, for a slightly bent stanchion

hmm interesting, how do you go about straightening a stanchion? It is definitely slightly curved at the top about 3 inches from the top. The left side was straight as an arrow.

The trees were fine, flat surface and level tested flat.

 

[Redliner]

I put it in a lathe and turn it with a dial gauge to indicate run-out. It has to be a four-clamp chuck or you're wasting your time. I bent mine back to shape and was within about 0.03mm run-out. No heat required.

 

[xb33bsa]

hmm interesting, how do you go about straightening a stanchion? It is definitely slightly curved at the top about 3 inches from the top. The left side was straight as an arrow.

The trees were fine, flat surface and level tested flat.

i straighten them in a hyd press using soft blocks,i have a few sizes they are half round and aluminum and have 2" or so of contact,you can also use v-blocks lined with some soft aluminum ,copper or lead
what yer doing is pushing on the high spot and you have to go way past in the other direction
you have to be skilled enough to find the high spot and know the ideal location thusly surmised for the 2 support blocks
you can check the runout using simple v-blocks and an indicator, up to.010" max runout is plenty close i can usually get them to .005", which is tits, trying to get them better than that is a waste of time
back in the day all the mc shops were set up for this and it was common knowledge/skill for am mc mech in the good old days
i used to straighten caterpiller and other industrial hyd cylinder rods in huge presses, one time a 3-1/2" diameter cat rod(solid not hollow) exploded on me and went darn near thru the fucking shop wall :-[
them cat rods were so fucking hard you had to go way past and then the springback was crazy
needless to say you never stand in plain view when doing that shit
and i was the go to guy straightening rods it was a scary thrill actually , they really go BANG when they explode