Stearing Head Bearing adjustment? softail
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Joined: Jul 2006
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Stearing Head Bearing adjustment? softail
I have a 2003 Heritage Classic Softail. The owner's manual calls for lubricating stearing head bearing every 5k miles. I have done that. However this business of adjusting the "stearing head bearing" every 10k miles is confusing. I will be doing a 10k soon. I find this area confusing. The loosening of pinch bolt, fender mask tape and pointer business and fallaway after the bike is up on jack and all that jazz. Is this beyond the competence of a novice. Disassemble will be due at 20k; that's another issue that I will deal with next year or so. I have following questions.
1. What if I need adjustment and I dont do it, how will a maladjustment affect my motor cycle handling, in other words symptoms of mild to moderate to sever maladjustment or not doing the adjustment.
2. Do shops really do all that routinely at scheduled intervals?
2. Please explain in plain simple terms what it is and how to accomplish it.
I do have an Service manual on my bike but sometimes forum answers are so much more practical, easier and helpful. i have posted this in technical section also but i think i will get more prompt answers here. I will check both
1. What if I need adjustment and I dont do it, how will a maladjustment affect my motor cycle handling, in other words symptoms of mild to moderate to sever maladjustment or not doing the adjustment.
2. Do shops really do all that routinely at scheduled intervals?
2. Please explain in plain simple terms what it is and how to accomplish it.
I do have an Service manual on my bike but sometimes forum answers are so much more practical, easier and helpful. i have posted this in technical section also but i think i will get more prompt answers here. I will check both
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,920
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From: Upstate New York
RE: Stearing Head Bearing adjustment? softail
its basicly the tourqe on your steering stem nut, to tight youll bind the steering stem brg's. to loose youll have free play,not good,
myself, I'm doing it all at 20k miles. I raced dirt bikes, it had to be done every year, becuase of dirt and pressure washing,
pearsonally on my harleys I think its overkill,
myself, I'm doing it all at 20k miles. I raced dirt bikes, it had to be done every year, becuase of dirt and pressure washing,
pearsonally on my harleys I think its overkill,
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 11,068
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From: Texas! Ya mean there's someplace else?
RE: Stearing Head Bearing adjustment? softail
Here's a way to do this that is way less mumbo-jumbo than the MoCo method. It has worked well for me.
Jack the front end of the bike off the ground. Tighten the adjusting nut until the front end is hard to turn. Next turn the handlebars back and forth, from stop to stop, through several cycles. Notice the front end becomes easier to turn. Back off the adjusting nut to a slightly loose fit, then tighten to about 9 ft-lbs torque. If the front end still wobbles after this (tire pressure good and tire in good condition, with no cupping, etc.) and the wobble occurs during deceleration, tighten the adjusting nut a bit more.
If you get a shimmy and more tightening does nothing to help, then suspect that the steering head bearings have shifted and the races are no longer parallel to the axis of the steering head. This is not unusual in HD bikes as they are relatively heavy. Modern bike head bearings tend to shift back and forth in the frame, especially on the heavier bikes, and this causes the bearings to become non-parallel. Any free play in the head bearings will compound this situation. This sets up torque forces that constantly try to correct themselves resulting in a shimmy, or head shake. The cause is not looseness; the bearings have shifted, and things ain't parallel. Pull the front end off and try to reseat the races in the frame neck.
Check the head bearings frequently IAW the service manual. Since these bearings do not move around like those on an axle, they tend to stay in one spot in relation to the race. Therefore every blow on the front end from road conditions tends to flatten the individual rollers or ***** ever so slightly. Over a period of time these flat spots can cause a condition whereby you point the forks straight ahead, and they tend to fall back onto the flat spot, causing a weave as you go down the road. If tightening the preload does nothing to correct the situation, suspect flat spots in the neck bearings.
Jack the front end of the bike off the ground. Tighten the adjusting nut until the front end is hard to turn. Next turn the handlebars back and forth, from stop to stop, through several cycles. Notice the front end becomes easier to turn. Back off the adjusting nut to a slightly loose fit, then tighten to about 9 ft-lbs torque. If the front end still wobbles after this (tire pressure good and tire in good condition, with no cupping, etc.) and the wobble occurs during deceleration, tighten the adjusting nut a bit more.
If you get a shimmy and more tightening does nothing to help, then suspect that the steering head bearings have shifted and the races are no longer parallel to the axis of the steering head. This is not unusual in HD bikes as they are relatively heavy. Modern bike head bearings tend to shift back and forth in the frame, especially on the heavier bikes, and this causes the bearings to become non-parallel. Any free play in the head bearings will compound this situation. This sets up torque forces that constantly try to correct themselves resulting in a shimmy, or head shake. The cause is not looseness; the bearings have shifted, and things ain't parallel. Pull the front end off and try to reseat the races in the frame neck.
Check the head bearings frequently IAW the service manual. Since these bearings do not move around like those on an axle, they tend to stay in one spot in relation to the race. Therefore every blow on the front end from road conditions tends to flatten the individual rollers or ***** ever so slightly. Over a period of time these flat spots can cause a condition whereby you point the forks straight ahead, and they tend to fall back onto the flat spot, causing a weave as you go down the road. If tightening the preload does nothing to correct the situation, suspect flat spots in the neck bearings.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 11,068
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From: Texas! Ya mean there's someplace else?
RE: Stearing Head Bearing adjustment? softail
Thought I'd better throw this in, too. Last time I did mine it took about 18 ft-lbs on my torque wrench, nearly double what the guy that gave me the procedure said it would. When I asked about it he basically said if it "feels" OK, and rides fine, don't worry about it.
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Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2009
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From: Margaret Alabama
ok guess Im not quite getting it. I took the chrome cover off the top of the triple tree and see a bolt. I dont see the nut that needs to be tighten. Do I have to remove the triple tree to gain access. I have an 05 Heritage Softail classic
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 11,068
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From: Texas! Ya mean there's someplace else?
And how did you stumble on this 5 year old thread?
Last edited by pococj; Oct 25, 2011 at 07:05 PM. Reason: 'Cause I always wanted to be an eddditer.
