maybe I am just tired and frustrated so please help me! front wheel issue

[Susuki_Jah]

OK I just resealed and oiled my front forks, well today I went to put the forks back on and the wheels. I got everything back together as specified in the clymer manual . So I go to put the wheel back on and the rotor will not clear the right fork. I remember having a problem with this last time but can not figure out how I put the wheel back on last time when I changed tires! it has been so long since I took the bike apart that it is just slipping my mind. I followed exactly how the book said to put the wheel on but it just does not work that way. it almost seems there is not enough room to put the wheel back on with the spacer.   and also is the speedometer box suppose to press into the wheel or just set freely and when the axle is tightened down it stayed in?

I am just tired and frustrated with it tonight, I want to start fresh in the morning. so if anyone could help me out that would be great.

[beRto]

I did this recently. I remember it being a pain too!

With the wheel off the bike, I fitted the spacer in and put the speedometer box in too. Hold it all together and then try and wedge it in.

Keep trying! You'll get it. 

[Kerry]

the rotor will not clear the right fork

Hmmm ... not sure exactly what you mean by that.  Does it seem like the wheel is too wide to fit between the forks?  If that's the case, something has gone on in the wrong order or something.

Check out [THIS DIAGRAM].  What I usually do is:

    1) Roll the wheel into rough position between the forks.  Place right-hand
        spacer #5 within reach.

    2) Grease axle #4.

    3) Fit speedometer assembly #8 into place between the wheel and the left fork.

    4) Lift the wheel as needed to line things up, then insert the axle through the fork,
        the speedometer assembly, left-hand bearing #3, and partway through the hub.

    5) Grab spacer #5 and put it between the wheel and the right fork.

    6) Line things up again and insert the axle the rest of the way.

    7) If you happened to loosen the retaining bolt for spacer #6, leave it loose until
        after axle nut #7 is tightened up.  If you tighten the spacer in place first, you
        can introduce looseness and misalignment issues.

The speedometer assembly sits loosely in hub cover #9.  Make sure that the protruding metal tabs on the assembly are seated in between the little "walls" that are meant to push them.  If the tabs end up straddling the "walls", the wheel will indeed seem to be too wide.

[ajaxgs]

make sure all the bolts in the triple are snug but loose and that the fork brace is loose too but bolts in  the pinch boltin the bottom of the right leg sould be loose and fit the wheel back in and then work your way up ... thats what i did last time i had the forks out .chased the problem and scrached all my hair out ,why the wheel was locking up on the caliper ...
hope it helps!!!

[Susuki_Jah]

thank you. I did everything everythink like you said , and I have that diagram in the manual , the only thing I am thinking is I am putting the speedometer box on wrong.  I will go out today and try to figure this out again. I can't beleive that I can't remember putting the wheel back on last time. memory loss, not a good sign.

as far as the statement "the rotor will not clear the right fork " goes... The brake rotor hits the right fork body as the wheel is being turned. I can fit the wheel in the forks but the rotor does not have the proper room for me to clear the fork or get the brake caliper back on the fork.

one clarification though. I am pretty sure I know what you mean  regarding the speedo box, but just for clarification to make sure I am on the same page.  The clymer manual does not give a very good description of this.

here is a little diagram I made: The red dots represent the prongs on the speedo assembly if they were between the two protruding walls, the yellow dots are the same prongs if they were straddling the walls.   so I take it from your statement that the red dots would be the placement for the tabs?   the way I had it was where the  yellow dots are.

[ajaxgs]

you are correct on that placement!

[coll0412]

thank you. I did everything everythink like you said , and I have that diagram in the manual , the only thing I am thinking is I am putting the speedometer box on wrong.  I will go out today and try to figure this out again. I can't beleive that I can't remember putting the wheel back on last time. memory loss, not a good sign.

as far as the statement "the rotor will not clear the right fork " goes... The brake rotor hits the right fork body as the wheel is being turned. I can fit the wheel in the forks but the rotor does not have the proper room for me to clear the fork or get the brake caliper back on the fork.

one clarification though. I am pretty sure I know what you mean  regarding the speedo box, but just for clarification to make sure I am on the same page.  The clymer manual does not give a very good description of this.

here is a little diagram I made: The red dots represent the prongs on the speedo assembly if they were between the two protruding walls, the yellow dots are the same prongs if they were straddling the walls.   so I take it from your statement that the red dots would be the placement for the tabs?   the way I had it was where the  yellow dots are.

Yellow= right

Red=Wrong

Try dropping the speedo into the wheel when the wheel is off the bike and see how it fits in. Then when you see how it sits in there and works you will have a better grasp on how it will go on when you need to fit it between the axles.

You have all the spacers right? Check the diagram kerry posted

Why don't you snap a few pics

[Susuki_Jah]

everything is right then, or so it seems. I will take some pictures and try to go through this again. 


thanks for the help guys.

[Kerry]

Yep, the Yellow placement is correct.  The problem I had in mind would be represented by moving the red dots outward in the diagram, placing them right on top of the "walls".  That would mean that the prongs were not seated down inside the hub cover.

As for the clearance, I may have to modify what I said before about spacer #6.  I'm not sure that you can just leave it loose while tightening the axle.  You may have to play with its positioning a little bit.  The position at which that spacer is tightened has a LOT to do with the distance between the forks after the axle nut is tightened down.

[Susuki_Jah]

The major problem I am having is:


A). if I losen the outside spacer/bushing that fits in the right fork body and then nock the inside spacer that fits to the wheel into the fork body ever so slightly to hold it in place and get clearence to put the wheel on, then the wheel fits in but the rotor hits the fork and the spacer has no room to push any farther and will not push the fork out even with an impact on the nut. so I figured I had somthing wrong but from what you all have showed me I have done everything the same way about 20 times.

B). If I lock the outside spacer/bushing that fits in the right fork body then try to fit the wheel with the speedo on and the bushing in place, it wont happen. there is about 0.500" over the measurement between the two forks.  I will take photos if I dont get it to work again today.

[coll0412]

Do you possibly have bent forks?

Loosen the upper and lower triple clamps just enough so that you can rotate the forks. Try to hold the lower stanchions still wile you rotated. Hopefully it stays in line while you rotate it, if it swings around quite alot you have a bent fork.

I just can't figure out how the fork is hitting the rotor, it should be quite a distance away.

This help at all?

[Susuki_Jah]

I think I may have slightly bent forks, just enough to cause an issue. anyone have an idea how much new forks would cost?

I think the bike may have been layed down before I bought it and they could very well be bent.

but I did it back together. I took the bolts off the support plate on the left fork then I had a friend take a bar and pry out on the bottom of the fork allowing me to get the speedo box  between the  fork and wheel. WOW what a difference in the ride. I cut longer tubes for the forks when I re-sealed them. I added 1.125" to the length of each tube.

anyways thanks for everyones help. finally using force on the fork after 8 hours of work on the bike made sense.

one question though, my rotor is about a 1/16 away from the fork, what would you say the distance of yours is?

[coll0412]

I think I may have slightly bent forks, just enough to cause an issue. anyone have an idea how much new forks would cost?

I think the bike may have been layed down before I bought it and they could very well be bent.

but I did it back together. I took the bolts off the support plate on the left fork then I had a friend take a bar and pry out on the bottom of the fork allowing me to get the speedo box  between the  fork and wheel. WOW what a difference in the ride. I cut longer tubes for the forks when I re-sealed them. I added 1.125" to the length of each tube.

anyways thanks for everyones help. finally using force on the fork after 8 hours of work on the bike made sense.

one question though, my rotor is about a 1/16 away from the fork, well the rivets are at least. would this be a problem?

Pry Bar....    
Well you should figure out if you had bent forks or not, but I guess if works. I am not sure of the spacing between the rotor buttons and for tube but that seems a bit close.

[Susuki_Jah]

it was about a 1/16 off but that is enough to give problems with trying to fit all that stuff together. the forks looks straight I mean you can't ell visually if they are bent or not. maybe I need to bring it by a shop one day and get an opinion on it all. I might order some new forks soon just incase.

[Susuki_Jah]

well I road it about 40 miles today, no problems.