Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 999 / 749 > Tie rod linkage

[dave w]

Can someone please help me out... Trying to increase the rear ride hight on the R.. Ok i know the lower nut has got a left hand thread, So that means i should be turning the spanner .. Clockwise to undo the nut is this correct ..... So the top nut must go Anti clock-wise.... Ok once this is complete and ive skinned my knuckles ... What way do i turn the rod to increase the ride-hight or as they say in the book '' Track Alignment '' And one last thing, How many turns do i go

[KeefyB]

Ok,as you are looking at the bike from the l/h side,the top nut is turned anticlock to undo.The bottom nut is turned the SAME WAY as the top(as you are looking at it).
The rod is then turned clockwise to increase the ride height.

I used a dot punch on mine to use as a referance point and turned it two full turns on the 999.I have given it one full turn on the 'S'.Works for me.

Be warned,the lock nuts can corrode on to the eye threads and be a beeatch to move.The alloy nuts are soft as Swiss cheese,so dont be suprised if they get rounded off.
There is also a maximum recommended length for the rod.Cant remember the figure,but it is printed in the handbook.

[dave w]

Cheers KB...Will dot punch today and give it a go

[dave w]

Had ago today no such luck... Anybody got any ideas on how to get these 17mm nuts undone Why are they so bloody tight Any more pressure and there just going to round off

[JohnDa]

Some heat maybe...or are they really that soft

[khu996]

They really are that soft, the top one wasn't too bad, but the bottom one is a *******, and its difficult to get good leverage there. I soaked it in WD40 overnight, not sure if it helped, but the next day I managed to loosen it

[dave w]

Originally posted by JohnDa
Some heat maybe...or are they really that soft

Good idea..... But think it might melt !!

[nelly]

Safest way is to remove the rod from the bike, strip it down on the bench and then reassemble with loads of copaslip. The nuts don't have to be that tight, just nip them up.
It's a ball ache the first time, but it'll mean that you'll have no trouble in the future if you want to play.

[nathanhu]

i took mine off and undid the nuts in a vice they were realy tight...

[dave w]

Cheers for the advice guys..... Will try the DW-40 tomorrow !! Then if all else fails... SCREAM