Hey guys, I'm getting ready to send fork sliders, head light and triple trees out for powder coat. So today I tore the front end off the bike. When I got the triple trees off the freaking steering head bearing were just damned near dry from factory, they had a light film only. No damage to them or the races but if I had not taken it off for another 25k I'm pretty sure I would have had to replace all. Just a heads up.

 

In the pictures they look as if they got hot, after wipeing them down they are fine, what your seeing is a film of dirty grease.

 

Good heads up

 

any more pics of the tear down process for the trip trees... i want to powder mine but ive read something about needing a special tool and something about an alignment process when re-assembling ?

 

What year bike do you have? If that is what they looked like and you haven't wiped any grease off, you're right...those look pretty dry. It's a good thing you caught it. Has this bike been washed with high pressure wash?

 

Grich, the tear down is a snap, nothing to it, i put it on my jack, raised it as high as she would go, tied the bars to the rafters, took the bolts out of the risers from the bottom side of the tree, pulled the wires and unhooked them, then lowered the bike a few inches. brake caliper off, hang from frame with wire, unscrew the cap over the head bearings, take nut off, take star nut off, trees drop right out. nothing special as far as tools. you may be thinking of the little tool to take the cap off, that was no problem, once the risers were off i unscrewed it by hand. the star wheel, a punch and hammer knocks it loose. I had it all apart in about an hour, i had never done this and was glad when i figured out it was a cinch.
I was going to video the whole thing with a gopro from my head and then didnt. sorry. i will do a video going back though. There is no alignment, there is a drop away you have to set, very easy to perform i found, over rated on the difficult scale. you have a manual?


2010 Wide Glide, 25,480 on the clock, washed by hand. i didnt expect a ton of grease but i did expect a little, they are packed now and in a plastic bag waiting to go back in.

 

I'm glad to hear it's been a simple job so far. I've got some Fat Bob trees waiting for me to install, just have to find some time. I was also thinking about tying my bars to the rafters during this.

 

Dude, LOL the bars tied up works like a dream, I worried about them bars for 2 days till i had time, gonna have to go through all that work with the brake line and cables to get them off or lay them on the tank, going to scratch tank, going to scratch the bars, then once i got out there i thought hey, just hang them damned things up in the air.

 

awssome man ill be doing it in a few weeks once its to cold to ride anymore everything is getting powdered black !

 

The front end of my new '09 Heritage made a loud pop from day 1 and the selling dealer was unable to duplicate the complaint. Found info on this forum to grease the steering head. Pumped 8 ounces of grease before any started to escape the head but was very little help to the stop the pop. Told the service writer the tree was dry and I used the grease that was in my gun and he informed me using any product except H-D brand would void my warranty. Told him I have used "other oils" in tranny & primary because of shifting problems and he said, "my warranty was voided." Went to another dealer and they adjusted the head without a test ride, just observing the free play in the head. Problem completly solved & I'm happpy with the service dept. at my new H-D dealer. I still add a pump or two to the head to get it plum full and keep it that way. I know it came to me with a dry head. I also got the bike new with 24 PSI in both tires. I axed the service writer and he said new tires leaked. Like I said, happy with new dealer! Posted names in earlier posts.