Member Contributer Bren Posted February 11, 2010 Author Member Contributer Share Posted February 11, 2010 (edited) The de facto set-up [is an] SP1 lower triple with the CBR929/954 upper.Check all the SP1/2 swaps, they have gone this route. The CBR929/954 lower works as well. I had an SP-1 lower whose top nut threads gave out - replaced with a CBR lower. How do you mean "gave out" Rick? Not threaded in enough and too much force on the used threads? Edited February 11, 2010 by Bren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer SAFE-T Posted February 11, 2010 Member Contributer Share Posted February 11, 2010 Used lower, so I'm thinking there was some stress on the threads that caused them to fail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veefer800Canuck Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Be careful with steel nuts on aluminum threads! :ph34r: Always use your torque wrench! :fing02: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete McCrary Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Ebay so that of course means it could be anything Amen to that statement Bren. Hows yours going Pete? What upper triple are you using? I've got a 929 steering stem (used) . I have purchased so much junk off of FleaBay in the last 2 months I said to heck with it and ordered a new 954 upper from Ron Ayers. Thing is on back order status until 02/22/10. I know going with new parts is not the most economical way, but if you have as many irons in the fire as I do (owning my own business, 3 bikes, remodeling second house), time takes on a dollar value also. I'm finding more and more that I'm coming out ahead with new parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete McCrary Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Bren: Just for shits and giggles, try installing the upper bridge/triple tree of both the SP-1 and 929/954 upside down. That might show up any misalignment issues easier. Remember, the steering stem is pressed into the bottom triple tree. If you have access to a small press, you could make sure that the stem is pressed securely into the lower. It could get cocked just a hair and would be hard to tell by eyeing it. Also, depending upon who and what method was used to remove the old bottom steering stem race, that could easily cock the stem. Take a lot of very small hammer blows to get the race off so you can install some All Balls tapers. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 At first I thought the worst. F%&k the forks are bent!! Then, the triples are bent! But no all is straight and proper. This I found out after I took it all apart checked everything and then put on the SP1 upper I have. Bren Bren, I forgot to ask earlier - what method(s) did you use to check your parts and determine straightness? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete McCrary Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 At first I thought the worst. F%&k the forks are bent!! Then, the triples are bent! But no all is straight and proper. This I found out after I took it all apart checked everything and then put on the SP1 upper I have. Bren Bren, I forgot to ask earlier - what method(s) did you use to check your parts and determine straightness? Good point Seb! Bren: Can you support the front wheel in such a manner that you can loosen the upper and lower triple clamp pinch bolts enough to where you can "spin/twist" each fork leg to see if it gets better or worse at a particular location? Secondly, is this situation occurring with the entire front end (brake calipers, wheel, etc) on the bike? That could cause a lot of stress on the lower bearing and possibly be causing some flexing. Check the alignment with nothing but steering stem, fork legs, and upper triple in place. Another idea, if the female portion of your lower bearing race is not seated into the frame completely and squarely, you could get this effect. And last but not least, do you get this effect if you take the forks, steering stem, and upper triple off the bike and try to fit them together as a unit? Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer VF1000RS Posted February 11, 2010 Member Contributer Share Posted February 11, 2010 Just to clear this up I will check the triples when I get home tonight. I have a couple bikes with RC51 lowers and CBR929/954 uppers. I also have a set of the same unmounted along with a set of RC51 forks so I should be able to verify that the steering stem and fork holes line up with no doubt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer vfrcapn Posted February 11, 2010 Member Contributer Share Posted February 11, 2010 Something is definetly not straight. I can attest to both those triples being easily interchangeable without any force nor modifications as I've had both in hand and swapped them back and forth on the bike with forks in place and everything buttoned up. I suspect the gullwing triple is at fault, as if it were anything else, stem, bearings, frame, then you'd have the exact same problem with BOTH triples. :ph34r: I just reinstalled mine (SP1 lower and 954 upper) and it all slipped together easily. Same on my old VF. Will be interesting to see what the issue is.. :fing02: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AB-Oz Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 ahh, Bren, now I see what your pm was all about. I have a SP1 lower, SP1 steering stem, and a 954 upper triple, and it all lines up perfectly. I've had it all to bits several times to check bearings, do fork oil, change fork valves... so I can only think that something you have is bent :fing02: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer VF1000RS Posted February 12, 2010 Member Contributer Share Posted February 12, 2010 Complete overkill I am sure, but here you go: 2002 RC51 forks with Rc51 lower triple, VF steering stem, stops cut off: 929 top triple set on top of above: As above pushed on by hand: Unmodified stock RC51 triple with stock stem and 929/954 top triple pushed on by hand: Same with RC51 top triple: Rc51 bottom triple, VF stem, LSL top triple made for 929/954 pushed on by hand: RC51 bottom triple, 929/954 top triple, VF stem:(I used a RC51 top triple on this for years) And if there is anyone out there with that little voice in the back of their head saying"...hmmm, it seemed a little tight when I put that on there, maybe there is a slight difference in the triples and I`ve been riding around with a flawed front end without knowing it......" I dropped the RC51 stock bottom triple down the forks a bit, put the RC51 top triple on, then flipped the 929/954 triple upside down so the stem hole would reach the stem sticking out of the RC51 top triple and pushed that on: Top view, no worries, goes on with a nice push like it was meant to be there: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete McCrary Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Bren: I did a "dry fit" with my forks and triples off the bike also tonight. 929 steering stem and SP-2 top triple clamp. All slid together in line perfectly. Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Bren Posted February 12, 2010 Author Member Contributer Share Posted February 12, 2010 WOW Thanks for the responses folks :wheel: There is only the triples and forks fitted no other appendages to skew things, fender, wheel, etc. To check for straightness.... I used 2 straight edges across the forks, no upper triple, and viewed from above to see if they lined up. No problem there. I also turned the forks in the lower triple to see if they somehow managed to align themselves with the upper. Nothing. I had considered the lower bearing race wasn´t seated properly and "Triple" checked this (sorry) After much thought, the time to read this post, I have come to the conclusion that you all have unsafe front ends and must stop riding immediately!! :cool: :wheel: :ohmy: Please send all of your uppers, hehe, to me and I´ll dispose of them in a humane and ethical manner. OR, maybe, probably, I need to get a new upper triple. I will check it and report back but it looks likely. At least its a cheap part. Thanks again everyone at least I dont have to worry about something more serious. Bren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Complete overkill I am sure, but here you go: ***applause*** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Bren Posted February 12, 2010 Author Member Contributer Share Posted February 12, 2010 Complete overkill I am sure, but here you go: ***applause*** :fing02: Above and beyond. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete McCrary Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Used parts! Try to save a dime or two here or there and it comes back to bite you in the ass. We have all been there, done that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer FotoMoto Posted February 12, 2010 Member Contributer Share Posted February 12, 2010 Bren, I think it's safe to say we both have tweaked uppers. Looking closer at your original pics, I now notice mine was nowhere near as off as yours but enough I needed to tap it down with a rubber mallet during installation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pete McCrary Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 Bren, I think it's safe to say we both have tweaked uppers. Looking closer at your original pics, I now notice mine was nowhere near as off as yours but enough I needed to tap it down with a rubber mallet during installation. Are you sure it's a tweaked upper? A tweaked steering stem could create the same condition as you and Bren are having. You have two parts that will not fit together properly. How do you determine which is the good one and which is the twanged one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veefer800Canuck Posted February 13, 2010 Share Posted February 13, 2010 If the steering stem were pranged, and both upper triples were straight, I would expect misalignment issues with both of them, does that make sense Pete? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEBSPEED Posted February 13, 2010 Share Posted February 13, 2010 Are you sure it's a tweaked upper? A tweaked steering stem could create the same condition as you and Bren are having. You have two parts that will not fit together properly. How do you determine which is the good one and which is the twanged one? Process of elimination - check the CBR U.T. first, because the '51 piece fits. What he needs to do is double and triple check EVERYTHING, and properly. This means v blocks, dial indicators, and surface plates Bren! :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Phantom Posted February 13, 2010 Share Posted February 13, 2010 I did a "dry fit" with my forks and triples off the bike also tonight. 929 steering stem and SP-2 top triple clamp. All slid together in line perfectly. Pete, are you sure your SP triple is an SP2? If so, it will definitely go on easier as the stem hole on the SP2 is of much larger diameter than the SP1/929... I have all three versions in the garage. To use an SP2 top triple you would need to fit a bush into the stem hole to positively locate the top triple onto the stem. Regarding Bren's issue - I too have no problems in switching between my 929 and my SP1 top triples (using a 929 bottom triple/stem). It's a weird problem, the only possible solution is that your 929 triple is twisted in the north/south plane? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyA Posted February 13, 2010 Share Posted February 13, 2010 Finally got a chance to reply to this thread. I'm with Pete about buying used parts off of flea-bay. I have gotten 2 bad lower triples for a RC51, and a bad upper for a 954. I'm still fighting with paypal over it. :biggrin: So I bought new. I got an '01 RC51 lower, and a 954 upper. Everything fits great. I'm thinking that Bren's lower is bent at the stem and lower bridge from being wheelie, and landing HARD. And the reason that the RC51 upper fits is that he bought both parts off of the same bike. Here's where I'm at now. :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer vfrcapn Posted February 13, 2010 Member Contributer Share Posted February 13, 2010 Finally got a chance to reply to this thread. I'm with Pete about buying used parts off of flea-bay. I have gotten 2 bad lower triples for a RC51, and a bad upper for a 954. I'm still fighting with paypal over it. :biggrin: So I bought new. I got an '01 RC51 lower, and a 954 upper. Everything fits great. I'm thinking that Bren's lower is bent at the stem and lower bridge from being wheelie, and landing HARD. And the reason that the RC51 upper fits is that he bought both parts off of the same bike. Here's where I'm at now. :rolleyes: Nice, Ohlins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer mello dude Posted February 13, 2010 Member Contributer Share Posted February 13, 2010 great thread! :rolleyes: MD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer VF1000RS Posted February 13, 2010 Member Contributer Share Posted February 13, 2010 Here's where I'm at now. Sorry to threadjack, but while you have that beautiful set of forklegs up in the air like that, would you mind posting or PMing the length from the axle center to the top of the fork......please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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