Best way to jack up the front?

JTST

Joined
Feb 25, 2017
Messages
22
Location
Grayson, GA, USA
Bike
1998 ST1100
STOC #
8940
What's the best way to jack the front end up to remove the front wheel? I know that I need to put the bike on its center stand, but what's the best method for getting the front wheel off the ground? Should I raise the front end until the back tire touches the ground?
 
You can have a friend sit on the back of the bike, use a jack to push up slightly on the underside, or do like I do. Rig up some anchor points in the rafters and use ratcheting tie-down straps to lift. I usually use the engine guards if it's going to be up for several days but you could use your handle bars to.
 
I position a piece of 3/4" plywood in front of the rear wheel and then roll the bike forward on it, then a second piece goes where the center stand will touch down, then put the bike on the center stand and remove the piece under the rear wheel. Then use a small bottle jack under the engine to lift bike until rear wheel touches and then put other blocks in place under engine. Then release jack so bike is resting on the wood blocks. Sounds complicated but this makes the front sit up much higher and reduces wheel & fender clearance issues. I use wood blocks under the engine as I don't trust a hydraulic jack alone to hold up the bike while the wheel is off. I've done this dozens of times so I have the right size pieces of wood tucked away on a shelf ready to use.
 
That sounds like a good method. I've read of putting wood under the center stand but nobody has stated the thickness and mentioned putting the rear wheel on it to get it onto the center stand. Sounds like a plan. I'll be using a floor jack instead of a bottle jack though.
 
I just put a 2x6 long enough to span across the bottom of the cowl and use a small jack to raise the bike up until the rear wheel touches. If you loosen the front fender bolts on the side, you should be able the get the front wheel in and out (both on the standard and ABSII models, since I have both).
 
I put the Bike on the Center stand and then use an old Honda auto jack under the engine block to lift the front. This is NOT the best way but, Effective.
 
I simply put a 1 x whatever strip of wood on the floor jack pad, give it a couple pumps to make it hit two of the little extensions on the oil pan, then a couple more more pumps. While on center stand of course.

If up for any length of time, the jack is replaced with a jack stand under the axle.
 
+1 - When the bike is rocked back on Center Stand, till rear tire touches, using jack & wood under
the engine, there's plenty of room to work on and pull the front wheel. I use a small floor jack coming in from the side with wood spacer. Works great.
 
Floor jacks are generally rated at anywhere from 1.5 to 5 tons, so jacking a ST1100 off the front wheel is not much of a load for the jack to support and highly unlikely to fail, as most of the weight is still on the centre stand anyway. With the lower cowl off, I use a small piece of 2X4, which fits perfectly between the fins on the oil pan and raise the bike until the rear wheel is near touching the floor. Just be sure not to jack it higher than that, as you are then taking weight off the centre stand and the bike could topple over.
 
When using the wood strip on those oil pan extensions/fins, it's not necessary to take of that lower cowl, as they let the wood 'just miss' crunching plastic. Still have to remove it for an oil change though..

Fender stays put.
 
Sounds like a plan guys. Thanks for the help. Going to be a lot of questions in the near future. Just picked up my, sadly abused, 1998 ST without ABS with 72K miles. Sat for two years so carbs are a little gunked up. Starts and idles but pops on deceleration. Idles just a hair rougher than expected and takes a few minutes on choke before it idles near 1000 RPM. She's been downed a couple of times since both side mirror housings are slightly damaged and both sides case guards are scrubbed. One side is missing the cover entirely. Fuel gauge always reads full. Even if I push the float down in the tank. Corbin seat in sad shape. Looks like it been in the weather and is badly cracked. The PO installed a new front tire but it's a rear tire design. Thus the post on removing the front wheel. The new, replacement, tire is on its way.:(

The good thing is I only paid $1800 for it and it did come with a new battery and handlebar risers. Exhaust is in good shape and so is the rear swingarm. Alternator puts out a solid charge and no leaks detected. The carbs should be a relatively easy job. Actually thinking of picking up a second set of carbs to rebuild in advance. That would give me little down time and a spare set of carbs to boot.:)
 
I just put the bike on the center stand and use a small floor jack with a piece of wood between it and the oil pan. There's virtually no load on the jack hold the front of the bike up. I've never needed to put the center stand up on plywood or anything to remove the front wheel.
 

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Lot of good tips above to raise the bike , I would add tying a rope or strap to handlebars and then up to garage rafters or other secure attachment above - just as a safety precaution as a tip-over "accident" can be costly to the bike and/or you ! Put it on before you jack it and tighten again when it is up as high as you want it . Crap happens !
 
adamk said:
I just put the bike on the center stand and use a small floor jack with a piece of wood between it and the oil pan. There's virtually no load on the jack hold the front of the bike up. I've never needed to put the center stand up on plywood or anything to remove the front wheel.
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When you remove the front fender, you're right, no need, but as I was doing yesterday to get my front tire back on, with the fender still on, I used a piece of wood 3/4" thick along with jacking up under the engine, which gave it plenty of space for the tire to go back on.

When I change both tires at the same time, no issues there either. Remove the rear tire, jack up the front and remove the front tire. When re-installing, install the front tire first and then the rear. I have lost count how many tire swaps, in the last 11+ years, I have done now, over 30 pairs of tires, I'm sure!
 
seeing the different comments about the fender on/off got me to thinking about the rear shock possibly being the variable. Its a fairly tight fit getting the front wheel in/out with the fender still attached, you have to get the front as high as possible by making the rear wheel hit the ground in the back. If you're running an aftermarket shock with a slightly different overall length, that would affect your ability to raise the front wheel, and might be the difference between having just enough clearance, and not enough.

Years ago, after seeing how fast the ST fork oil turned to mud, I started changing my fork oil with every front tire change. So I usually take the fender off anyway in preparation for removing the forks.
 
jmcarruth said:
I use something like this. One of the best tools ever for working on a MC. it is almost indispensable for working on my KLR or Harley.

https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Max-...rd_wg=Q8UU6&psc=1&refRID=RPGV9N82V700M5Z30DC6
Click to expand...

Yep, that's what I use to jack up the front. But after I get my shed set up for working on my bikes, I'm looking to get one of these...

K & L Supply MC625R HEAVY DUTY AIRLIFT

The front of the lift folds down, allowing the front tire to come off without messing with the rear, other than to hold it in place! ;)

MC625R-gl1800.jpg
 
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This might help get that front (or rear) wheel off easily. I have no details, as it was seen on Facebook by a friend and all I got was the pics. Think it was on the ST1100/1300 FB page.
 

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