CT70 Fork - front wheel - will not line up
- Thread starter bjf
- Start date
kirrbby
Well-Known Member
The CHP cover looks great. I think you have nothing to loose by just doing the grinding, until you have clearance, then clean it up to look good. Maybe mask it and just touch up missing paint.
I'm thinking if this is the problem, then when you install the wheel, the peg is hitting on the brake plate, before the bottom of the leg hits the brake plate. So then, as you tighten the axle, the peg is pushing the wheel toward the right...only the top of the wheel. The axle is pulling the bottom of the wheel toward the left.
Maybe this isn't the problem? Maybe you can verify it before you do anymore grinding.
I'm thinking if this is the problem, then when you install the wheel, the peg is hitting on the brake plate, before the bottom of the leg hits the brake plate. So then, as you tighten the axle, the peg is pushing the wheel toward the right...only the top of the wheel. The axle is pulling the bottom of the wheel toward the left.
Maybe this isn't the problem? Maybe you can verify it before you do anymore grinding.
So after grinding a bit I'm sure it is the cover. The issue is the depth more than the sides. I'm not pleased with grinding this so I'm just going to grab a used one off eBay.
Will report back.
scooter
Well-Known Member
Think of it this way - if the two legs are parallel (which is what you want) the distance between them (perpendicular to the legs) has to be the same at top, bottom, middle, anywhere along the length. If the bottom is being kept too wide because of the axle length or the peg not being allowed to freely seat along the axle direction something has to give. It's the springs in this assembly that allow for the tubes to remain parallel while accommodating a wider bottom (axle / peg end) different type of response when the width of the parts top and bottom don't match.
Let's say the width at the top is 10 inches and the legs are parallel. I give you a 12 inch ruler and say make the ends of the ruler touch the legs. You would have to place the ruler down rotated at an angle of about 33.5 degrees. Then if I said now compress the apparently long leg until it touches the end of the ruler you would push the leg in about 6.6 inches. My example is extreme but I believe it may explain what you are seeing and the root cause.
When you say the "axle is straight" - need to ask straight relative to what? If the wheel is tilted when the bike is perpendicular to the ground, the axle is also tilted (not parallel) with the ground. Assumption is your wheel is tilted vs being straight but off center - correct?
Few things:
With the bike on a stand with no wheel on, if I put the axle in with no wheel, the axle is straight. Meaning my fork legs are the same length.
As for the peg, this is original to the bike. I just rechromed the legs but there is no extra thickness. The cover is the only part not original and my wheel was centered before I started.
There are a couple of super cheap covers on ebay I can pick from. I will say the CHP one is nice but not as nice as the original from a quality stand point anyway.
Will report on it.
With the bike on a stand with no wheel on, if I put the axle in with no wheel, the axle is straight. Meaning my fork legs are the same length.
As for the peg, this is original to the bike. I just rechromed the legs but there is no extra thickness. The cover is the only part not original and my wheel was centered before I started.
There are a couple of super cheap covers on ebay I can pick from. I will say the CHP one is nice but not as nice as the original from a quality stand point anyway.
Will report on it.
That's an even better way to determine a baseline of what you're working with, especially at the stage of final assembly.
My initial suggestion was to install the wheel assembly, while the inner fork legs are on the bench. You'd then check for L-to-R centering and squareness of the lower fork legs, i.e. 90-degrees to the axle and parallel to each other. That could tell you if the axle, or a fork leg, was tweaked. The best way to check for bent lower fork legs is to simply roll them on a flat surface. Please tell us you did that before having them re-chromed. What scooter is recommending will show you exactly what you're working with, on the bike, if the fork legs are straight. Neither test can tell you everything, by itself.
IMO, not much sense in pulling the inner fork leg assemblies at this point. Install the wheel as suggested...sans brake plate. Then measure the gap between the bearing & LH fork leg, at the axle. It should be the same as the thickness of the brake plate, as measured through its bore. The one variable is axle length, with the nut threaded-on to the same depth it would have when torqued in place, with the proper stack height (brake plate, hub, RH spacer) between the fork legs.
scooter
Well-Known Member
Another follow on to confirm things. If the wheel looks good without the brake plate, next add the plate but rotate it 180 such that the pin on the leg doesn't engage the slot and tighten things up. If it still looks good, lower the bike, and give it a roll. If still good, you've isolated / confirmed it to the pin/plate lack of clearance.
As Racerx mentioned usually one test isn't enough when trying to trouble shoot. When something goes wrong on a complicated system folks start building what's called a fish bone diagram with each bone identify possibilities and specific cause - effect. Sometimes you end up with a big interwoven fish bone with each path having to be ruled out.
On this one the fish wasn't to bad. I'm thinking the team is pretty close to closing this one out. Waiting to hear / see some "test" results.
As Racerx mentioned usually one test isn't enough when trying to trouble shoot. When something goes wrong on a complicated system folks start building what's called a fish bone diagram with each bone identify possibilities and specific cause - effect. Sometimes you end up with a big interwoven fish bone with each path having to be ruled out.
On this one the fish wasn't to bad. I'm thinking the team is pretty close to closing this one out. Waiting to hear / see some "test" results.
Follow Up.
I bought a used cover off of eBay. First thing I did was checked if it would fit the fork. It slid on with tons of room to spare. Tolerances were clearly very different from the CHP after market cover.
Installed it and the wheel is almost perfectly centered. It still looks slightly off but its much closer now.
Thanks everyone for the help. It is much appreciated.
I bought a used cover off of eBay. First thing I did was checked if it would fit the fork. It slid on with tons of room to spare. Tolerances were clearly very different from the CHP after market cover.
Installed it and the wheel is almost perfectly centered. It still looks slightly off but its much closer now.
Thanks everyone for the help. It is much appreciated.
Attachments
IDK, Pat, hard to see a big enough market to have reproduction brake plates made-to-spec. Thus, they are probably current era (post 2010) service parts, for a Chinese clone bike. A lot of clone parts have evolved (a.k.a undergone a lot of design drift) into something incompatible with OEM Honda. Wheels, hubs, sprockets, handlebars, bar clamps, triple trees...to name a few.
It's not like OEM brake plates are rare. A parts washer, a buffer, and 2-3 hours of work should be enough to turn a crusty original into cast aluminum jewelry. And you know it fits, from the get-go.
It's not like OEM brake plates are rare. A parts washer, a buffer, and 2-3 hours of work should be enough to turn a crusty original into cast aluminum jewelry. And you know it fits, from the get-go.
OLD CT
Well-Known Member
Yes agreed, the OEM's aren't rare and usually can buy em cheap and have a little fun making em look new again. Bet it has a lot to do exactly like you said with using the aftermarket on the rather unique narrow K0 front end instead of K1 and up forks. Fitment problem, that is.