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( Steering I think) (80) (tech)

G

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Hi Guys
Hope you had a good time at billing and bought loads of goodies and meet up
with friens both old and new.
I was looking at the cruiser this am and noticed an odd thing that I want
to get advice on. If you look at the front of the cruiser both wheels should
be in line with each other YES well my drivers side one seems to be out of
line a little. I did not notice this before but with the bigger tyres that
come out to the rim of the arches now I do. While putting the wheels onlast
week the guy showed me that my front drivers wheel hub appeared to have a
slight wobble in it, he said it was the bearings needed to be tightened.
Seeing as how it will I hope be getting its new suspension this week I was
going to tell the mehcanic about this. Is the wheel looking a little out of
line with the other one to do with this or is the out of line another thing
altogether. I checked under the front and to me it looks the same as the
other side. Any ideas guys. Thanks
John C
92HDJ 80 1HDT Ireland
 
Hi John,
I cannot say too much about the wheels looking out of alignment without seeing
the vehicle - if the wheel bearings were so loose that the hub was sliding off
the spindle causing the alignment issue, then I think you would have noticed
bigger problems.
Also, if the axle was out of alignment then that could do what you are
describing, however the chances are you would also be struggling to keep it in
a straight line.
On the wheel bearing side of things, jack the front up and holding the tyre at
12 o'clock and 6 o'clock (top and bottom) see if you can wiggle it by
simultaneously pushing at the top and pulling at the bottom - if there is
movement there you will need to get the wheel bearings checked.
If you have only recently had them checked you should be able to just get away
with tightening them up.
If they haven't been touched for 10-20,000 miles, then I would advise taking
the hub off, checking the bearings and then get the repacked with new grease.
Also if you don't know the history, it might be advisable to get the bearings
repacked, at least then you have a reference point for the future.
Whilst you are at it, check to see if you have a lot of grease/oil around the
balls at the end of the axle - if it is either bone dry or of it is oozing
grease oil, then I would suggest go for a complete knuckle rebuild. Ideally
the ball should just have a fine layer of grease over the majority of it's
surface.
To repack the bearings you will need a seal kit from Milners (?30), a 54/55mm
hub socket, torque wrench, standard socket set, seal puller, some lithium
based grease for the wheel bearing and some Moly based grease for the
birfield, plenty of rags/kitchen towel and some degreaser - there are some
very good write ups on the web for you.
--
Regards,
Julian Voelcker
Mobile: 07971 540362
Cirencester, United Kingdom
1994 HDJ80, 2.5" OME Lift
 
Hi Julian
A very good point about tightening nuts etc. I ride to work every day a
round trip of 20 miles thru the City of London and you would not imagine the
number of nuts and bolts that litter the roadside! Best one I have seen was
a brake master cylinder and linkage just lying in a pool of oil by the
roadside, I only hope it was thrown there rather than fell of a car whilst
moving!!!! Other personal favs are: various covers, brake pipes, wheel
nuts (lots), condoms, a completely flat and perfectly formed toad, a
complete exhaust system including down pipe and mufflers.... I could go on
all day!
John C I have just done one side of the knuckle and it was well worth doing,
but hard work for a newbie like me. I too had a wobble in my bearings and
this was the cause, no grease in bearings and nuts loose! Shame I screwed
up the abs but so far its looking good.
Regards
Simon Hughes
 
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