Bike steering itself...Steering head bearing?

[asharin]

Well not quite, but it definately feels like it would much rather go in any direction aside from the one I am steering it in. What could be the cause of this? To me it feels like it's at the front end but I could be wrong..loose steering head bearing? If so is this hard check for/fix?

I'm fine with things like oil changes and other simple stuff but I don't want to mess up and ruin the bike as I haven't had it all that long

Basically how would I go about checking if it's the bearing mentioned above and then how hard is it to fix?

Would like to try and avoid garage bills as I am still skint after xmas

Don't mention Haynes manuals, they don't make them for my bike and the 'service manual' that I have is in Engrish (http://www.engrish.com if you don't know engrish ) and doesn't make much sense

[yorbandit]

cHECK YA FRONT TYRE PRESSURE AND WEAR

[asharin]

pressure is fine, as is wear, after my last issue with that I keep that checked.

[Guest]

have you done any repairs recently...

if you have dropped it i suggest bent bars... your arms feel wrong and when you put them right the bike turns...

just checked your previous posts, you've dropped it, so i'd take the bars off and check them on a level surface, if you lie them down on a kitchen worktop, the ends and the center should all touch, i bet you find that with the ends on a worktop the centre is off kilter, and if you press the centre the bars rock, .. bent bars..

also it will try and steer away from the side you dropped it as that side is further back then the other one....

Edited January 17, 2010 by Anonymous

[Colin the Bear]

Steering vague or wandering could be

Tyre, wheel bearings, damaged rim, head bearings, wheel alignment, damaged frame, too much beer, wind or ice.

[Guest]

you could have knocked the forks out of alignment, and bent the frame, but i 'd give the bars a look first.... M&P do replacements. or get a set of renthals they have a thicker internal wall

[asharin]

Not sure it could be bent bars, frame or forks. I've been riding it daily since I dropped it and it's been fine, just today it seems off. Surely if it was one of the above I would have noticed it before now?

[Guest]

its doubtful it has changed overnight, headbearings create a notchiness when turning lock to lock.. maybe you were sat differently.. try it again

[Colin the Bear]

Steering head uses taper bearings, and if adjusted too tightly and then left standing , will develop a notch in the straight ahead position. Wheelies can cause the same thing.

Seeing as this has developed some time after an off, I'd be having a good look round, especially at the front end. A knock can loosen nuts, bolts and fasteners that then start to unscrew and work loose. Any fractures that may have been caused may open up with use.

Get the font end off the ground and give it a good pull about. check all fasteners, inpect the wheels/tyres for buckling and alignment, and have a look round the frame.

If you can't find anything or you're not sure what you're looking for and the problem persists. get it looked at.

[asharin]

Well it seemed even worse on the way to work tonight, I mentioned it to my workmate and e had a look for me, and he believes the steering head bearing is fine as are the wheel bearings. Bars aren't bent, I checked this afternoon.

His guess is either the wheel alignment is out slightly or the forks have become misaligned, perhaps due to a loose bolt?

I can check the bolts/fasteners on the forks, but I have no idea how to do a wheel alignment so I'll have to take in in somewhere. Yes you might think it's simple but I read somewhere 'how to check your wheel alignment' and by the second sentence they were using terms that meant nothing to me....does no one use plain english these days????

[Guest]

cant your mate help you...

you need to check all bolts for tightness, if the forks are twisted, then you need to adjust them, loosen the yolk bolts (top left, bottom right or it'll fall down.. ) and then turn the bars slightly, whilst keeping the front wheel aligned.. (much like you did on your BMX as a kid,..wheel between the knees..)

check alignment as per haynes manual, using a straight line, wheel should be the same either side when looking down the length of the bike towards the back wheel, so if you can see 10mm of rear tyre when you look down the left, it should be the same on the right.. and if the wheel looks twisted, it probably is and needs adjusting..

[asharin]

No, he only checked the bearings as that's something he does know, when I asked about wheel alignment he mentioned something about using a plank of wood when he was younger

I'm about as mechanically minded as a fish, sad to say..if this was a computer I'd have it running perfectly, different skillset

As for Align as per the haynes manual, there is no haynes manual for my bike, and as for 'like you did with your bmx' I never owned a bmx and while I had mountain/racing bikes I never needed to realign the wheels, guess I was just lucky..or unlucky depending on your point of view.

Eh I'll get it sorted one way or another, way this year is going so far looks like another hell year like last year.

[Colin the Bear]

Stand infront of the bike, facing the rear, with the front wheel between your knees. Squeeze the wheel with your knees, grab the bars and pull them about. Any clicking or movement needs sorting.

To check wheel alignment. Long piece of string in a long U shape around front wheel and take the ends to the back. This will give you a reference to look along the length of the bike.

If this is getting worse, I would advise you stop using it untill it's diagnosed and fixed. Something may let go and spit you off.

[asharin]

If this is getting worse, I would advise you stop using it untill it's diagnosed and fixed. Something may let go and spit you off.

I had planned to not use it after getting home. After the ride home from work this morning I am even more sure. It was all over the place. I hope it's not going to cost too much.....

[asharin]

Took it to the bike shop where I bought it from about an hour ago, the guy there had a look and said it was the steering head had a 'tight spot'

He was busy with a couple of other jobs so didn't have time to fix it (and he's on holiday at the end of the week) so he loosened it a little without removing the bars, then showed me how to do it properly so I could do a proper job later, which I shall do at work tonight. Even with the slight loosening now it' a lot better, doesn't feel like I am fighting for control It's wierd though how when I checked it lock to lock standing still it didn't feel tight, but with the front lifted off the ground you could feel it (no facilities to lift the front at home.)

So a thumbs up for John at Powersports in Christchurch, not only did he not charge me a penny, he increased my knowledge a little, which is even better, as I would like to do more stuff myself, but I'm more of a show me once and I can do it person, then a read in a book and do it person

Thanks for all the advice people

[Chrissb6]

Good to hear you got it fixed, it would suggest though that, finding a tight spot on the head bearing might indicate the beginning of a flat spot on one of the ball bearings in the head bearing. You will have to monitor and keep an eye on it.

On that note, your learning quick, if the bike does not feel right don't ignore it investigate, this is known as preventive maintenance, this will save you in the long run at lot of time, pain and money.

Stay safe