i know this is a really dumb question, but i just cant seem to figure out how to take the fork assembly off of my moby. The top of the forks are like welded together. theres what looks to be a large, flat looking hex bold, or nut. i guess thats it? i just wasnt sure, cause i dont have a socket big enought to fit it. any help on this silly matter is apreciated
I
Tim,
You have to take off the top nut and straighten the locking plate and take off the bottom nut. Then you use a screwdriver or pry bar to pop the bottom plate off the steering stem. You are right about it being in one piece. The only way it comes off is to spring it.
I made an 8 point wrench for the big nut out of a hole saw blade. I used a 1 1/2" hole saw, ground off the teeth, then heated it to cherry red and hammered the end into the 8 point hex shape using a piece of steel in the vise as an anvil. Then I used a 1/2" breaker bar in the mounting hole to drive it.
Hope this helps,
Ron
An 8 point hex ?
...oooooh....... that must be some a dat new math I been hearin about!
.....just messin with ya Ron.... : ) ... was it an 8 or a 6 ?
I definitely like the ingenuity of the modified hole saw.
Fred,
My reaction exactly when I took the top nut to the tool shop to buy a socket and realized nothing would fit!
My immediate solution was to curse all frenchmen, a typically british reaction to allmost any problem with anything, french or not!
Then I stumbled across the hole saw and the rest is history.
By the way, the nut is 8 point because that gives a smaller overall diameter. Yes, there is nothing to prevent making the available space larger, but hey, these guys designed the 2CV!
Ron
so ur telling me im screwed?
Hell no!!
You can't let those frogs get the best of you!
Make yourself a wrench and go for it.
Ron
to the millrights:
Take daveb advice, a large adjustable wrench (a good Cressant or Snap-On quality ) .Spray the nut with some penetrating oil, wait a while ,then make sure the wrench is a tight fit and give it a sharp smack with a hammer.
Jimmie,
I just walked out to the garage to re-check your sugestion.
You are right!, after removing the handlebar mounts, you have no problem loosening the nut on top of the steering head.
Now you have two loose nuts on the ped. The other problem you have is that there is no way to get a crescent wrench on the lower steering head nut, even if you stand it on end.
I suppose you might take the top nut to the tool store and try to find something to fit, as it is the same size as the bottom nut which requires a thin wall socket.
By the way, heating and hammering metal is not a millwright's job.
The Blacksmith
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