Steering Head bearings

JW381
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JW381
Edited Date/Time 3/17/2012 7:38pm
I'm pretty sure my steering head bearings need a good greasing, and/or replacement. How involved of a process is that? Is it even something a know-nothing like myself can pull off? Where can I find tips on how to get it done without losing my mind? About how long does it take, and would I be smarter to just take it to the shop and pay the hourly rate of a gazzilion dollars?

Thanks
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mxtech1
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mxtech1 8/22/2011 1:30pm
8/22/2011 1:30pm
The only hard part is getting the races out. Park tools makes a driver that simplifies the process. Without the tool, i'll tell you up front you're going to be cussing yourself while you try to drive them out little-by-little with you hammer and screwdriver.

You really cant clean and re-grease a set of steering bearings once they go bad. You can make them a little bit better, but once they go they are always going to have that notchy feeling.

I can do a set in about 30 minutes, but i've done alot of sets. A first timer will take about 2 hours if everything goes smooth.

If you don't feel confident, take it to your local shop. It shouldn't be more than 1 hours labor charge, which wouldn't be a bad price.
project racer 8/23/2011 7:24pm
8/23/2011 7:24pm Edited Date/Time 8/23/2011 7:32pm
Screwdriver? Get yourself a brass drift, or at least an 8 inch long 3/8 " socket extension to catch the edge of the bearing races when driving them out. Use the rounded end of the extension on the race, tapping the squared end. That's the worst part of the job, but no biggie.

Put the new races in the freezer for a couple of hours. Warm the bearing race area of the frame with a little bit of heat from a bernzo bottle, and the races should practically fall in. Remove the tank before using the heat. Use the old race flipped upside down ,placed on top of the new one to drive them in square. This will save the new races from being knicked during installation.

The only other trick is getting the lower bearing off the steering stem, and the new one installed. If you don't have the means to remove it, this can be a bit of a bitch. If you can't remove it, any good shop or machine shop can remove and install the bearing on the stem.
mxtech1
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mxtech1 8/24/2011 6:25am
8/24/2011 6:25am
project racer wrote:
Screwdriver? Get yourself a brass drift, or at least an 8 inch long 3/8 " socket extension to catch the edge of the bearing races when...
Screwdriver? Get yourself a brass drift, or at least an 8 inch long 3/8 " socket extension to catch the edge of the bearing races when driving them out. Use the rounded end of the extension on the race, tapping the squared end. That's the worst part of the job, but no biggie.

Put the new races in the freezer for a couple of hours. Warm the bearing race area of the frame with a little bit of heat from a bernzo bottle, and the races should practically fall in. Remove the tank before using the heat. Use the old race flipped upside down ,placed on top of the new one to drive them in square. This will save the new races from being knicked during installation.

The only other trick is getting the lower bearing off the steering stem, and the new one installed. If you don't have the means to remove it, this can be a bit of a bitch. If you can't remove it, any good shop or machine shop can remove and install the bearing on the stem.
Do you really think someone asking how to change steering stem bearings is going to have a set of drifts? No offense meant to the poster.

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JW381
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JW381 8/24/2011 9:32am
8/24/2011 9:32am
project racer wrote:
Screwdriver? Get yourself a brass drift, or at least an 8 inch long 3/8 " socket extension to catch the edge of the bearing races when...
Screwdriver? Get yourself a brass drift, or at least an 8 inch long 3/8 " socket extension to catch the edge of the bearing races when driving them out. Use the rounded end of the extension on the race, tapping the squared end. That's the worst part of the job, but no biggie.

Put the new races in the freezer for a couple of hours. Warm the bearing race area of the frame with a little bit of heat from a bernzo bottle, and the races should practically fall in. Remove the tank before using the heat. Use the old race flipped upside down ,placed on top of the new one to drive them in square. This will save the new races from being knicked during installation.

The only other trick is getting the lower bearing off the steering stem, and the new one installed. If you don't have the means to remove it, this can be a bit of a bitch. If you can't remove it, any good shop or machine shop can remove and install the bearing on the stem.
mxtech1 wrote:
Do you really think someone asking how to change steering stem bearings is going to have a set of drifts? No offense meant to the poster.
None taken. I don't think the bearings are bad, but I can tell they need a little lube in that hole, if ya know what I'm sayin. I'll probably just have it done when I have an extra 70 bucks. Thanks for the advice tho. It looked do-able at first there, but then after the hydraulic press was needed, I was pretty sure I had asked a dumb question. My biceps count as a hydraulic press.
newmann
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newmann 8/24/2011 3:38pm
8/24/2011 3:38pm
Slide the forks out, take the triple clamps off, clean bearings, pack them good with grease, reinstall clamps and forks. Easy to do.....unless:

My 1990 YZ250 was about two weeks old when the front end almost completely locked up on it. Damn near had to get a sledgehammer to drive the lower clamp and stem out of the bike. Totally rusted up bearings that obviously had no oil, let alone grease installed at the factory. The lower stem bearing fell apart when it came out. Hopefully they've gotten at least a little better at bike assembly since then!
motofab36
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motofab36 8/25/2011 6:15am
8/25/2011 6:15am
Every new bike I have ever bought I have had to go home and disassemble and grease everything, steering stem and suspension linkage. They put basically no grease in at the factory and what they do put in looks like vasoline.
Hando
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Hando 3/16/2012 10:59am
3/16/2012 10:59am
Hate to grave dig but...

my friend is trying to take the races out of his old frame and put them in a newer frame, the bearings and races are in excellent condition but the new frame didnt have the races installed...

Can he succesfully punch out the old ones and re-insert them into the new frame?

Hate to have to buy new bearings just cause' a set of races (and i know they are matched)
Kmid514
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Kmid514 3/16/2012 3:42pm
3/16/2012 3:42pm
Look up the word "bearing" in the yellow pages. The big shops have exactly the same parts as your bike. Cost me about ten bucks for my YZ(both wheels, steering head).
mx5471
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mx5471 3/16/2012 5:35pm
3/16/2012 5:35pm
If you can get the races out without damaging them, they can be reused. It's easy to reinstall them in the new frame. I have never been able to get the bottom stem bearing off. That's the problem,and it can't be reused because The seal is damaged when removing it. I always took it to the shop that sponsored us, and they would take off the old bearing and put the new one on. Never charged me, but I never watched them do it. Too busy gabbin with everyone. The gas vent running through the stem is what kills the bearing.
captmoto
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captmoto 3/16/2012 10:52pm
3/16/2012 10:52pm
mx5471 wrote:
If you can get the races out without damaging them, they can be reused. It's easy to reinstall them in the new frame. I have never...
If you can get the races out without damaging them, they can be reused. It's easy to reinstall them in the new frame. I have never been able to get the bottom stem bearing off. That's the problem,and it can't be reused because The seal is damaged when removing it. I always took it to the shop that sponsored us, and they would take off the old bearing and put the new one on. Never charged me, but I never watched them do it. Too busy gabbin with everyone. The gas vent running through the stem is what kills the bearing.
How do you get that? The stem is a tube and the bearings are on the outside of the tube. Any gas that gets in there exits the tube at least an inch from the bearing. Pressure washers do more damage than gas tank vents. Seal will eventually get old and let water through to the bearing.
xnationalwrench 3/17/2012 2:45pm
3/17/2012 2:45pm Edited Date/Time 3/17/2012 2:45pm
Not trying to start a war, but just remember the Japanese have to import any petroleum products so they cut corners when they can. ALWAYS relube all suspension bearing front and rear before riding. I always reccomend using a good quality marine grease (like BelRay or Spectro) when doing this.
Hando
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Hando 3/17/2012 3:08pm
3/17/2012 3:08pm
mx5471 wrote:
If you can get the races out without damaging them, they can be reused. It's easy to reinstall them in the new frame. I have never...
If you can get the races out without damaging them, they can be reused. It's easy to reinstall them in the new frame. I have never been able to get the bottom stem bearing off. That's the problem,and it can't be reused because The seal is damaged when removing it. I always took it to the shop that sponsored us, and they would take off the old bearing and put the new one on. Never charged me, but I never watched them do it. Too busy gabbin with everyone. The gas vent running through the stem is what kills the bearing.
got it, yeah we used a torch and got it heated up real good and the races came right out of the steering head. we threw them in the freezer for alittle bit then heated up the head tube again and they dropped right in for the most part, we made a tool out of some threaded rod and a 36MM deep socket for a truck..put a nut and washer on the end of the rod and it went in pretty easy

we used a ghetto improvised brass drift..it was a brass threaded rod and we just squared off the ends with a grinder..came right out.

w
TeamPropainTurbo38t 3/17/2012 7:38pm
3/17/2012 7:38pm
mx5471 wrote:
If you can get the races out without damaging them, they can be reused. It's easy to reinstall them in the new frame. I have never...
If you can get the races out without damaging them, they can be reused. It's easy to reinstall them in the new frame. I have never been able to get the bottom stem bearing off. That's the problem,and it can't be reused because The seal is damaged when removing it. I always took it to the shop that sponsored us, and they would take off the old bearing and put the new one on. Never charged me, but I never watched them do it. Too busy gabbin with everyone. The gas vent running through the stem is what kills the bearing.
Gas vent hurts the bearings? What are you smoking? Do you really think that gas vent goes directly to the bearings?! IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR DOING DO THIS.....LOOSEN THE PINCH BOLTS ON THE TOP TRIPLE CLAMP....(sorry for the caps....oops)...take an adjustable or box wrench and remove the top steering stem nut.....remove the triple clamp....take the next triple clamp nut and washer off.....pull the whole fork assembly with the stem out from the bottom. Grease the crap out of it and reinstall. When you put the first washer an nut on tighten it with channel locks til it is about 1/4 turn more than hand tight, then back it off a quarter turn...install top triple clamp, torque that nut to the spec in your manual......then torque the pinch bolts.....done...

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