Any Secret to getting the top nut off an Airhead Triple Tree?

I'm befuddled.

Bought the 36mm socket.
Even have the breaker bar.
Soaked all three in liquid wrench.
Several times.

None of them budge.

Thoughts?

air impact wrench
it helps having one with adjustable torque

you've taken the internal chamfer off the socket end for full engagement?

Like this??

Pick up a heavy piece of pipe at least 3 ft long. Place it over your breaker bar and just wrench away. It's all about leverage. I believe I read one time that Matt Parkhill uses an old airhead fork slider tube to extend the breaker bar.

In removing the three (3) nuts on top of the triple tree particular attention needs to be paid to how the fork is held / braced to allow said removal. Do NOT use the fork stop for this task!!! I have seen folks that have fashioned a bracket/bar that mounts in the handlebar riser holes, and that seems to be an easy enough solution.

Please note that even more care must be taken when reinstalling and applying the proper torque to the three (3) nuts as it is easy to twist the forks if you are not careful...

YMMV--

kix

Just tried again ... no dice.
Don't have an air impact wrench ...
Not sure what you mean by the 'internal chamfer' ... but here are some pics that show what's going on.

This first one is a shot of all three nuts ... I can't budge any one of them.


New 36mm socket on the end of a breaker bar.


Inside the socket?


Is there an internal chamfer that I'm not seeing?

Thanks in advance ...

Put a chunk of pipe on it and twist the sucker offa there.....

those nuts are real narrow. See how the inside of the socket tapers out a bit? That little bit might be half the thickness of the nut. Makes it easy to round 'em off.

Believe it or not ... I did that. I broke the pipe. No sh!t.

I guess it's time for a bigger pipe.

I'll do that too ... Thanks.

You need to drop by and see my TWO new one's.

I think Greta will get G/Sified. Thoughts?

In the center of the pic. The socket leading edge.. chamfered so it goes over the nut easily.
Grind the end flat so the socket 'teeth' engage directly.
This is mostly only critical for nuts with low profiles like the spring retaining nuts either side of the steering stem center nut.
Those being aluminum... you want full purchase or rounding of the nut corners may result.

Facing the socket on a bench grinder isn't as difficult as one might imagine. Use something flat to check your progress.

you can put a torch on it, might blister the paint...heat gun works pretty good

when you grind the socket down it'll get cherry red...dunk it in water real quick and it'll retemper {harden} the alloy...
next time you'll put neverseize on the bastard.....you won't have this problem

So I took bgoodsoil's advice, and ground down the socket.


Then I took danedg's advice and extended the torque arm. But I couldn't find a larger pipe. But an old tire iron will do.


Anyway ... I just crushed my thumb ... but all three came off (with a little screaming)

Thanks!

Renner! Thanks! I didn't realize that's what chamfer'd meant ...
Kixstand! Thanks ... I didn't do it ... but I will when it comes to putting them back one ..

Thanks ya'll!

nice, succint explanation.
my keyboard skills are also lagging

Good job Beater
hope the thumb is feeling better

...maybe we otta chug on over to Namby Pamby Land, and try to find you some self CONFIDENCE...and a real piece of PIPE!!!!!!


The tire iron is for CARS!!!!!

I love that commercial. One of the funniest things I ever seen ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhlWddAXSRA

Ya know, I've read a lot about the advantages of using oil instead of water; introducing carbon into the steel, yadayada, but I've never done it.

trade it for a dr650? Nobody should put themselves through the torture of owning TWO airheads

I don't know anything about lifting the back end of a twin shock. I don't know of any builds that'd help either. It'd be a trial and error process trying to get shocks.

I'm a glutton for punishment.

I really wouldn't do much lifting and such ... I think I'd really just upgrade the forks and rear shocks ... and change the final drive to a 37:11. That would gear me down a bit. I'm not looking to to go big ... just wanna cruise the trails and such.