OK, so i took the bike for a run, about 5 miles, and its cured! It is now steering and handling as I would expect a 1949 bike TO handle.
So, sitting and reflecting, £100 plus and 10 hours later, what DID actually cause the steering/handling to be so bad? I have replaced/re-worked a few things, but what was the actual problem?
Trying to be rational, what did i do, a mental note may help...
1. New Steering headache cups (I think as they were marked from the balls this is probably down to where the previous owner never moved the bike for c. 5 years!)
2. New Ball bearings.
3. Straighten upper link (minor kink inwards of fork at rear of upper link)
4. Loctite eccentric bronze bushes in lower link and set up link and stops (I honestly cannot remember if the stop washers were both against the stops? thinking about this, if they were not, this would change the steering angle on one side, which could have caused the problem?)
5. Set up upper and lower links as per book (tighten until you can just still turn one of the cups).
6. clean grease off steering damper and set up damper.
7. re-set tyre pressures to 30 front 32 rear (they were c. 25 in each when i checked them).
So, I really am not 100% sure which one of the list was THE cure, but looking back on how bad the steering was, it had to be something out of alignment, so my money is no the stop washers not both being back on the stops equally.
Any thoughts?
Lastly, thanks again for everyone who contributed to this thread, it really is a great help. I always look upon any problem i have in the "I can't be the first to have had this issue" frame of mind. Also, with the help of you all, i have learned loads! I have been a technician for 41 years (I left the workshop in the working sense 15 years ago but you never stop...) and when i started we had to, as part of my apprenticeship, strip/clean/re-wind/machine armature/rebuild and test old starter motors/Dynamos and set up regulator boxes etc!!
It really is a great forum and i am glad to be a part of it!
Steve.
So, sitting and reflecting, £100 plus and 10 hours later, what DID actually cause the steering/handling to be so bad? I have replaced/re-worked a few things, but what was the actual problem?
Trying to be rational, what did i do, a mental note may help...
1. New Steering headache cups (I think as they were marked from the balls this is probably down to where the previous owner never moved the bike for c. 5 years!)
2. New Ball bearings.
3. Straighten upper link (minor kink inwards of fork at rear of upper link)
4. Loctite eccentric bronze bushes in lower link and set up link and stops (I honestly cannot remember if the stop washers were both against the stops? thinking about this, if they were not, this would change the steering angle on one side, which could have caused the problem?)
5. Set up upper and lower links as per book (tighten until you can just still turn one of the cups).
6. clean grease off steering damper and set up damper.
7. re-set tyre pressures to 30 front 32 rear (they were c. 25 in each when i checked them).
So, I really am not 100% sure which one of the list was THE cure, but looking back on how bad the steering was, it had to be something out of alignment, so my money is no the stop washers not both being back on the stops equally.
Any thoughts?
Lastly, thanks again for everyone who contributed to this thread, it really is a great help. I always look upon any problem i have in the "I can't be the first to have had this issue" frame of mind. Also, with the help of you all, i have learned loads! I have been a technician for 41 years (I left the workshop in the working sense 15 years ago but you never stop...) and when i started we had to, as part of my apprenticeship, strip/clean/re-wind/machine armature/rebuild and test old starter motors/Dynamos and set up regulator boxes etc!!
It really is a great forum and i am glad to be a part of it!
Steve.