Top steering head nut

[maitland]

Hi all, I read with interest owners have had a problem with the top nut," hidden by a small rubber cap, I first had a problem in early 2011, at around 8000 klms, I reported the clanging to a dealer who soon rectified the issue with a large ring spanner, I have the nut checked each service and whenever it suits, still needs a nip up now and again. I see this as a design fault and to my knowledge a lot of owners are unaware the fault exists, so I urge all owners to have the nut checked and make others aware of the problem Happy Riding Harley

 

[scott123007]

It is not a design fault, but a simple case of a nut coming loose. If it is so bothersome to you, put a dab of blue locktite on it, and call it a day. :lamp:

 

[hawk281]

I dont think the nut is loosening. Over a period of time the steering head bearings wear or seat in, that requires that they be tightened. And at given points of time, they need to be taken apart and greased, which will make them last longer. Believe me, if you don't have the proper tools, changing the bearing are a pain. ::021::

 

[scopeusa]

My bike does a fair bit of off road on rough rocky roads. My head developed slack but I think it was down to the bearings not seating properly at the factory. I obtained the wrench ( a laser cut copy off eBay) and torqued it down it it has been fine ever since. With the locknut torqued it has been fine ever since and my bike sees offroad as much as on.

 

[Squibb]

I always understood that the bottom yoke & stem do the work, wheras the top yoke simply stabilises the structure & receives the steering input.

Hence, a loose top yoke nut isn't a huge concern. However I don't think it should simply be torqued back down as the yoke is, of course, already clamped to the top of each fork leg. & the holes bored into the yoke run parallel to oneanother. Thus, before torquing the big nut, the top yoke clamps should be slackened so the yoke can move downwards as a whole - torque the nut & then re-tighten the clamps.

Better still, if you have the time/inclination, check out the steering head for lube & adjustment. No grease points to gun in the grease these days sadly.

Ride Safe ......................... KEN

 

[hawk281]

I agree with what you said, but some guys would not understand "yoke". Basically, you loosen the triclamps that hold the top of the forks and the center nut and then tighten the streering head nut, using a "spanner wrench", a "J" shaped looking thing. ::021::

 

[Berg_Donk]

Its even more complicated, the top nut on the stem is actually two nuts, with a rubber O ring in between and a lock tab device to keep them together. I have to tighten mine up very 6-8 k kms. I'm tempted to get rid of the O ring all together and loctite the top nut. Last time I put some more torque on the top nut than spec to see if it helps, but may just destroy the O ring and make it worse, dunno. I've routinely walked up to S10s and unwound the top nut with my fingers and handed it to the rider. I can only assume that the bottom bearing keeps loosening in some way to loosen the whole assembly. Mine is greased up properly, and the steering still moves freely, so no bearing notching. Its annoying. One indicator is hearing a rattle in the front somewhere, its the loose head stem.

 

[scopeusa]

When I said I torqued it down I failed to mention that I released the clamp on the yoke, I just followed the Yamaha shop manual. If the lock washer is in place and the top nut torqued to 94 ft lb I cannot see that it should loosen. As I say I put mine down to the bearings not seating properly at the factory. I have not experienced any further problems with mine and that was over a year ago, and yes mine gets plenty of the rough stuff.

 

[Mzee]

I dont think the nut is loosening. Over a period of time the steering head bearings wear or seat in, that requires that they be tightened. And at given points of time, they need to be taken apart and greased, which will make them last longer. Believe me, if you don't have the proper tools, changing the bearing are a pain. ::021::

Do you have an idea what sort of tools are required?

 

[Mzee]

When I said I torqued it down I failed to mention that I released the clamp on the yoke, I just followed the Yamaha shop manual. If the lock washer is in place and the top nut torqued to 94 ft lb I cannot see that it should loosen. As I say I put mine down to the bearings not seating properly at the factory. I have not experienced any further problems with mine and that was over a year ago, and yes mine gets plenty of the rough stuff.

Mine is like a permanent problem. I have changed bearings several time.

 

[gv550]

I use this socket to properly torque the nut every 25,000 kms when the steering stem is apart for inspection and lube. I still have original bearings at 100,000 km and no sign of notching or wear, and the nut has never come loose between inspections. Socket is available on eBay from vendor Vincent Goosey of GB Automotive Products.

 

[Gigitt]

here is the ebay link
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Yamaha-XT1200-Super-Tenere-Steering-Stem-Nut-Socket/112356606297?hash=item1a28f9c159:g:kYYAAOSw14xWOStt&frcectupt=true

 

[Fortech]

After one attempt of torque by feel without luck, and fear of over torquing, I made my own.

 

[EricV]

I see a lot of talk in this thread about nuts and no one is doing a good job of specifing what nuts. Some are talking about the very top nut that is torqued to 94 ft/lbs. This has little to do with the actual bearing torque, which is controlled by the lower of two identical nuts that require the special tool to torque. Only the bottom of these two nuts gets torqued, the top of those two is essentially a lock nut and has a lock washer with mating prongs fit over both during assembly.

LINK

There is a process to torque the steering head bearings via the lower nut. It should be first torqued to 38 ft/lbs, then loosened slightly and re-torqued to 13 ft/lbs. The top nut of the matched pair is never torqued. It simply threads on to match the lower and the lock washer is placed over both nuts with it's tabs slotting into place on both nuts. It's quite unlikely that it works loose, considering the double nut and lock washer system.

However, I and others have found the top triple tree nut to be loose. 94 ft/lbs is the spec for that nut, hidden under the rubber plug. I can see that working loose if proper procedure was not followed and the fork pinch bolts were tightened before the center nut was torqued down.

 

[ballisticexchris]

Service manual is your friend!

 

[shredmeister]

The tool above from the UK looks nice. However, for those of us in the U.S., I found a replica of the Yamaha tool for the steering nut. Reasonable priced at $18 including shipping. I received mine promptly and it works like it should. Made in the USA by a company called Clauss Studios.

Link: https://www.claussstudios.com/store/p723/Yamaha_Steering_Ring_Nut_Tool_Wrench.html

 

[gv550]

The tool above from the UK looks nice. However, for those of us in the U.S., I found a replica of the Yamaha tool for the steering nut. Reasonable priced at $18 including shipping. I received mine promptly and it works like it should. Made in the USA by a company called Clauss Studios.

Link: https://www.claussstudios.com/store/p723/Yamaha_Steering_Ring_Nut_Tool_Wrench.html

Very nice tool. Had I known about this I would have considered it rather than pay more for the socket from England. On the other hand, the Goosey socket does work nicely, turns a full 360 degrees smoothly, no need to remove and re-hook as the Clauss arm nears the air box or fork tube.

 

[Gigitt]

I bought a Clauss style hook tool for the steering nut. made of SS. used it and the cutout for 3/8 square was rounding out after I was done torquing per the service manual. the tool is set 90 deg to the torque wrench to tighten but this put more twisting action on the square hole of the tool... so I now actually thinking of making/buying a Socket tool as I feel this to a better tool for the job. the more the square hole rounds out the torque wrench angle changes less than 90 degrees and this affects the actual torque applied!

on my 2015 Gen2 S10 the 32mm tripple tree nut is torqued to an absurdy high 130Nm - this aint never going to be loose!
my top steering head nut was loose and did not require any finger force to unscrew... when I retorqued my lower nut I finger tightened the top nut then finger forced it to the next notch then really cranked on it with my fingers to one more notch around. I also bent the fingers of the lock washer in so it sits tighter in the notches. my lock washer was loose fitting at the top and the lower fingers were wide and sloppy and did not really engage the lower nut notches - and i felt the looseness meant that the top nut could still undo.

 

[Mzee]

Thank you folks, I don't know how I missed such an important thread. I have had nearly a permanent problem with my steering bearings. I have 160000km and have had four sets of bearings already. Something surely is not right, but this thread has permanently solved this problem.

 

[RCinNC]

I'm with Chris on this one....if you're going to be doing maintenance jobs like the steering head, a service manual is just as valuable of a tool as anything else in your tool box. I did my steering head a couple years ago, and the sequence you reassemble the multiple components and the way you torque them is important. If you have the Yamaha steering nut wrench, there's even a specific way you have to orient it in order to induce the proper torque. The bearings on the steering head are like the bearings in the cup and cone wheelsets on a bicycle; getting the torque set correctly matters. Too loose and too tight are both bad for the bearings, races, and proper functioning.

That socket shown in gv550's post would be a lot easier to use than the Yamaha tool I have. It reminds me of the bottom bracket tool on one of my bicycles.