Steering Stem Socket

[panteradave]

I'm looking for the special socket required to remove the slotted nuts from the steering stem on my '82 CBX. I've noticed a stem socket on ebay that is listed as a replacement for the factory tool (07916-3710101), and at about half the price of the $88 Honda tool. Two questions....

1) Are all CBX steering stem nuts the same size - one socket fits all?
2) Can anyone vouch for the ebay socket, or should I go for the factory tool at twice (ouch!!) the price?

Ebay socket here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/80-2012-Honda-s ... es&vxp=mtr

Thanks in advance,

Dave

[tevan]

Make one out of a socket. That is what I did and it works great. There is a thread about doing it somewhere on here. It costs you just a socket and I happened to have a extra one when I did mine. FREE FREE

[NobleHops]

Yeah I think that was me and I did a clutch hub tool - it was someone else' idea, I just photo'd it when I did it. Search on clutch hub and I bet you find it. Dave I personally wouldn't hesitate to buy the eBay one, I would have when I bought mine if I had known about it. It's not a critical fit nor is it a lot of torque. That said I'll mail you mine in a heartbeat if you want to borrow it.

obFreeAdvice: Look in the '80 supplement to your FSM and read and reread the instructions on how to properly tighten the steering head nuts using a spring scale to set tension after seating the races, or better yet, hie thee over to Mike Nixon's website and read his procedure on it:

http://www.motorcycleproject.com/motorc ... cking.html

PM my your address if you want the tool...

N.

[panteradave]

Thanks for the loan offer, but I went ahead and ordered the ebay tool. I'm always OK with new tools.

Dave

[NobleHops]

Mmmmmm, tools. Let us know what you think about it please.

N.

[panteradave]

Will do!

Dave

[panteradave]

Just a quick update on the steering stem socket off ebay...

This socket is a fairly well built tool that fits the slotted steering stem nut securely. The socket has four tabs extending from the bottom of the tool that engage four of the 8 slots on the nut. The socket doesn't slide over and encase the stem nut, but as long as you are relatively careful positioning it the socket will remove the nut cleanly. Overall this a nice addition to my CBX tool box, though it's something that clearly won't get used very often.

It's worth noting that there are actually two different size slotted nuts on the steering stem. A large one just beneath the fuse holder clamps the aluminum fork bridge down, and a smaller one beneath the bridge that actually torques the steering stem bearings. The above socket only fits the smaller stem nut. I had to use the somewhat sloppy method of a hammer and flat nose punch to tap and loosen the bridge nut. It turned out that the bridge nut wasn't too tight so no damage was done to it by the punch.

I was a little surprised to find that the steering stem nut on my CBX was way over-tightened (it had at least 50 ft-lb torque on it) and could not have been removed undamaged without the socket. I dropped the forks down enough to check and regrease the upper and lower stem bearings. Other than being caked with 30 year-old hardened grease (which I disolved with brake clean), the bearings were in very nice shape. I used the Mike Nixon technique of tightening the stem nut initially to 50 ft-lb and swinging the forks back and forth to set the bearings. I then backed off the stem nut torque to around 10 ft-lb and used 10 lb pressure (as measured by a spring scale on the fork) and one inch fender rotation to gauge the final stem nut tightening.

It worked like a charm. The fork motion is now light and free, but definitely not loose. The slight deceleration wobble that I had before is also gone.

Thanks for all the input.

[NobleHops]

Awesome Dave, thanks for closing the loop on that. Glad it all went well.

N.

[johnod]

What or where is the Mike Nixon technique?

[NobleHops]

What or where is the Mike Nixon technique?

Look thataway ^ 6 posts up in this very thread. There is a link in my prior post. Pantera Dave reprised it pretty thoroughly, but Mike's write up is informative on some of the theory of it too.

N.

[Sharpie66]

What or where is the Mike Nixon technique?

I just removed the steering stem on my '82. Cleaned and greased. Many months ago I saved a link to Mike Nixon's article on 'shukking the shakes'. Now that I am ready to adjust according to that article, the link appears to be broken. I wonder if someone could be so kind as to briefly explain that process again to me? or send me a link if someone has it.

Thanks and have a great day.

Patrick

[daves79x]

Patrick: How many miles are on those bearings? If approaching 20K or more, they don't need serviced, they need replaced. To verify this, put the stem back together and torque to about 30 or 40 ft/lbs. If lock-to-lock is smooth, with no roughness at all, they're OK, but I'll wager they won't be. Replace them.

The procedure you're looking for goes pretty much like this: Install new bearings the assemble the stem. Torque the stem nut to about 60 or so ft/lbs (you won't hurt the tapered bearings) The turn lock-to-lock about 20 times. Loosen the nut, retorque to 60 and repeat the lock-to-lock. Then loosen and torque to 12 ft/lbs. Mike Nixon recommended using a spring scale on the bar end to do the final setting, but it ends up right at 12 ft/lbs. I can't remember the spring tension he recommends.

Dave

[Sharpie66]

Thank you, Dave. The bike has 33,000 miles. Suprisingly they feel very smooth and the chases feel great too. I had this verified by a small shop next door. I will follow these instructions and look foward to having that deceleraing shake disappear, not that I much like decelerating. I'm sure the new Bridgstones and fork rebuild will help as well.

Patrick

[daves79x]

Patrick: I'm not sure you are getting the significance of what I'm saying: You HAVE to torque the old bearings somewhat tighter than they are as you found them. That is where you'll see the roughness. There will also be a detent straight ahead, but you'll only notice this again if you tighten them down. Perfectly good bearings, or new ones , will have none of the roughness or detent. Also helps to take the wheel off when doing this check as that weight tends to dampen what you feel in the stem.

Many bad bearings will feel smooth just jacking the front end up and rotating lock-to-lock. You have to lift the hood to really check them. Every CBX I've ever serviced, worked on, restored, whatever, has needed steering bearings by 20,000 miles - Pro-Links even sooner due to the weight of the fairing. Most people ignore this fact and will never know what a properly set up front end with good bearings feels like. Most guys these days buy CBXs with this many miles or more and the bearings are already bad, so they don't know what good bearings feel like.

Dave

[NobleHops]

Patrick: I'm not sure you are getting the significance of what I'm saying: You HAVE to torque the old bearings somewhat tighter than they are as you found them. That is where you'll see the roughness. There will also be a detent straight ahead, but you'll only notice this again if you tighten them down. Perfectly good bearings, or new ones , will have none of the roughness or detent. Also helps to take the wheel off when doing this check as that weight tends to dampen what you feel in the stem.

Many bad bearings will feel smooth just jacking the front end up and rotating lock-to-lock. You have to lift the hood to really check them. Every CBX I've ever serviced, worked on, restored, whatever, has needed steering bearings by 20,000 miles - Pro-Links even sooner due to the weight of the fairing. Most people ignore this fact and will never know what a properly set up front end with good bearings feels like. Most guys these days buy CBXs with this many miles or more and the bearings are already bad, so they don't know what good bearings feel like.

Dave

YES. I've done three bikes' steering heads in the past 12 months, and as Dave said, you could not really feel the problem till the front wheel was removed and the front end unweighted. Then the notchyness in the steering head was so bad it was laughable.