Steering head torque settings

[CollingsBob]

I’m going to double check the torque settings of the steering head nuts..Are the torque settings in the service manual for the upper and lower ring nuts to be used with the steering nut wrench..or are those torque settings to be used with a special socket?

[raYzerman]

Lower ring nut only, torque spec 37 ft. lbs., then back off to zero, retorque to 13 ft. lbs... but I'd go 15 or so, check handlebar rotation. Rubber washer goes on next, upper ring nut snugged up by hand. Top triple tree back on, big 36mm nut torque to 85 ft. lbs. (80 is fine). Tool for the ring nuts best if it's a special castellated socket you make yourself (you read all the debate on FJRO??).

[CollingsBob]

I watched Bryans video on torqueing the nuts and observed him using the special tool which got me thinking & wondering..I did not read the debate on FJRO...

[raYzerman]

Ummm I can't watch them.
http://www.fjrowners.com/forums/11-fjr- ... rench.html

[Festus]

Just curious, but why are you checking the torque on a 2017? Isn't this bike essentially new?

[wheatonFJR]

Just curious, but why are you checking the torque on a 2017? Isn't this bike essentially new?

Monday morning bike assembly at the factory.

[ionbeam]

Just curious, but why are you checking the torque on a 2017? Isn't this bike essentially new?

Over the years it is proven that a high percentage of new FJRs have poorly torqued steering head nuts. That's ok though, the factory took the leftover torques and applied them to the oil drain plug bolt which is at least twice the factory specified torque.

I has been common for people with new FJRs to have rattling and clunking from the steering stem and needing to have the castellated head nut re-torqued. It started with the Gen I and it is still going strong through to the Gen III.

[CollingsBob]

Yes, the bike is essentially new..it was ridden from Regina to Calgary and back, then locally around Regina..The dealer has a reputation for poor service procedures and refuses to put me in contact with the first owner - hiding behind canadian privacy law..So, I’m going to double check steering head torque settings and the final drive for adequate grease. I’m also going to change the engine oil & filter and final drive lube.

[ionbeam]

FJRs come from the factory with the steering head assembled and it is not on the dealer's build check list to verify the steering head torque. This is a picture of my '04 being born, but they still come this way from the factory.

[wheatonFJR]

^^^^^
Yeah, you were lucky...your FJR only came 6 months or so after you ordered it I suppose. Others had to wait longer as evidenced by all the forum postings of overturned container ships around during the PDP years.
Anticipation....

[ionbeam]

^^^^^
Ahhh, the good ol' daze. '03, '04 and into '05: Almost no dealer had a FJR on the showroom floor. Sight unseen, with no test ride, the PDP program (Priority Delivery Program) asked the purchaser to put down an non-refundable $500 deposit and wait 6 months (usually more than less) for your FJR to be delivered. I was fortunate when ordering my FJR in the early spring it arrived mid fall giving me enough time to ride it a bit before salt, sand and snow arrived. Just enough to get me all excited and then have to wait another six months to ride the SOB again once spring arrived.

But.

In 1993 Yamaha introduced the extremely advanced GTS1000. Computer controlled. Funky forks up front. Cat con. ABS. Fuel Injection. It sold like Edsels. They arrived at dealers and stayed at the dealer. Yamaha ended up crushing most of the production run. This led to the over abundance of caution when introducing the FJR and resulted in the PDP program.

[Bounce]

Pictures and tables of torques and processes (tighten, loosen, tighten again) and more

http://www.fjr-tips.org/maint/shb/shb.html

[raYzerman]

Yes, the bike is essentially new..it was ridden from Regina to Calgary and back, then locally around Regina..The dealer has a reputation for poor service procedures and refuses to put me in contact with the first owner - hiding behind canadian privacy law..So, I’m going to double check steering head torque settings and the final drive for adequate grease. I’m also going to change the engine oil & filter and final drive lube.

Referencing ionbeam's comments and others.... my career in automotive saw various assembly methods, all designed to save time or implement automation/accuracy/time. I can almost bet you the modern method of assembling steering head bearings involves the triple tree nut getting torqued by a DC controlled gun finely tuned to snug that up as a single operation, although it could be programmed slightly otherwise. Further down, somebody hand assembles the rubber washer and second nut by hand (as we do), then the top triple clamp goes on later with forks, is held in alignment with a fixture and the big nut torqued down to its 85 ft. lbs. with another big DC gun.

My theory is, the bearings seat in a tad more later, and it only takes a couple of thou to be "loose". There is so much chat traffic on FJR forums about this, for me to recommend ride it for a while and snug it up at the 600 mile service. They all need it, period (or so I am declaring), previous history irrelevant, just do it for your peace of mind. They shouldn't really need it again for a good long while. It won't hurt to go a bit snugger than the 13 ft. lbs. mentioned in the manual (check for resistance of turning the bars), but never go less. I'm anywhere 15-17, no ill effects in 10 years of FJR's.

As for your oil and filter/final drive..... assumption is made it was done at the 600 mile service, change oil and filter at perhaps a shortened interval, say 4k-ish. The filter is filtering and the oil ain't going bad. Final drive may be unknown, change it and do that annually thereafter, no need to do it any more frequent than that unless you see it milky (condensation/water gets in through the vent). If you commute and don't get things warmed up enough to keep condensation out, then increase frequency.