New Steering Head Bearings

[mostlyskint]

Hi Guys

Just finished doing my steering head brgs today on My 99 xl600vx.
The old standard ball races were so shot it would only go in a straight line!
Got a set of taper rollers complete with seals from Wemoto and set about the job..

Stripped off the front fairing uppers, wheel out and bars off dropped out the fork tubes and thought right lets knock the inner races out before bedtime

Not a chance! ive done a few bikes over the years and its a doddle normally the bearing race is a good bit smaller in diameter than the frame tube and you just use a piece of bar and drift them out. Not this one
The bearings only show you about 0.5 of a mm as a lip to put your drift against.

I was in two minds about going out and buying an expanding bearing puller but being skint.. decided to percy

So after trying different chisels, drifts, bent bits of steel bar ground to suit the diameter of the inner tube etc etc

I finally found a length of stainless tube 38mm diameter which just went through the top race so by angling it hard up against the edge of the inner frame tube and twating it on the angle with the hammer managed to get the brg to move just a tiny bit. 15 mins of tapping turning muttering etc and it finally popped out.

What a job

Once they were out replacement was a breeze and by the way a piece of 22mm copper pipe makes a great drift for putting the bottom bearing onto the yoke.The old races you took out make good protectors for knocking the new races back in.

Once in they feel great and dont seem as tricky to set the correct torque before you tighten down the head nut.

Done a few miles this weekend before the weeks commute starts tomorrow and all seems fine

Another maintenance task done.. whats next clutch I reckon.

Sorry its a bit war and peace!!

[StumpyFingers]

Only problem is once you start replacing parts it does not stop.

[ChrisH]

Gotta do this job myself - been putting it off for a long time just because I fear the same trouble, although I know the ones on are taper rollers so may be easier to knock out. Just have to grit the teeth and get on with it

[Austin]

I spent a whole day trying to do mine a while back. Gave up, put it all back together and took it a friendly mechanic person. £100 well spent in my opinion as even he said getting the races out was the hardest job he had done in a long while.

[StumpyFingers]

I have a friendly mechanic at work, well two actually, so if and when mine need doing one of them will get the job.

[mostlyskint]

£100 !! you lads are earning too much.. the job is actually quite easy once the races are out and the difference in handling is remarkable if theold ones are shot.
Spend a few bob on an internal bearing extractor, got to be cheaper than £100 from machine mart or screwfix.

My only advice when doing the job is take the tank off to make room for the handlebars it saves you scratching the paint.. I didnt to save time and got away with it.

I also made up a prop to go under the strap across between my engine bars to prop the front end off the floor while the fronts off. Just a piece of flat bar with two screw heads at the top. Essential tool..

[russh]

I did this job a couple of years ago on my 650 TA, I agree, having done many a hear race set before the Transalp was the hardest race to remove ever.

I ground down and shaped the end of a push-rod from a old lorry engine, it had a slight lip on the end which just about cought the edge of the lower race, I found heat applied using a black and decker paint stripper gun helped too (carefully) And lots and lots of gentle tapping and it finally started moving. Pig of a job.