 alignment
|
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 39
Greenhorn
|
OP
Greenhorn
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 39 |
Hey fellas just wandering if any of you do string alignment of your wheels. ive been alighnimg my sprockets with a device from motion pro but im thinking that i need to align the wheels i think this would help handling an maybe even reduce the steering head shake on decelleration. it probably is time for head bearings at 33,000 miles. ive been thinking about this alot as i only average 7,000 miles on my rear tire . any thoughts ? thanks, Tom W.
Where the Hell do all these parts go. 04 America,73 Daytona,85 Rebel
|
|
|
Re: alignment
|
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,126 Likes: 13
Should be Riding
|
|
Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,126 Likes: 13 |
imho the main cause of head shake is a cupped front tire. Tires can cup real fast like when underinflated. Metzelers 880s and 888s: 41psi front, 42psi rear.
Next would be loose headset,
then alignment.
Worn headsets usually means the races are notched and the steering will find said notch when you un-weight the front wheel when jacking up the bike.
Blowing gravel off rural roads
|
|
|
Re: alignment
|
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,126 Likes: 13
Should be Riding
|
|
Should be Riding
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,126 Likes: 13 |
Blowing gravel off rural roads
|
|
|
Re: alignment
|
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,212
Oil Expert
|
|
Oil Expert
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,212 |
depending on how you drive 7000 miles may not be too bad, for me its not good, i can get almost twice that out of a rear tire, but then i am not a speed demon, easy on the take offs and easy in the corners. Head shake as mentioned usually caused by bogus front tire, the height of your front end (if you dropped the front etc) bad balance of the tire. Does not rule out the head bearings alltogether because they have been kown to walk in the frame a bit and the shudder on deecel could be they are trying to correct themselves. But i would check the other things first.
2007 Speedmaster and miss it!
2013 T-Bird Storm and Luvin it!
Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at 70 mph can double your vocabulary
|
|
|
Re: alignment
|
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 5,720
Check Pants
|
|
Check Pants
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 5,720 |
I was in the alignment business for a good while and I burnt some time into just how well the front tires on my bikes were centered (same center line of track) with the rears and both were close enough not to fool with although I did have to shim out the front primary sprocket on my 06 65 thou to get a good marriage with the rear. If you want to check yours, remember, your bike must stand perfectly plumb, and your handlebars must must be tied perfectly straight, both of which is harder than it sounds. I replaced the tank bolt with a (8mm?)eyebolt and rigged that to my overhead hoist, then attached two knee brace lines to the same eye that went to the floor 3 feet to the left and right for stability. Now, take a look at the frame, where do you ascertain level (plumb) from? One likely spot didn't completely jibe with another, so I ended up going with a adjusted consensus from three readings on that. After I was happy, just for sh!ts and giggles I removed the valve cover and put my Starrett 98 on the engine itself and decided that another differing opinion of straight up and down was too much. You can tie up the steering a number of ways, but it must be adjustable and static. After all this, now you can ascertain whether your front and back are on the same centerline, with a string, or I have two hand picked drywall straight edges I use for various things, when my 48" ground straightedge won't reach. Conclusion, retired people have too much time on their hands when it has been raining for a month straight in January.
I forgot, another check is to see if your front and rear rims are in the same vertical plane, check that after you are satisfied the bike is standing plumb and forks are straight. And if they aren't, it will take some corrective surgery to adjust that.
|
|
|
Re: alignment
|
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,212
Oil Expert
|
|
Oil Expert
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,212 |
Quote:
I was in the alignment business for a good while and I burnt some time into just how well the front tires on my bikes were centered (same center line of track) with the rears and both were close enough not to fool with although I did have to shim out the front primary sprocket on my 06 65 thou to get a good marriage with the rear. If you want to check yours, remember, your bike must stand perfectly plumb, and your handlebars must must be tied perfectly straight, both of which is harder than it sounds. I replaced the tank bolt with a (8mm?)eyebolt and rigged that to my overhead hoist, then attached two knee brace lines to the same eye that went to the floor 3 feet to the left and right for stability. Now, take a look at the frame, where do you ascertain level (plumb) from? One likely spot didn't completely jibe with another, so I ended up going with a adjusted consensus from three readings on that. After I was happy, just for sh!ts and giggles I removed the valve cover and put my Starrett 98 on the engine itself and decided that another differing opinion of straight up and down was too much. You can tie up the steering a number of ways, but it must be adjustable and static. After all this, now you can ascertain whether your front and back are on the same centerline, with a string, or I have two hand picked drywall straight edges I use for various things, when my 48" ground straightedge won't reach. Conclusion, retired people have too much time on their hands when it has been raining for a month straight in January.
I forgot, another check is to see if your front and rear rims are in the same vertical plane, check that after you are satisfied the bike is standing plumb and forks are straight. And if they aren't, it will take some corrective surgery to adjust that.
Wholly crap man don't do it!!! Life is to short!
2007 Speedmaster and miss it!
2013 T-Bird Storm and Luvin it!
Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at 70 mph can double your vocabulary
|
|
|
Re: alignment
|
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 5,720
Check Pants
|
|
Check Pants
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 5,720 |
Quote:
Quote:
I was in the alignment business for a good while and I burnt some time into just how well the front tires on my bikes were centered (same center line of track) with the rears and both were close enough not to fool with although I did have to shim out the front primary sprocket on my 06 65 thou to get a good marriage with the rear. If you want to check yours, remember, your bike must stand perfectly plumb, and your handlebars must must be tied perfectly straight, both of which is harder than it sounds. I replaced the tank bolt with a (8mm?)eyebolt and rigged that to my overhead hoist, then attached two knee brace lines to the same eye that went to the floor 3 feet to the left and right for stability. Now, take a look at the frame, where do you ascertain level (plumb) from? One likely spot didn't completely jibe with another, so I ended up going with a adjusted consensus from three readings on that. After I was happy, just for sh!ts and giggles I removed the valve cover and put my Starrett 98 on the engine itself and decided that another differing opinion of straight up and down was too much. You can tie up the steering a number of ways, but it must be adjustable and static. After all this, now you can ascertain whether your front and back are on the same centerline, with a string, or I have two hand picked drywall straight edges I use for various things, when my 48" ground straightedge won't reach. Conclusion, retired people have too much time on their hands when it has been raining for a month straight in January.
I forgot, another check is to see if your front and rear rims are in the same vertical plane, check that after you are satisfied the bike is standing plumb and forks are straight. And if they aren't, it will take some corrective surgery to adjust that.
Wholly crap man don't do it!!! Life is to short!
It might be reasonable if you are going to the Salt Flats and go 200 MPH or something like that.
|
|
|
Re: alignment
|
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 12,964
Stickman Yogi
|
|
Stickman Yogi
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 12,964 |
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
I was in the alignment business for a good while and I burnt some time into just how well the front tires on my bikes were centered (same center line of track) with the rears and both were close enough not to fool with although I did have to shim out the front primary sprocket on my 06 65 thou to get a good marriage with the rear. If you want to check yours, remember, your bike must stand perfectly plumb, and your handlebars must must be tied perfectly straight, both of which is harder than it sounds. I replaced the tank bolt with a (8mm?)eyebolt and rigged that to my overhead hoist, then attached two knee brace lines to the same eye that went to the floor 3 feet to the left and right for stability. Now, take a look at the frame, where do you ascertain level (plumb) from? One likely spot didn't completely jibe with another, so I ended up going with a adjusted consensus from three readings on that. After I was happy, just for sh!ts and giggles I removed the valve cover and put my Starrett 98 on the engine itself and decided that another differing opinion of straight up and down was too much. You can tie up the steering a number of ways, but it must be adjustable and static. After all this, now you can ascertain whether your front and back are on the same centerline, with a string, or I have two hand picked drywall straight edges I use for various things, when my 48" ground straightedge won't reach. Conclusion, retired people have too much time on their hands when it has been raining for a month straight in January.
I forgot, another check is to see if your front and rear rims are in the same vertical plane, check that after you are satisfied the bike is standing plumb and forks are straight. And if they aren't, it will take some corrective surgery to adjust that.
Wholly crap man don't do it!!! Life is to short!
It might be reasonable if you are going to the Salt Flats and go 200 MPH or something like that.
Good point.
Live to love, love to live.
|
|
|
Re: alignment
|
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 39
Greenhorn
|
|
OP
Greenhorn
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 39 |
Thanks guys ! im gonna just do it and see where it is. and adjust the rear tire and see where my chain ends up in relation to the engine. I might spend 30 bucks on a Proalighner tool . I dont think its brain surgery . Ryk thats some procedure lol.
Where the Hell do all these parts go. 04 America,73 Daytona,85 Rebel
|
|
|
|
|
