Front end not straight! Need help!

[mnm567]

What's up. I own a 2006 YZ450F. When I ride my bike, the bars seem like they are bent on the right side. The right is pulled in some. The problem is, these bars are brand new. I wrecked last year off of a triple. I went over the bars, and the bike landed upside down and rolled. It wasn't that severe of a crash. I noticed the front end being out of wack sometime later after the crash last year and thought it was bent bars. I replaced the bars, and the bike has the same symptoms. I borrowed my buddy's triple clamp, complete with his mounts and installed it on my bike. It is still having the same problem. I have taken the clamps off to grease the stem bearings, re-installed the forks. No change. I have run out of ideas! Maybe the bar clamps are twisting some how, i'm not sure. I need some fresh ideas. I started with the weakest links in the chain and have come up empty. Thanks in advance fellow ttr's! Matt

[kyle450rider]

Check your bar mounts.Switch them to the other side and reinstall your bars and see if your bars are bent on the other side now.If its the mount this should allow you to see if its bent.If it is bent they are not to hard to fix.I just put them in a vise and tap it with a hammer bit by bit to get straight.

[____Kurt____]

before you destroy your bike you should have your bike standing up preferably on a stand and step back directly in the front and see if the front tire is perfectly in line with the fender/rest of bike. if not you can loosen up the pinch bolts a little bit on the bottom clamp and hold the tire with your legs and jerk the bars in the needed direction.

if this isn't your problem then i guess gray can help you but if this isn't it then it has to somthin more severe.

hope this helped

good luck:thumbsup:

[mnm567]

Thanks for the advice! I will do some more fine tuning to see if it is the problem. What I don't understand, is I have removed the tire and forks several times, and the problem still exists. I have never had this problem with my other bikes. Well I guess it is time to get back to work. Any more ideas are welcome. Thanks, Matt

[____Kurt____]

let us know how it works out, taking a minor or severe fall can twist the front tire.

[red7]

Loosen the upper pinch bolts and spin your tire hard and then grab the front brake to stop it abruptly. Do this a few times and it will straighten everything out and then you can tighten the pinch bolts back up.

[grayracer513]

I borrowed my buddy's triple clamp, complete with his mounts and installed it on my bike. It is still having the same problem. I have taken the clamps off to grease the stem bearings, re-installed the forks. No change.

You guys are ignoring the evidence here by telling Matt to relieve the twist in the front end. The whole thing has been apart, and if everything was straight, it would have gone back together straight.

I suggest that you pull the front wheel and dismount the caliper. Cut a piece of wood or PVC pipe, or whatever that will fit between the lower fork tubes with a small gap. Spin the lower tubes while holding the gauge block between them to check for a bent tube. if you don't find one, then rotate each of the upper tubes 90 degrees one at a tie to check if they are bent.

[mnm567]

Thanks for the idea Gray. I am hoping I don't have a bent fork. But I have to rule everything out!

[mnm567]

Here's an update. I checked the inner fork tubes, and they are not bent. At the start of this season, I noticed the top triple clamp bolt was loose. I thought maybe that was causing my suspension to twist. I re-set everything and tightened to spec, but still had the problem. I am wondering if I have a bent steering stem or bottom clamp. How hard is it to bend these items? I am going to check the bottom clamp today along with the stem. I am running out of possibilities. Any more ideas would be much appreciated. Thanks, Matt

[grayracer513]

Assuming it's the stock stem, it would be supremely difficult to bend it, since it's titanium. The triple clamps could be bent, I suppose.

Here's a way to check the alignment of the fork tubes:

Pull the wheel and remove the fork guards (or, just turn the tubes around backward.

Lay a sheet of glass against the inner tubes. The glass should contact at all four corners (top and bottom edge of the sheet on both tubes) and not rock. If it passes this test, the forks, and the part of the triple clamps that hold them, are not what's bent. If it doesn't, then something is wrong there someplace.

Your bar mounts could be bent, however, as could the top clamp, within th earea around where they bolt in.

[mnm567]

Gray, I thank you for your help. I couldn't be more frusterated. I took everything apart. The bottom clamp, top clamp, steering stem, bars, and inner fork tubes are fine. They are the stock clamps. I switched the top and bar clamps with a buddy's. I used the technique of setting the clamps on glass and used your previously mentioned method of placing a block between the inner tubes and rotating them( doing this with the caliper, fork gaurds etc.. off) and the forks are fine. I re-installed everything maticulously. Test rode the bike, and there still seems to be a problem. I know it's not me, because I had a friend ride it who owns a 2006 YZ250F and noticed that the right grip seemed to be pulled in. Could anything be wrong with the rear, like a bent swingarm, that would cause this? I am Stumped!!! Thanks, Matt

[Stinger1133]

before you destroy your bike you should have your bike standing up preferably on a stand and step back directly in the front and see if the front tire is perfectly in line with the fender/rest of bike. if not you can loosen up the pinch bolts a little bit on the bottom clamp and hold the tire with your legs and jerk the bars in the needed direction.

if this isn't your problem then i guess gray can help you but if this isn't it then it has to somthin more severe.

hope this helped

good luck:thumbsup:

I did this to my bike and it fixed the issue. I have noticed this to be a common issue with a bike that has had a few spills. I dont race. I am a woods rider that loves to roost the fields and have had a few spills myself.

[mnm567]

I am pissed. Here's an update. I bought new stock top,bottom triple clamps with a new stem. installed them, rode the bike, and the bars are still pulled to the right. It isn't pulled in a huge amount but it is noticeable. It really wasn't ever pulled in a huge amount though. I am close to straping a stick of dynomite to the beast and lighting it. My next step will be the installation of my forks on my buddy's 250f and riding his bike to completely eliminate the chance of bent forks. What else could it be? I need some new suggestions. When you guys have your front-ends apart, what steps do you go through to put it back together? Maybe when I tighten the top clamp, is it twisting the forks? HEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPP! Thanks, Matt:banghead: ? :ride:

[ISBB]

hows your throttle tube and housing ?

[blueballz006]

It has to be a bent lower on one of your forks. If one fork leg is bent from front to back the axle is then sitting a little cock-eyed causing your wheel to sit funny. Not very funny! The same thing happened to my street bike. You might be able to see a little dimple where the leg is bent if you take them apart. Worst case scenario you could replicate your crash to the opposite side so they'll both be bent the same. JK, don't try that. Good luck dude!?

[blueballz006]

Oh, btw another thing you could do. Try switching one fork leg at a time onto your buddies' bike. When his does the same thing you will know which fork is bent. Then purposely accidentally give him the bent one. Or, go to his house when he isn't home and swap the forks out. Use your friends wisely!?

[mnm567]

Thanks Blueballz, I needed some fresh suggestions, and humor. I will definately try to swap out my forks with my buddy's! HaHa!

[133_Bradley]

Maybe one of your arms are shorter then the other. have one of your buddies ride it and see what they think.

[mnm567]

Yet another update! I think the right inner tube is slightly bent. I disassembled the fork today and I will do the correct test with the blocks and a dial gauge. I noticed there was a signifigant amount of wear on the backside of the inner fork tube. I have never noticed this on any other bike I have owned before. I will check it, and report back. How much is a new inner tube anyway? Ha!

[grayracer513]

The right side inner, PN 1C3-23110-M0-00, retails for $287. TT OEM Parts can get you 25-30% off of that.