Topic: Bike locking up when bars turned?

[robdrobd]

Hey folks, my bike is working fine but for  one thing. When I turn the bars the front wheel gets harder to roll. The farther I turn the more it locks.

[flybox1]

is it more to one side than the other?  Is your brake line supported near your headlight?
I would first look for movement in your brake line causing the piston to push on your rotor....

[robdrobd]

Are you saying the brake line is twisting or something? It does seem to be worse when turned to the left.

[flybox1]

thinking it could be a brake line shifting, causing it to pus the piston out.
if this was not it, i probably would think it was my forks, and check each and every bolt securing my forks, fender, upper and lower trees, to be sure everything was straight all were torqued to spec. 

[fmctm1sw]

and check each and every bolt securing my forks, fender, upper and lower trees, to be sure everything was straight all were torqued to spec. 

+1 on that.  My 550 did exactly what you describe until I realized I never tightened down the half moon shaped axle clamps on bottom of the forks...

[robdrobd]

Bolts are snug. The top brake line is a little long because I switched to Euro bars. Could this be the culprit?

[scottly]

I don't think the line would cause it. How are your front wheel bearings? Does it happen with the front wheel off the ground?

[robdrobd]

Hmmm. Haven't tried anything with wheels off the ground. Why would the bearings work more poorly when the wheel is turned?

[scottly]

If the bearings are loose, the wheel rocks over, putting the disc into a bind with the caliper. With the wheel off the ground and no weight on it, there shouldn't be as much pressure on the bearings.

[Ausmithe]

I'm having the same issue with my bike. Subscribed.

[flybox1]

remove your caliper arm from the fork(dont forget a 5-6mm shim between your pads  ) and see if that changes the symptom.  if the 'locking' is gone, pretty sure you can assume your wheel/rotor/forks are shifting when you turn.

[heffay]

That type of problem is usually attributed to incorrect reassembly... axle in backwards, bushings and spacers swapped to the wrong sides, or loose fittings somewhere.  If the wheel is allowed to move in a direction which is non-perpendicular to the axle, the brakes will drag, the wheel will be cocked on the axle not wanting to spin, etc.

Yep, I know I repeated a lot of what's already been said.   

[MCRider]

If the bearings are loose, the wheel rocks over, putting the disc into a bind with the caliper. With the wheel off the ground and no weight on it, there shouldn't be as much pressure on the bearings.

Also, going straight the bearings aren't an issue as they settle in the plane of the rotor. Then turn it and "the wheel rocks over putting the disc in a bind"...etc.

A few thou at the axle would telegraph to many thou at the rotor. Pad clearance should be 5-6 thou, so could be.

[WhyNot2]

 

[robdrobd]

It was a misthreaded fork bolt at the bottom barely touching the fork. I cleaned up the threads and reassembled to spec. Problem solved. Thanks!

[heffay]

Ride on!