Been playing with the front end over the weekend trying to sort out the forks, hit a couple of problems. Worst one was removing the front wheel, big thumbs down to the engineer who designed the axle. It's mostly round on the LH side so you can't get a socket on it, and completely round on the RH side so it just spins when you're trying to undo it.
And the same goes for the previous owner who changed the indicators and soldered them into the loom so I can't take the instrument pod surrounds off. Putting it all back together the clutch cable adjuster on the LH lever broke
Hope it comes apart easier the next time after being cleaned / oiled anyway.
I had some issues the first time I tried to remove the front wheel - every other bike I've has been much easier. The trick was not to undo the pinch bolts on the oposite side to the axel bolt - I actually read the manual on how to do it and it said to undo all of them, but then the axel just spins!
Front wheel removal,remove calipers, slacken the pinch bolts on the side which has the large spindle end with the spanner flats,
Undo the spindle with the spanner in the kit, before totally removing the spindle slacken the pinch bolts on the other side and use the spindle to push out the threaded bush till its flush with the inner of the fork leg, this gives more space to get the wheel out, if you dont do this you can get the wheel out but its a struggle.
Remove the spindle, drop out the wheel.
The whole job is best done with the front end supported on a stand which lifts by pushing on the lower fork yoke centre.
Pod
Raptorchapter to the rescue again. I sat for about 20mins with a spinning spindle thinking how the f*ck is this suppose to come off, having followed the correct instructions from my little handbook.
Hi everyone.
I am stuck in between the recommended practice. The axle is a few threads away from where it is supposed to end, this means I don't have enough to extract the bush to the inner fork. I have tightened pinch bolts on the bush side to get axle back to starting position but it will not move and loosen them but the whole system spins.
Is this a seized axle in the bush or do I have to knock the bush in and start the removal process?
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Leon
The front axle fitting of the Raptors is a bit weird, not counting that you can't torque the bolt up unless you make a special adaptor to fit a torque wrench!
I don't understand what you mean about the axle being a few threads short, but the only thing I'm wondering is whether you are tightening the bush-side pinch bolts so much that it is closing down on the thread and stopping the axle turning? OK, if those pinch bolts are loose, the whole lot spins, but I'd progressively-tighten the pinch bolts (1-2-1-2; each bit by bit) until the tendency of the bush to spin is just prevented. Hopefully then the axle will still turn in the threads. I'm assuming that you don't have some of the weight of the bike causing things to lock up?
20200926_223327.jpg (208.15 KiB) Viewed 7565 times
I have tried your suggestion but it will not budge.
By turning left at the axle nut with pinch bolts loose it pushes the bush to what is on the photo before I have no axle bolt to grip. You might see a little bit of the axle threaded to the bush.
When I tighten the pinch bolts at the bush end the axle bolt will not budge to remove, either on a stand or floor. I have loosened by quarter turns but the whole system rotates at the first loosening turn.
Hopefully it is not seized from years in storage.
Appreciate the help.
Leon
OK, I see what you mean. With the pinch bolts loose on both sides of the forks, what happens if you hit the bush end inwards, preferably with a block of wood to protect it? Does the bush then sit flush with the alloy casting, and the through-bolt/axle poke out further on the other side?
If so, I'd squirt some thin oil into the open end of the bush and tighten the pinch bolts on the bush side. What happens if you then put your spanner on the end of the through-bolt/axle and try to turn it? There should be nothing at all to prevent it screwing in or unscrewing, but if it's stiff, work it to and fro to let the oil get into the threads. Again, this must be without any weight on the wheel.
If you still have no luck, then check that the fork tubes are level with each other at the top yoke. If someone has messed with the forks and they are not level, the springs will be forcing against your axle unequally and making it difficult to turn. The threads may also be damaged.
You don't say how you are supporting the front of the bike off the ground. The best way is with a front stand that lifts under the steering tube, but to use one you need to lift the back and stabilise that first. If you are lifting the front only with a stand that locates under the bottom fork castings, it may be that that is lifting unequally and placing a strain on the axle/bush threads. And the bike may fall over...
OK. Dumb question. Is the wheel lifted or on ground to tighten bolts on the fork tree? Still can't unlock the axle from bush using Pod's or Nick's advice but will try tightening fork bolts as last chance saloon before taking to a workshop to unsieze.
Ta.
All a bit weird and frustrating, I'm sure. When you say the fork tree, are you talking about the clamps at the top of the fork tubes? Brits usually talk of the fork yokes, while Americans call it the triple-tree. Is there any particular reason why you are attacking that? If you have the wheel on the ground taking the weight of the bike, it's possible that the front of the bike will drop immediately you loosen those clamps, but realistically they often don't slide down that easily.
As to the wheel spindle, I'd worry that it is rusted into the bearing inner races, in which case only brute force will get it out, using a soft drift on the threaded end and plenty of WD40 or similar everywhere. Unwind the spindle from the flatted end until the bush protrudes, whack that in with a soft-face hammer and tighten those clamp bolts again, and repeat.
Good luck, and let us know how it goes!
Nick
Thanks for that Nick. Will give it a go. Guess I can tighten all fork clamp bolts with wheel either lifted or on ground. I replaced every bolt on bike with 316 marine grade stainless. I have had bike since new but stored for 7-8 years. Hope it starts!