squirrelly handling

[subforry]

Hi all,

In the past month over very few miles, maybe 500, my GS850 has been getting squirrelly. It feels loose and wants to wander when I decelerate or hit a rough spot. The head bearings don't feel notchy, but don't feel good. Kind of smooth 5 degrees off center then it get tight and then loose. New head bearings are on order and will install them after Christmas.

I tried rocking the wheels side to side and the swing arm, nothing. New-ish progressive shocks. The fork oil could be low and is probably 5+ years old. Tires look good and about 5 years old.

Any other ideas or things I should check.

Thanks.

 

[fastbysuzuki]

Well you have the steering stem bearings covered, tyres are likely at the end of their life due to age, as for fork oil being low are they leaking? If so new seals and oil are in order providing the fork legs are not pitted in the wear area and there is no play in the bushes if they are pitted look for replacement or a place that will rechrome them.
personally I would do the head bearings and test and go from there.

 

[storm 64]

I think your 850 will love its new steering head bearings. What a great Christmas gift idea.

 

[Guest]

Getting rid of the squirrels would be a start:encouragement::encouragement:

 

[Guest]

Sorry, that was just too good not too lol.

 

[Steve]

Don't forget that most of the "front end problems" are actually problems in the rear. :-k

Check your swingarm bearings. Fortunately, they are tapered roller bearings, so it's just a matter of loosening the locknut and checking the tension on the bearing, then re-doing the locknut.

.

 

[subforry]

The new head bearings must have excised the squirrels because its back to normal. Damn nutters.

Just a couple of notes. I was able to remove the lower outer race using a big flat blade screw driver, bock of wood, and hammer. The screw driver was placed with the tip on the top of race and shaft on the bottom of the head tube (kind of parallel to the race, extending out the bottom of the head tube). I used my knee on the the screw driver handle to hold it in place and used the bock of wood and hammer to hit the screw driver shaft from the top. This only moves the race down until it is flush with the head tube. At that point there is more room to get a tool on the top of the race from the top. Yes, modifying a long bolt of piece of metal would have been easier but I didn't have either of these.

I used a cutoff wheel to remove the inner lower race from the lower triple. Heat and hammering didn't do much.