aligning forks... HELP!!!

[thebottle]

I have been trying with no success to get the front end aligned. I loosened the pinch bolt on the axle, lower tree bolts, upper tree bolts, and the big 19mm bolt that holds the tree down?, and the allen bolt under that 19mm bolt.

When I put the handle bars straight with the frame then the tire is turned noticeably to the left so I tried to hold the tires between my legs and twist the handle bars to correct it but it doesn't stay. It keeps going back to the tire pointing left. If I measure from the frame to the center of the axle the right fork is 1/4" forward which is causing the tire to turn left. I know the forks and axel are not bent but could something else be bent causing this or am I just doing it wrong?

I think that if I would hold the tire between my legs while twisting the bars and keep holding it while I tighten all the bolts again that it might be straight. But should I have to do that?

This is driving me crazy so any advice is much appreciated.

[b.walker5]

https://sites.google.com/a/vferdman....mblingfrontend

Try this link for the general idea. I replaced my forks last year and used this method. Had no problems. Some guys here have reported in the past ,IIRC, that they leave the oil out, loose assemble everything, tighten the axle and them fully compress the forks. Then I think its the lower tree, upper tree, centre bolt and refill with oil. If you have a fork brace, fit it last.

Someone else will definately chime in with corrections and other procedures, but you get the idea.

[Crusty Snippets]

Forks

Pause, I am thinking.The upper and lower triple clamps need to be just loose enough to move about each other. Put the forks in, put the axel in. The forks need to be parallel when viewed from the side. They can be adjusted with a wood stick between them to twist them in place. Keep checking until they are straight.
Tighten the steering head center bolt checking all the time for ease of smooth movement, and check play by pulling on the axel. Install the front wheel. Everything should still be straight. If the bars do not agree they must be bent, so get used to riding in a funny position or get new bars.
HTH. I had to search the memory banks.

Unkle Crusty

[DGXSER]

One item I have not seen mentioned is the fender. You need to loosen the bolts holding the fender in place as well.

With all that loose, then you can turn the wheel and get it to align.

Also, you may want to take a sheet of glass if you have one big enough and verify your forks are not bent. Lay the glass across the upper fork tubes and see that it can lay flat all along both tubes.

Now, as I think these fellows have mentioned, get your wheel in line with the back wheel, then turn the triple trees (ignore the actual bars and look at the trees) to line up perpendicular with the centerline of the frame. Tighten form the top down. last thing that gets tightened is the axle.

[thebottle]

Thanks guys, I think I will be able to get it with all the advice you provided. I think the problem is the fender because I know that the fender is definitely bent but for some reason I just didn't take that into consideration today. I can be a little slow sometimes. Thanks again, love this community, always helpful and fast responses.

[xs11lover]

I really can't remember how I did mine. I really think I loose fitted every thing but the fender and jacked the front end up so the tire was just touching the ground with no weight on it. Then just walked up the forks like a ladder torquing it all down to spec as I went. But don't listen to me, we all know I can't be trusted. I also am sure I didn't have the upper tree off at the time and I didn't have a fork brace yet.
I don't even know why I joined in.

[crazy steve]

https://sites.google.com/a/vferdman....mblingfrontend

Try this link for the general idea. I replaced my forks last year and used this method. Had no problems. Some guys here have reported in the past ,IIRC, that they leave the oil out, loose assemble everything, tighten the axle and them fully compress the forks. Then I think its the lower tree, upper tree, centre bolt and refill with oil. If you have a fork brace, fit it last.

Someone else will definately chime in with corrections and other procedures, but you get the idea.

Heh heh... those are the directions I posted over on the Sportster list. Funny, I don't remember Vlad asking permission...

The XS has a little different arrangement, so you'd want to slightly change the procedure. DO start at step one, and if the forks are on the bike, do pull the fender, calipers, and front axle; all of these things will interfere with alignment. You do want to tighten the lower tree first, as it's cast steel and has less 'give' in it so you want to adjust everything to it. Go down the list and install the axle and check for binding. If there is binding, or the forks are still misaligned when the axle is installed (but before the fender or calipers are), then something is bent and you'll have to find out which part it is.

[thebottle]

I still don't have this aligned and it is really starting to get to me. I have put this together and apart too many times now and the right fork is about 3/8" forward when I measure to the center of the axle. This causes the wheel to be left which means I have to hold the bars to the right to ride straight.

Right now I have everything off the front. No tire, calipers, fender and I even took the headlight and ears off because after all this hassle I am anticipating it is the tree that is bent but I would like to know what you guys think about it.

I know that the forks are not bent and the axle is not bent so what else could cause the right fork to be forward? I can't see any noticeable bends in the tree and it is surprising to me for that much metal constructed the way it is to bend that way. This is driving me crazy but the only thing I can think of doing is replacing the tree unless someone can tell me something different.

[bikerphil]

Try using a piece of window plate glass and lay it across the upper stancions. It should tell you which way to shift the tubes in the tripple trees. If you loosen the lower TT bolts and let the uppers do most of the holding, you should be able to shift them straight. Make sure your speedometer drive isn't binding on the left fork at the axle.

[DGXSER]

Also, if you have not already, be sure the pinch bolt on the upper tree is loose and the center bolt is loose or removed. The onyl thing that could do what your describing is a bent fork tube or the trees twisted.

[xs11lover]

Just for fun why not try it the way I thought i did it.
If everything is loose and the forks are staight..no weight on the wheel..forks even with the top of the tree..wouldn't the axle and the forks shift everything staight??
The top and bottom of the tree can move if the center is loose, right. The fork pinch bolts loose too.If it was all loose, wouldn't it be sraight if you just had the forks in the trees put the axle in and torqued it all down starting with the axle and walked right up to the top....???? Without the wheel and fender even being on the bike.
I guess that's why I'm not a mechanic.

[xs11lover]

No, I take that back. You would need the wheel with no weight on it.

[crazy steve]

...I know that the forks are not bent and the axle is not bent so what else could cause the right fork to be forward?

If you're positive the forks are straight and still get this misalignment, the lower tree is bent... end of story. But doublecheck the forks one last time; loosen the pinch bolts, rotate each fork tube 180 degrees (yes, that will point the air caps wrong but ignore this for the time being), then retighten the pinch bolts, starting with the lower tree. If you get any change, the fork or forks are bent. If you still get the same misalignment, then the lower tree is bent.

A bent lower tree won't usually be obvious either; if it's taken a heavy hit, it will get a 'twist' in it that's not something you can 'see'. I'd also look the frame over very carefully to make sure it's not tweaked.

Can you 'adjust' this out if the lower tree is tweaked? Maybe... but I wouldn't do it.

[thebottle]

If you're positive the forks are straight and still get this misalignment, the lower tree is bent... end of story. But doublecheck the forks one last time; loosen the pinch bolts, rotate each fork tube 180 degrees (yes, that will point the air caps wrong but ignore this for the time being), then retighten the pinch bolts, starting with the lower tree. If you get any change, the fork or forks are bent. If you still get the same misalignment, then the lower tree is bent.

A bent lower tree won't usually be obvious either; if it's taken a heavy hit, it will get a 'twist' in it that's not something you can 'see'. I'd also look the frame over very carefully to make sure it's not tweaked.

Can you 'adjust' this out if the lower tree is tweaked? Maybe... but I wouldn't do it.

Yeah, I double checked the forks after about the fifth time on a machined flat table saw just to be sure . There is a very very slight bend in one of them but it doesn't matter which way I face the bend I still get about the same result within 1/32" so that is why I think it is the tree which got damaged. I didn't take that hard of a crash, I low sided at about 50-60mph and because the tree is flat it seems that it wouldn't give laterally but it is the only thing that I haven't replaced. Once I have the tree off I will be able to see the neck and frame better so I will check it. I am going to work on it a bit today. The trees aren't very expensive on ebay... do you know if there is any difference between the years for specials?

[crazy steve]

Well, any bend in a fork tube is cause to replace it by any bike service manual I've ever seen. And it will cause handling issues, if only small ones. If it's lightly bent, you might try taking it to a hydraulic shop and see if they can straighten it; they probably can, and it will be worth it.

As to the trees, all the Specials use the same. Truthfully, I'd replace both the top and bottom to be safe.