Steering Head Bearing Removal Tools?

[MaximPhil]

Hi Ian,
It was a few years ago now but I recall the removal of teh Steering Head bearing. I was fortunate to have Rick and James operating on Addie.
It helps to have a Hammer


and
BEER


The front end has to come OFF


Rick going in for the "kill"


Thanks for the reminder of a good time with friends. It sure helps to have friends who know what they are doing.
I was tasked with removing the part from the Triple tree , red hammer in middle of drawer, with cold chisel.
Ricks instruction: I said Hit it not Tap it.
Phil

[IanDMacDonald]

Thanks for the pics Phil! The tires are being replaced, so it's a perfect time to do the bearings. Replacing the chain on the Triumph, along with different fog lights, so looks like it will be a busy day for me.

[vedgar]

good luck Ian

I am doing the bearing now and the tires too on old Red. Dremel is the way to go on the bottom. The rest is a cake walk. Like night and day after the change. I did my black 79 last spring. TAKE THE TANK OFF first.

[IanDMacDonald]

Roger that! Hopefully I can get into the corners of the on-ramps again with the change of tires and bearings.

[vedgar]

steering

as usual, the top was easy, the bottom is a bitch. I tried to modify all kinds of punches with no luck. I was trying to find another way instead of the dremel. OK, give up, back to the dremel ( almost out ), gotta go get another wheel for the dremel. Magic motorsports keeps the correct all balls bearing in stock. Waterford, MI.

[IanDMacDonald]

Magic's is a cool shop! Already had the bearings. So, looks like dremel is the way to go. My boss is loaning me his Motion Pro bearing tool.

[MaximPhil]

Magic's is a cool shop! Already had the bearings. So, looks like dremel is the way to go. My boss is loaning me his Motion Pro bearing tool.

Hi Ian,
I am sure others will be interested to hear and see pictures of how that bearing puller works for you. I have heard that All Balls are not the longest lasting bearings but no personal experience. Be sure to work the grease into the bearings where it is needed, there is a tool for that too but the heel of your hand works too . But you already knew all that
Phil

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Ian,

Not sure if you saw my Godzilla rebuild thread, but I posted a fair number of photos regarding my process of the steering head bearings removal I did?

It starts at this post below.

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showpost.p...8&postcount=14

T.C.

[vedgar]

Steering bearings done

Ian, If you have and questions, give me a call. 248 736 6222

[vedgar]

Wooden Dowel

Gotta love the manual, says to use a wooden stick or dowel. What planet are they from ?

[hamjam]

Gotta love the manual, says to use a wooden stick or dowel. What planet are they from ?

yes an ironwood rod

[IanDMacDonald]

Well, got the steering head bearings done today. Looking back at it now, I have confidence in doing it quicker and better the next time, which I will have to on my Triumph.

I had a nice piece of stainless steel bar stock cut at a 45 degree cut, with a nice point, ready to catch the outer race. That was worthless!!! Could not catch the race. I ended-up cutting the upper & lower races with the dremel, then bashing them in-half with a sledge and that stainless flatstock (acting as a cold chisel).

The bad news was cutting into the actual neck, but hopefully it did not hurt it too much. The other bit of bad news was the fact that the bearings I took out were tapered bearings. Not sure if the PO did not grease them properly or not, but the top bearing was kinda still still, and the bottom bearing was smooth. Not sure if it is the case, but not having the dust seal installed in the top may/may not allow for premature wear? I did note that using the dust seal in the top allows for too much gap between the top yoke and the steering neck. So, I had to take it back apart and remove the upper dust seal.

I did not have a spanner with a 3/8" drive attachment point to be used in-conjuction with a torque wrench, so I used the spanner wrench to tighten the bottom locking nut just enough to allow the wheel to fall to either side (which I presumed to be too loose, but Greg said to follow this).

The front-end is put back together. I left the fender off, as I have to take the front wheel back off to replace it with a new set of tires, despite the front still being good. I'll save it just in-case.

Waiting on the machine shop to finish my cylinder bore/hone job, and I'll throw that back on.

[BA80]

The reason for the bearings to be loose enough to fall side to side is any resistance will cause you to actually steer the front end to maintain your line which will cause lack of control by it being jerky (for lack of a better word).

Sticky steering bearings cause constant accidental over steer and over correction.

It will seem like a whole new bike with a smooth steering head.