Steer head removal

[conquest87tsi]

I'm sure there is a thread somewhere that could answer my question, but I couldn't find it.

I needed to replace my fork seals and noticed that the steer head is very rusty and that the bearings don't feel so hot when turned by hand. So I pulled the bolt and top of the head. Then I get to the "spanner" nut. Does anyone have a method to remove this? Or where I can purchase a spanner wrench for this. Tried a screwdriver and hammer and nothing.

Figure I'll sand blast and paint the exterior and repack with grease.
Thanks in advance for any help.

[crazy steve]

There's two nuts there, not just one, so you need to get the top 'locknut' loose before you can remove the bottom tree. The 'spanner' wrenches are available various places, but most just use a chisel/hammer to loosen these. A screwdriver has too much 'bounce' in the handle when you hit it....

[skids]

That will bugger-up the nut and make it look bad (don't ask how I know!)

[conquest87tsi]

Thanks guys,
I guess I'll try a chisel tonight. I know there are two, it's quite obvious I guess.

[DAVINCI]

the bearings don't feel so hot when turned by hand

Then they should be replaced.

[natemoen]

I just use a Adjustable Channel Lock type pliers to remove the nuts.

[DGXSER]

If you have one of THESE anyway, I use this with a crescent wrench around the handle to turn those lock nuts.

[fredintoon]

I'm sure there is a thread somewhere that could answer my question, but I couldn't find it.

I needed to replace my fork seals and noticed that the steer head is very rusty and that the bearings don't feel so hot when turned by hand. So I pulled the bolt and top of the head. Then I get to the "spanner" nut. Does anyone have a method to remove this? Or where I can purchase a spanner wrench for this. Tried a screwdriver and hammer and nothing.

Figure I'll sand blast and paint the exterior and repack with grease.
Thanks in advance for any help.

Hi Shane,
McMaster-Carr/hand tools/spanner wrench.
Or punch the ring nuts loose with a hammer and cold chisel if you don't mind damaging the notches. If you do let your inner bodger loose on the job you can file the damage smooth again to re-assemble.
The head races just might be OK after you have washed all the dried up grease out of them.
Or they might be hooped. Be prepared to replace them.

[jayel]

Use a punch not a chisel, read chapter 5
pages 14, 15 of the manual
stem fitting ring nuts 1.0-1.2 m-kg (7.2-8.7 ft.lb.)
pinch bolt 2.0 m-kg (14.5 ft-lb)
steering stem bolt 8.5 m-kg (61.5 ft-lb)

[natemoen]

The head races just might be OK after you have washed all the dried up grease out of them.
Or they might be hooped. Be prepared to replace them.

They are cheap! If you have them out just replace them!

[Yard Dogg]

If you can't punch it loose, then spray it with some PB Blaster, wrap a few zip ties around it to protect the metal, then put the channel locks or a pipe wrench to it. That'll get it.

[Rasputin]

To remove the head of a steer one simply has to ask a local rancher.
Just kidding a bit. I agree if the bearings feel notchy etc and you have them out, then if you can afford the 20-30 bucks for the set then by all means replace them. It is sometimes a pain in the arse to get the bottom race out but while you have it apart that far, it only makes sense.
Riding while having steering head bearing issues is dangerous!

[CaptonZap]

For those who are going to use the punch and hammer loosening method on the pinch nuts, here is a suggestion.
Since the intended action is to jar the two nuts apart, and they are both clamped to the threads, any unscrewing of the top will only turn them both, due to surface friction on their mated faces. So, you need some help.
Get TWO punches, flat faced, and two hammers, and someone to hold a punch on the lower nut, using the biggest hammer backing it up, to resist the unscrewing of said nut, (you want the punch to come in from the top left side, looking down on it), and using the other hammer and punch, you want to try to unscrew the top nut. Place the top punch opposing the bottom one, coming in from the right top. You want the two punches with their faces facing each other, one on the top nut, and one on the bottom nut. The punch on the lower nut, backed up by the hammer, will keep it from unscrewing when the top nut is wacked. A good sharp blow. Or two.
Once you break the surface friction between the two nuts, it's child play
And don't quote me, but wasn't the adjusting spanner to adjust the shock springs also made to fit the steering head nuts?
And every body still has those in the plastic tool pouch, right?
My stock shocked bike is in distant storage, or I would go look at the relative sizes, and spare my self the embarassment of being wrong.

Oh well, CZ

[Yard Dogg]

If your lucky then hopefully two of the notches will be positioned close enough that you can wedge a screwdriver down in both of them and simply pull the screwdriver to separate the 2 lock nuts. It happened that way on my Midnight.

[skids]

Has anyone tried to use a length of pipe and cut notches (like the top of a castle) to fashion a tool for this? I think there is something in the Clymers manual for that.