Need help FAST!!! Please

curt698 · Posted: December 8, 2009, 9:50 pm Post subject: Need help FAST!!! Please

Ok, heres the deal I have a 71 XS without forks. To get the better handling and braking I want to go with a newer front-end. I have a line on a 78 front end, I'm a real novice and this is my first build. How difficult would this swap be?

xsleo · Posted: December 9, 2009, 3:00 am Post subject: Re: Need help FAST!!! Please

Do you have the 71 front end completely removed from your frame? Trees and everything? If so the 78 trees and front end should bolt right on.
This would be a good time to replace the loose ball bearings in the steering head with a tapered roller bearing set.
I did when I swapped front ends on my 75. A great up grade. Not to hard or costly, but makes a real improvement in the handling.

yamaman · Posted: December 9, 2009, 4:01 am Post subject: Re: Need help FAST!!! Please

Pretty sure the stem length is different, the early jobs had a shorter version, one way to do it is have the stems removed & welded back on.

Been done before, not that hard!

curt698 · Posted: December 9, 2009, 7:42 am Post subject: Re: Need help FAST!!! Please

yamaman wrote:

Pretty sure the stem length is different, the early jobs had a shorter version, one way to do it is have the stems removed & welded back on.

Been done before, not that hard!

This doesn't affect the strength of the lower?

Srinath · Posted: December 9, 2009, 11:20 am Post subject: Re: Need help FAST!!! Please

curt698 wrote:

yamaman wrote:

Pretty sure the stem length is different, the early jobs had a shorter version, one way to do it is have the stems removed & welded back on.

Been done before, not that hard!

This doesn't affect the strength of the lower?

Not really.
A good welder will just get it hot enough to bond and not much heat left to melt things. The factory welds these things all the time.

The other thing is, one time when I pulled a stem off and shortened it, I actually flared the stem part that was sticking through under the triple, so it was in there even without welding. The only thing left was to just weld it round hitting the stem more then the cast triple and he did that beautifully with his tig torch.
Of course you bring it to me, I'll lay down some booger snot looking welding and it be a miracle if 1/2 the stuff doesn't lay melted on the floor ... yea I'm famous for that.
I am good at making things that fit so well, its held in there mechanically. welding is just insurance.
Cool.
Srinath.

curt698 · Posted: December 9, 2009, 1:10 pm Post subject: Re: Need help FAST!!! Please

So I had a guy contact me about a front end from an 80 1100 special, I'm guessing sort of the same deal with getting the stem on the new trees?

Srinath · Posted: December 9, 2009, 1:41 pm Post subject: Re: Need help FAST!!! Please

I dunno about the 1100's, though I own one of those too.
I'd say if its stem is as long as the xs's stem or just a little bit longer, you can actually put it on without cutting etc. You need 30 and 25 bearing areas though. If its not right, then yes a xs stem swap will be fine.

Also remember ok this I should have mentioned first, sorry, you are better off wiht a stem that is longer and is sticking through the under side of the triple than one that sits inside the triple. That implies putting a xs stem in a different triple is a bad idea. OK so sorry.

I am looking for a suzuki sport bike not sure what it is yet that has a stem long enough for direct fit on a xs. I can fit a katana FE just fine, but I am not looking to do a stem swap. I want to do a direct swap, no stem work needed.
Maybe old school GSXR's maybe one of the other myriad of sport bikes.

The way to do it is, find a bike that has a 25/30 bearing and longer than xs stem. Swap that in. The 1100 may be a suitable candiatate, I dunno. I am yet to find a suzuki ... in a pinch I'd put a custom stem in a kat ... but I would rather find that stem that is the right length and swap it.

Cool.
Srinath.

yamaman · Posted: December 9, 2009, 6:44 pm Post subject: Re: Need help FAST!!! Please

Hey, I'm not even sure if what I wrote above is right, just woke some far flung brain cells is all. Don't take my word for it........You'll have to find out for yourselves!

I've done a bit of a search on the topic, but come up emty handed! Fact remains it's do-able, just not sure on how much work is needed! Goodluck

curt698 · Posted: December 13, 2009, 8:23 pm Post subject: Re: Need help FAST!!! Please

OK, stem length is different. Going to wait till I get the tapered bearings to see how much length I have left. Might just try to use a spacer to make up the difference. The 71 had a dial for damping the steering did the later models have any damping or would I need after market?

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