Need to get some help with 89 front wheel forks

[chiz]

Hello all
            Decided to figure out a few puzzling issues with the front of my 84 I am not sure when the 3 spoke wheel came or the non anti dive but this is my basic set up. Trying to solve a twisted steering and pulsing brake I have removed the fenders loosened the calipers and axel done repairs to fender cracks again made sure all the mounting screws line up in mounting holes and threads.
           The loosened axel has revealed a .017 gap between spedo drive and fork bottom where the axel passes through, is this OK? or does this gap have to be as close to zero as possible? I imagine the fork is being pulled in by .017 when axel is tightened.
           The discs are wave type floating with lots of cut outs and wavy outer edge with the calipers removed the one disc makes a clickjty click sound if I jiggle the disc and then spin the sound will go away the axel is not bent as the true spinning wheel indicates. I have not done the remove one caliper to see if the pulsing goes away yet but did a couple of years ago and could not notice any diff with either caliper removed are these type of discs supposed to feel like this? on hard braking that pulse goes away.
            After I try to untwist the front steering and all the pinch bolts are tightened etc as per front end set up do I then mount the fork brace BEFORE mounting the fenders?
 Any pointers much appreciated Lez

[Pat Conlon]

Re:Twist
Was your bike in a low side accident?
I twisted the lower triple clamp when I had my low side accident years ago. I tried several adjustments but to no avail. Every time I tightened the lower stanchion tube pinch bolts the twist would return.
Only a new (used) lower clamp and steering stem solved the problem.
Re: Speedo drive clearance: I never measured it but that sounds about right. The clearance is snugged up when you torque down the front axle.
Re: Clicking Rotor: Check the other rotor to see if clicks the same way. Full floating rotors do click, just their nature.
Re: Pulsing. Assuming that the rotors are ok and they spin true with no run out, I have had pulsing happen when I switched brake pad compounds without first cleaning the rotors. Specifically, switching from oem organic brake pads to sintered (HH) pads. Incompatible pad compounds co mingled on your rotor faces causes the pulsing.
Start fresh. Try scrubbing off the old transfer layer on each face of the rotor, then bed in the scrubbed rotors with the brake pads of your choice.  I have a Flex Hone scrub tool I use on my cordless drill, makes it easy. I think spin honing gives the best results (as opposed to flat honing the rotor on your bench)
  I start the process by spinning the tire (each way) and scrubbing the outside faces of the rotors, that’s the easy part….The hardest part is removing the rim, then rotors and flipping the rotors inside out on the rim so you can now hone the inside face of the rotors.
I remount the front rim and spin the tire, scrub, then reverse spin the tire and scrub…..leaves me with an even crossed hatched rotor surface, ready for a fresh transfer layer.
Thankfully, I only need do this when I change pad compounds or install unknown used rotors.

See if that helps the pulsing.

[chiz]

Grate thanks man if my effort on the twist does not pan out then a new clamp is in order will try every thing else as well.

[Millietant]

Just a daft question Chiz - from your description it looks like you're not loosening off the triple clamp (triple tree) bolts - are you loosening off all of the bolts before you try to rectify the "twist"? If not, you'll never get it sorted

 Personally, if I wanted to sort out such a twist I would definitely leave the axle nut tight, but would remove the fork brace and loosen all of the other bolts. Then I'd reset/twist the bars to point straight ahead when the wheel was pointing straight ahead and tighten everything back up.

Sorry if it's stating the obvious and seems stupid to ask, but I don't mind being the stupid one asking 

[chiz]

OK with the bottom yoke clamp bolts loose no brace and the top yoke big center nut loose and pumping many times pushing down on fork caps ... no joy. So I decided to do the bicycle twist fix sat on bike with left side of front of tire on wall and pushed hard on right bar to the left, unlike a bicycle I can't see the bloody wheel, so my effort was rewarded with the twist changing sides, but I might be on to something. The pulsing brake is still an issue today I helped a half crippled friend remount a front wheel on his Pacaficoast 800 and noticed his front wheel is much easier to spin while it is off the ground.. could this be a clue?

[Pat Conlon]

Remind us about your ‘89 front end….did you do the conversion or did the previous owner?
When was the last time you checked your wheel bearings?

Was the front end always twisted?

[chiz]

Hi yes I did the conversion 5 years ago Think I had  a twist all along second wheel installed with new bearings at bike shop as they sourced the used wheel I discovered the original 1200 wheel was ruined with hogged out bearing housing. At this I thought Yess! I have found the pulsing brake issue but no its the same

[Old Rider]

The pulsing brake can be to lose steeringbearings i had that on mine and did go away after adjusting

[racerrad8]

I have an 89 that also has a serious front brake pulse/shutter. I installed new rotors and the same thing. The next step for me was to go through the calipers. My thought is there is a stuck piston or two and the pulse is coming from the rotor being pushed to one side and the buttons do not have enough movement to compensate.

But, it's a bike that only gets ridden at rally time and since we haven't had one in several years now, it sitting in the corner. Someday I'll get back to it.

Randy - RPM

[chiz]

OK Thanks guys I'm going to have another go paying attention to those suggestions.

[Pat Conlon]

I have an 89 that also has a serious front brake pulse/shutter. I installed new rotors and the same thing. The next step for me was to go through the calipers. My thought is there is a stuck piston or two and the pulse is coming from the rotor being pushed to one side and the buttons do not have enough movement to compensate.

But, it's a bike that only gets ridden at rally time and since we haven't had one in several years now, it sitting in the corner. Someday I'll get back to it.

Randy - RPM

Randy, was that on Gary’s ‘89?

[FJmonkey]

I was working with another FJowner on a Front brake (pulsing) issue. I think the rotor in this case was warping due to a stuck caliper. The year before, rebuilt one side, not the other. Well the other started sticking and I think the drag/friction warped the rotor. Front brakes and forks are a pair, when one needs fixing, it is time to do both. Publick servise announceent... Did spell check fix it???

[Old Rider]

Is it this gap you mean?