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Steering head bearings.

  • Far Canal
    Far Canal
    2 years ago
    My 2008 FXST has got 72,000 ks on it and I have never thought that my steering head bearings need adjustment.
    I have had the front wheel in the air many times servicing it and usually grab the fork lowers and try to move them forward and backwards to see if there is any notice-able slack and have never found there to be any.
    This particular model had the bonus of coming out with a grease nipple on the steering head part of the frame and I have always kept it loaded with grease.
    Just gave the bike a service and for the first time ever consulted the workshop manual to see how it says to adjust the steering head bearings using a pointer on the workshop floor over the front fender/mudguard and checking what is called the "fall away".
    As I had never adjusted them before I expected the fall away to be below the specified measurement indicating the bearings need to be tightened a tad however it was the opposite indicating they were too tight and need to be loosened.
    That was a surprise!.
    Bike still seems to handle fine and there is no notchy/indexing feeling moving handlebars from lock to lock.
    Seems silly loosening them after 72,000ks.
    Manual says replace them at 80,000 ks.
    Interested to hear thoughts from the mechanical brains trust on the forum.
    Cheers FC

  • Retroman
    Retroman
    2 years ago
    I'm with you mate ! Whack 'em fulla grease on a regular basis and she'll be right.

    Just be careful over the next few days/weeks to get all the extra oozing of grease that continues.

    If it drips onto the heads it can stain the chrome quicksmart. Everything else it just wipes off.

    I have seen the bearings corrode and go off in Dynas, no grease nipple y'see and stripping the forks out to regrease is most often avoided. It is a "Kontova" job compared to the Softail line.

    Right now I have 2 grease guns filled with Castrol premium heavy duty. For wheel bearings/boat trailers etc. Blue colour.

    Next batch I often buy a different brand/colour , whatever is the best priced at Supercheap at the time on 25% off day.

    The grease colour change lets you know when the new stuff is all the way thru'. 

    And yes that "fall away" checking is a real pain in the arse too !
    Castrol Premium heavy duty grease.jpg
  • tussuck
    tussuck
    2 years ago
    I Just replaced them in the old FXR @ about 120,000km old as needed roadworthy for Club Plates.  But they have been notchy for years - its just never been an issue as the notch was dead straight ahead which suited me...lol

    Really easy to replace in the end - rip chit off and them weld a a bead around them and they fall out and then install new ones and put chit back together.  A good Saturday job for winter!


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