Re: The Poor Boy - A Tale Of A CB550
Worked the front end today. Got some progress:
My Cam ran out of batteries so the first few pics are cells. Got the front put together to set for welds.
Camera started working again. Yes, I know. I'm a terrible welder:
Then I popped out the old races in the frame and replaced them with the new ones.
Bottom:
Top:
Now, Im not sure that the top is supposed to be sticking out like that. It worried me a bit and proved to be quite troublesome in the near future, as I will explain. I pressed down the bearings on to the stem with the thick washer on the bottom (0.195") because I read on here from post a few years back that it was the proppoer one to go with on the 550s. WRONG!!!! Even after doing an eyeball measurement it turned out that the smaller washer was appropriate so I had to ever ever so gently pop off the bearing, switch the washer and press it back on. PHEW!
Here is a shot before I switched them and I blew it not taking one after but if you cant just imagine a smaller washer under there then... well you should seek counciling...
THEN.....I slid the stem in with the bearing on and put the top bearing and the lock nut on and tried to tighten down.... NO. Why? Well the bearing stuck out too high because it's too wide of a tapper? WTF?! Thanksfully I had the tapered set from the GL set up and could use that.
Some shots to compare:
Left = GL/Right = All Balls
All Balls in:
GL In:
So It finally got sorted out and I have tapered bearings in the front and put the triples on:
FINALLY!!!! Almost 4 months after picking up this front end from a weirdo who tried to sell me the hull of the flat bottom boat he brought it to me in, I have my front end together. What a fuckin' journey!!! Then to reward me for my good deeds, my gf..er I guess fiance now, showed up with a thank you gift in her trunk. Nice new air compressor for her husband-to-be, complete with all the fixin's. I said "Thanks baby, but you've got alot of catchin up to do so keep the gifts coming". ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D