When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Im in the process of changing my handlebars on my bike, while at it I'm going to replace the top yolk of my Triple Tree. Long story have an ugly mark on the back of mine from the previous owner and was given one for dirt cheap. I have the manual and was looking through it. From my understanding I can remove the Fork stem nut aswell as my 2 Slider tube caps and swap out just the top.
Without removing the forks and Front end. I would leave the pinch bolts on the bottom tree.
Here is where I am looking for some guidance, as I don't have much experience wrenching and pulling apart these bikes.
I know there is a spring in the forks that is going to cause some effort to push back down and get the fork caps back on so It makes sense to me to raise the front end so there is less pressure. But I also don't want my bottom tree and front end to lower when I remove the the Fork stem nut. ( It shouldn't because the adjuster nut should hold it on)
Am I on the right track here with keeping the front end up off the ground and blocking it so it can't turn and complicate the replacement?
Or am I totally off base and should approach this in a different way?
I also have the Torque specs for the Fork Stem nut at 35-40 ft-lbs
I didn't see any for the Fork Caps so Im assuming its just tight and snug? Did I miss something there?
Also didn't see anything for loctite and making the assumption there's none involved because of the grease(in neck) and oil (in forks)
Thank you all for your help,
I really appreciate any and all suggestions as I continue to learn at wrenching on this thing.
AJBikes
You should not have to worry about the spring coming out, it is held in by part #24, see image below. You should not even need to raise the front end.
Do you have a Harley Service Manual? It can be your best friend when working on your bike.
Thanks for the reply, I have a service manual and am going off that.
Didnt quite understand and was also a little nervous! Got the part switched just still stuck on how tight to torque the #11 bolts. They were cranked on but i didnt see the specs in the book.
Thanks for the reply, I have a service manual and am going off that.
Didnt quite understand and was also a little nervous! Got the part switched just still stuck on how tight to torque the #11 bolts. They were cranked on but i didnt see the specs in the book.
As of October 20, 2009 per Harley Service Bulletin M-1233
Harley updated the torque specs to both the Fork Cap and the Fork Tube Plug to 60-70 ft-lbs (81.3-94.9 Nm)
The updated torque spec applies to:
1980-2009 Touring Models
1984-2009 Softail Models
To do what you are trying to do, you want to keep the bike on the ground to keep the lower tree in place. Part #11 is just the cap to fill the fork oil, #24 which you do not need to touch has the spring pressure.
All of your handle bar wires go through the opening in the top tree. You are going to need to trace the wires back under the tank and find the nearest connection point. The connector probably will not fit through the hole in the upper tree, and likely you are going to need to de-pin the connector to pull the harness through, then feed it back into the new tree. Gas tanks may need to be removed to get to the connector.
As stated, FSM is the way to go for this process, good luck.
Thank you all, already pulled the wires and the tanks,
Got the job done lifted bike just enough to remove pressure but kept it in my front wheel chuck.
Fastened the stem nut and fork caps to the torque specs, was hard to get the new triple top on because i had the pressure off but figured it out.
Thank you guys a lot, Followed the factory manual, but at the same time I am new to reading the drawings and some nervousness as I didnt want to make mistakes. Nice to have some helpful voices,
I didnt use any loctite as I am quite sure i didnt see any and didnt want it, I think im right in that but correct me if im wrong.
Cheers
AJBikes
To do what you are trying to do, you want to keep the bike on the ground to keep the lower tree in place. Part #11 is just the cap to fill the fork oil, #24 which you do not need to touch has the spring pressure.
All of your handle bar wires go through the opening in the top tree. You are going to need to trace the wires back under the tank and find the nearest connection point. The connector probably will not fit through the hole in the upper tree, and likely you are going to need to de-pin the connector to pull the harness through, then feed it back into the new tree. Gas tanks may need to be removed to get to the connector.
As stated, FSM is the way to go for this process, good luck.
Hey on this note I went back and took a look at the neck, I was questioning my job since reading your message because I had the pressure off and the top tree was difficult to sit.
Does this look normal and okay?
Everything is torqued to spec but these gaps have me questioning
This is my main area where Im concerned. Is this 1/8 inch gap normal? The top is sitting on the adjuster Nut
Thanks just dont want to roll around with a messed up neck
AJBikes
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
Top Tree and fork Help
