510/450 Steering Head Tight?

[DoubleUp]

Does anyone else with a new 450/510 feel like the steering head is a little tight?

Stock on my stand I had noticed it. Now I'm installing new trippleclamps and with careful installation I can't find the place between slop and tight steering...

The way the bearings, seals and nut seems odd to me... Any comments advice?

[Barrobuild]

Dont know about the new Huskys but other bikes I have done have needed

two spanners,one to hold the lower nut from turning while the upper is tightened.If you dont hold the lower it can turn a bit with the upper . I have

also found even with 2 spanners that the last turn on the upper puts pressure

on the bearings and it becomes tight again.Takes finesse,dont forget the wiring and cables can put drag on the steering.I suppose you have the pinch

bolts on the upper triple loose too.

[Dave Hopkins]

What "T" clamps are you putting on??

Not sure what is happening? I beleive Borrowbuild thinks the nut under the triple clamp is tightening when you tighten the one on top. I have experianced this on old huskys, on them;

I tightened the bottom nut until it felt right, then loosened it a small amount, try 1/4 inch at the outer edge of the nut, then hold it there while tightening the top, check and if too tight loosten the top losten the bottom slightly and start over. What is happening is the lower nut is moved from preloaded against the top of the thread to preloaded against the bottom of the thread when you tighten the jamb nut on top.

The preload on this bearing is extreamly criticle to proper handling! This test is for wiith any damper off!!! I like it when the bike is on the stand wheels hanging free, front pointed ahead, and if i bump the front wheel with my hand so it swings to the side it hits the stop lightly, if it swings around to the stop with a clank its too loose! And if it stops before getting to the stop its too tight! If you have ever ride a bike with a screwed up SH bearing you will quickly grasp how criticle this piece is.

[Barrobuild]

Dave spot on,if you have riden with tight bearings you get a slow roll,not nice.

[Norman_Foley]

Dave has it right about SH bearings being critical. My worst crash which ended up wit fib/tib fracture when I rode with dry notchy bearings. I should of serviced the bike and I rode instead, I had a lot of time after surgery to think about it. Another note is to install a one way vent in tank vent line. Newer Huskys have a slot in the steering stem and when you tip over, the gas rinses the bearings leading to dry bearings.

Norman

[MorningRider]

I have a question about the steering column bearings. Do they need grease on day one as I'm told most bikes do. I noticed grease fittings on the shock link pivots down under, so maybe husky knows about grease and they grease the steering column bearings good at the factory?

[Norman_Foley]

Bob,

Huskys usually are well greased from the factory compared to Jap bikes. In part of your bonding with the Wolf it wouldn't hurt to take a look. Also like I said in an earlier post put oneway vent in fuel line.

Norman

[MorningRider]

thanks, in my ride gear this morning on my way to day two on the bike ?

[Dave Hopkins]

Norman

THe KTM 4 stroke have had a lot of trouble with those check valves, I think because the tank wraps down around the engine tighter on the KTM and they come way too lean the engine heat makes the gas in the tank expand faster then the engine is burning the gas so the tank becomes presurized which sinks the float in the carb. End result is a slow speed tight uphill trail will cause the engine to flood. The thru the steering had as Husky routs it should not get gas to the bearings? (maybe I need to look more closely before saying that?) It kinda scares me if the bike has been layed over and you pick it up gas is running down the fender nearer the exhaust than I like. Hard to find a perfect answer to the tank vent deal.

[DoubleUp]

I think I got it dialed in... I installed BRP uppers and lowers. Stock I think my bearings were set too tight... However my initial concern here came with new tripples installed but before I installed the forks, tire etc. Without them it felt very stiff, however now it's moving freely without slop...

[Norman_Foley]

Dave,

I could be wrong about '04-'05, but my other newer Huskys all have a long rectangular slit in the steering stem that will catch fuel running through and direct some into steering head of frame and bearings, the gas acting as solvent on the grease. I've never had trouble with an aftermarket one way valve. My dealer took the factory one off my '03TE610E(part of the street legal EPA/CARB stuff) as he said they will fail.

Norman

[MorningRider]

so by one way valve , do you mean replace the stock vent tube with one of those little $14.00 short stubs with the little metal valve on top?

or is there a valve you can stick in the vent tube?

Those little vent valve stubs have a habit of falling off and wiring them down good is a trick never seemd to save it anyway in crash where part of me hits the thing,.been digging in the dirt for that damn 14 dollar thing many times.

[yorkshirepud]

Mine came with the one way valve already in there.

[Dave Hopkins]

Any of those one way valves will make a KTM 4 stroke with stock jetting flood on a hot day with full tank and tight uphill switch back type trail! Husky has more air flow around the tank, I have proper jetting and at my age I avoid riding on hot days so it has not bothered me but have diagnosed many of those at KTM talk