SOHC.co.uk Forums > CB350/400

CB400 Forks

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TrickyMicky:
Y'know, I think that at this point, whilst you've still got the benefit of a hydraulic lift, drop the wheel out again, slightly loosen the clamps on the yokes just enough so that you can turn the forks if needed, Fit the mudguard, you will need to do this anyway before the wheel is fitted as you cannot get the bolts into the brace part of the 'guard with the wheel in. By having the yoke clamps eased off slightly, the tightening of the mudguard brace bolts will ensure the forks are level and facing in the same direction. Fitting the mudguard stays even helps a bit more.
    Make sure that the brake caliper swings nice and freely on its pivot so that it goes where the wheel and disc want it to, and fully back off the small adjuster bolt with spring to give you lots of wiggle room for the disc when re-fitting the wheel.
    Before fitting the wheel, have a slow final check on the location and fitting of all the spacers etc.  I have just been out to look at mine, and looking inside the nut on the left side of the axle, there are just about two threads showing, and all is nice and tight.
  Looking at your pics, the wheel is too far over to the left side of the bike, so by doing all the above, hopefully everything has got just enough looseness in it to let the wheel adopt its correct position.
    If its of any consolation, I've jusy checked on the caliper to spokes clearance, and with the wheel set up correctly, with my tiny hands I still cannot get my little finger between back of caliper and spokes! Once it's all bolted up it ain't gonna move!
       Regarding the scuff marks on the bottoms of the fork stanchions, try and imagine when you are riding along on anything other than a billiard table, when the front wheel hits a ridge or pothole not all of the shock loading is upwards, some of it is in the horizontal lane of front to back, so if the forks are still working ok and there are no leaks, I would just accept it as normal wear and tear. If you aew old enough to remember the Ariel Arrow, they were fitted with trailing link suspension on the front forks, so when you hit a bump, the wheel moved backwards and upwards. It worked, it's a know problem, one day when you're bored, stude the suspension on the trailers of the trucks which carry plate glass, brilliant. Must go, the wine glass needs replenishing. Be lucky

ka-ja:
Ariel Arrow was my first bike! very fond memories.

2 for the soul:
Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for this, I got the forks loosened and couldn't actually get the mudguard to attach to both sides at once, not even pulling the forks together.

However, I think I have found my problem. Basically I pulled the forks down so they were at normal position and measured the distance between them at the top yoke and at the bottom of the stanchion - big difference with the bottom being wider as expected. I then pulled them through until they were only going through the top yoke. Although they weren't necessarily straight front to back, the distance between them was within 0.25mm. I then pulled them back through so they were only held by the lower yoke and they were back to being about 5mm out. So I think the lower clamps on the triple tree are somehow bent slightly out from each other, whilst the upper yoke appears to be fine.

Plenty of replacements on eBay for CB400N or other model types, does anyone know which, if any, other Honda CB triple trees are a direct replacement? I found a very nice billet alluminium one on DimeCity, but it's nearly $750 all in (so around £600) which is a lot if it turns out it doesn't fit.

Any way, hopefully once I can find a replacement triple tree the problem will be sorted and I'm hoping the guy who had this problem originally can see this thread and can try the same to see if that fixes their problem too!

Unfortunately not old enough to remember the Arrow but looked at pictures and looks like a damn good idea!

Thanks again for all the help everyone! :D

Deano400:
Steve has yokes.
https://www.400fourbits.co.uk/#running

TrickyMicky:
Before you rush off spending hard earned dosh, the top and bottom yokes are fairly substantial castings and don't bend too easily. I've seen crash jobs where the forks have looked like a pair of bananas, but the yokes have held out ok. If the yokes were even slightly out of true I don't think that you would be able to slide both of the fork tubes through them, they are highly precisioned pieces of steel. If it's any comfort, the fitting of the front mudguard, in my opinion, has always been an absolute s--t job!

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