1998 December 3 (Thursday)
I took a month off to do non-bike things. I did add to my tool collection, though, buying a Dremel tool, some jack stands, carb/parts dip, etc. Now that I’ve the tools to support the frame without the front wheel it’s time to remove the wheel and shocks.
Front Wheel
front wheel, left side
front wheel, right side
After supporting the front of the frame with jack stands, the axle nut was removed and the pinch bolt loosened. Again, there was no washer for the axle. The drift from the tool kit was all that was needed to pull the axle. I lifted the front end and pulled the wheel from the front of the bike. I left the front swing-arm resting on a wood block.
Front wheel seal
Wheel, brake side
When I removed the brake hub a metal ring fell out! It was the felt ring cap (with felt ring) that can be seen slightly offset from the hub in the center of the picture. This is an old style seal. It was very dry. The felt seal will be replaced with a modern seal. The brake shoes have very little wear. They look almost new.
Front shocks
Front shocks on bike
Front shocks off bike
I removed the front shocks from the bike by first removing the bottom bolts and then the top. The second picture attempts to show the condition of the silent blocks: they need to be replaced. The rubber is completely worn. I haven’t removed the shocks from the bottom eye, yet.
Front mud guard
Front mud guard, side view
Front mud guard, rear view
The front mud guard was still attached to the swing-arm by the chrome brace and mounting bracket at the rear of the swing-arm. I removed the mounting nuts and bolts to remove the mud guard. Once off the bike I removed the chrome brace from the mud guard.
The brace will not have to be re-plated. It is in good condition, needing only some cleaning and polishing.
Swing-arm hole plugs
rubber plugs
The hardest thing to remove this day were the damn rubber plugs from the secondary swing-arm mounting holes at the bottom of the forks. The plugs are in good shape and I didn’t want to cut them. A small drift and a rubber mallet finally got the job done.
Since all the other hardware has been removed I also removed the axle pinch bolt. It, with the other hardware, was cleaned, oiled, then stored in zip-lock bags.