FZRSupport: the FZROnline Archive

Hey guys. I've had my '98 R1 front end for a couple years waiting to do the swap. Using ModKing's custom lower triple. I had a shop do the actual swap, since I don't have a garage, and this is what they got when they bolted it up. The Steering stem nut doesn't sit flush with the top clamp. I've been looking for other pics of this swap, not thinking that this is right, but I don't know for sure, so I come to the people who know. Here is a pic of what it looks like. I have to pull the top triple off to replace my right clip-on (bent ) so I'm thinking maybe I'll find something out then. But I guess I'd like to hear the opinions of you guys first.

I've got a custom triple from Modking as well, but I don't this problem. I can think of two things that this could be:

1) The shop pressed the steering stem in too far into the triple.
2) You do not have the lower triple sitting far enough down on the fork tube. Remember, the FZR steering stem is longer than the R1/R6 stem. This means the triple needs to sit farther down on the forks so the stem is at the correct length.

I'm thinking your problem is the first one though. There should be about 10" of stem if you measure from the top of the lower triple to the top of the stem.

what I did, was used extra nuts on the the lower part (you know, the ones with the slits where this little piece of metal slides over and keeps both from turning)
what this did was it raised the actual top triple so now the nut screws all the way on

cad600 wrote:I've got a custom triple from Modking as well, but I don't this problem. I can think of two things that this could be:

1) The shop pressed the steering stem in too far into the triple.
2) You do not have the lower triple sitting far enough down on the fork tube. Remember, the FZR steering stem is longer than the R1/R6 stem. This means the triple needs to sit farther down on the forks so the stem is at the correct length.

I'm thinking your problem is the first one though. There should be about 10" of stem if you measure from the top of the lower triple to the top of the stem.

Cad,
Steering stem length is irrelevant to where the lower triple sits on the fork except as far as ride hieght,trail etc is concerned.

The length of the steering stem length is relevant to the distance between bearing cups on the frame steering head however, those bearings have a set torque to make them work and center the stem in the head races. That top nut is to stop the top triple from coming up if the stantion clamps were to come loose.

To my mind (the picture needs to show more real estate and is too limited in focus ) the solution is a Fat washer spacer under the nut OR more likely the stem is not far enough into the bottom triple clamp by the amount shown under the nut.

I am assuming here that the noodle in the shop put all the bits back ? like the big nuts under the top triple that tension down on the bearing etc.

just did r6 fork swap and had same thing. I used extra tension nuts to compensate and worked great GEO hit it on the money. Also there is a snap ring in the bottom of the stem so if it wasnt pressed in enough you would know it make sure its flush on bottom and the snap ring has been reinstalled.

I didnt have that problem with my triple from Modking. It went together beautifully. it looks like your bushing in the top triple is interfereing quite a bit. Is it the right size? It shouldnt stick out of the top of teh triple at all. Do you think your goobered nut has anything to do with it? It wont fix the issue, but the top being caved in like that cold be losing a thread or two thickness.

yamaha_george wrote:Steering stem length is irrelevant to where the lower triple sits on the fork except as far as ride hieght,trail etc is concerned.

I was talking about this as being one option but forgot to explain it would only be relative if they are not mounted on the bike. If you put the new lower triple in the spot the old one would be in with a longer steering stem, then you would have a lot more stem sticking out because of the difference in length of the stem between the FZR and R1. But you're right, on the bike the possition of the stem does nothing.

I had forgotten about the two nuts that sit under the upper triple. Do you have those on the bike? This should space everything out correctly if you add them.

also, does your stem have the washer installed that sits on top of the triple and under the Lower bearing?

use a spacer to compensate the extra space.

be careful if you go the spacer route, you definitely don't want things shifting up there

ModKing pressed in my stem to the lower triple, and he made the spacer, too, so I'm assuming that that stuff is accurate. I am thinking that maybe the guy doing the swap didn't do something that a one of you guys might have done, which which would be my fault, because I told him it should be a straight swap. If there was anything else that needed to be added to allow the spacing, I missed that and didn't tell him about that.

I will get some more detailed pics tomorrow, from below, front, above and such, so maybe you guys can see it better. I will pull the upper clamp off, and see if I can see what can be done. Thanks again.

You are probably missing what I've circled in red.



They are two nuts that go between the bearing cover and the top triple. Should also include a spacer and an alignment clip.

I pulled the top clamp off this morning and took some pics of everything. This is what I've got.






And here is with the clamp sitting on there without the spacer.....



Looks like I can machine a spacer, or use good fitting washers to go directly under the top clamp, but just not sure Why I have to do this.

There is a washer that should go there. When Modking did mine, he included a bushing that fit between the stem and the top triple because of the size difference. This bushing had a spacer at the top of it that acted like a washer. This picture is much better than your first one which looked like there was a 3/4" gap.

in the first pic it looks like your spacer is creating a huge gap. Maybe trimming it down would be useful and a washer under the nut. You shouldnt need more than a washer's thickness there. But in that first pic that washer looks WAY too tall. Ideally, I would think you wouldnt want it sitting above the top of the triple so that when you tighten that top nut down your clamping the triple, and not the spacer. I made mine as a press fit into the upper triple and it is flush with the top.

Can you take a picture of the top of your lower triple? Id like a better look at your steering stops. My triple was the prototype and doesnt have stops. i want to see how closethey are in design.