steering head locking nuts

Steve6088 · Post by **Steve6088** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 8:28 pm

Will the steering head locking nuts be the same for the cbr900 and firestorm?

My steering head bearings keep coming loose after retightening them up. Takes about a month of riding and they're loose again. I'm worrying that I mixed the cbr and vtr locking nuts up when I did the swap. Could this possibly be the cause? If so I have given the wrong lock nuts to carmanbikes with the vtr forks and yokes I sold him.

I'm puzzled what else the cause could be

lloydie · Post by **lloydie** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 8:36 pm

Have you got number 7 fitted ?
http://www.bike-parts-honda.com/pieces- ... STORM.html
It locks them together and stops them from coming loose
And I do think the blade and storm share the same locking nuts

VTRDark · Post by **VTRDark** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 8:46 pm

Have you got number 7 fitted ?

And make sure you have the tabs knocked the right way around. Two up, two down. You could also use a bit of threadlock

(:-})

Post by **sirch345** » Tue Mar 11, 2014 9:44 pm

I'm surprised the steering keeps coming loose. With the top stem nut torqued down to such a high torque value I wouldn't have thought that would happen

Have you tightened the top steering stem nut (the one that sits on top of the top yoke) up to the correct torque value

as it's quite high.

Have you fitted taper roller bearings by any chance?

**EDIT**

Looking up the two part numbers for the castellated nuts using the site link below, it appears the bottom nut is the same for the VTR and the CBR900. The top nut however is not listed as being the same, but that is probably due to only the first 100 being shown. Even so I still think it strange as I explained in my first paragraph.

http://dealers.ronayers.com/WhereUsed/N/9935

Chris.

Steve6088 · Post by **Steve6088** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 4:47 pm

According to http://www.bike-parts-honda.com/pieces- ... STORM.html the locking nut parts are all the same between the cbr900rr and vtr. So in the unlikely chance I did mix them up, it wouldnt have caused a problem anyway. This is a relief

I have tapered bearings fitted. I just tighten the first nut hand tight and then slightly more with a C-spanner. I then hold this nut in place with one c-spanner and tighten the locking nut up with another. I then push the 2 prongs on the washer into place. I think I am doing this correct?

I haven't got a 30mm socket, just a spanner, so I don't know what torque I'm putting on the top nut. Is this the most likely culprit?

VTRDark · Post by **VTRDark** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 5:01 pm

I then push the 2 prongs on the washer into place. I think I am doing this correct?

Two prongs are folded down over the bottom nut and two prongs are folded up for the top locknut. If you don't have the two prongs folded up then that top locknut can works loose. Zoom in on the diagram in Lloyds link and you will see what I mean.

(:-})

Steve6088 · Post by **Steve6088** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 5:11 pm

cybercarl wrote:
I then push the 2 prongs on the washer into place. I think I am doing this correct?
Two prongs are folded down over the bottom nut and two prongs are folded up for the top locknut. If you don't have the two prongs folded up then that top locknut can works loose. Zoom in on the diagram in Lloyds link and you will see what I mean.

(:-})

Yep, I have defiantly been doing that

VTRDark · Post by **VTRDark** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 5:17 pm

I don't understand why they are working loose then. New bearings if not knocked on all the way can take some time to settle and things can get sloppy and need tightening a few times for the first few hundred miles. Other than that things should stay in place.

(:-})

Steve6088 · Post by **Steve6088** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 5:23 pm

I've had them in nearly a year now, so probably not that

.

Might try some lock tight and a 30mm socket so I can get correct torque, and try again on saturday.

AMCQ46 · Post by **AMCQ46** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 5:50 pm

Steve,
sounds like the races didnt get hammered home fully when assembled and they are still moving.

Post by **sirch345** » Wed Mar 12, 2014 7:38 pm

Steve6088 wrote:I haven't got a 30mm socket, just a spanner, so I don't know what torque I'm putting on the top nut. Is this the most likely culprit?

I'd say this can't be helping the situation at all, and could well be the problem. The top stem nut is meant to be tightened up to a torque value of 103Nm, you won't be getting anything like that with a spanner. You'll probably be lucky if you getting a third of that torque value, unless of course you're built like Arnie

Personally after a year I would have thought the bearings should be seated properly by now, if they weren't exactly home from the initial fit

So IMHO I din't think that will be the problem, but of course I've been wrong before

When you have got them adjusted properly with the stem nut torqued up to the correct torque, you should have a very slight resistance when you turn the steering left and right. You don't want the steering to drop in to a full turn on it's own when given a little push from the center (center being with front wheel facing straight ahead). Obviously that will need to be carried out with the front wheel raised off the ground.

Once you're at that point, while the front wheel is still raised, grab hold of the forks at the front axle area (one hand each fork leg) and check there is no movement forth or back. If that checks out okay you should then be good to go.

Chris.

VTR1000.ORG