Posts
449
Joined
2/25/2018
Location
GB
Edited Date/Time
1/22/2023 5:04am
After looking through vital, this subject has been covered hundreds of times but no one seems to go into much detail.
I understand that All Balls supply conversion bearings and washers so you can bolt the CRF front end straight on.
However, after looking everywhere, all balls don’t seem to supply these kits to the UK anymore.
Hoping someone can maybe give me some information on what bearings and washers I require, or sell me a conversion kit haha 
All Balls did list the sizes of the bearings in their kits on their site. From memory, fitting a 2012 front end to a steel frame bike, the bottom bearing is kept, the top bearing needs to be ordered from a bearing factors and is a common enough size. I might have one in a drawer still. I don't recall using any spacers.
I know the O.D. of the bottom bearing on the newer bike is smaller by 1mm, so you can't keep the inner race from the new bike on the stem, and the size is close enough that they look the same eyeballing it. You need the older size inner race on the stem or everything binds up when you bolt it together.
Thanks for the reply man, I’m sure a spacer/washer is used somewhere due to the stem length, but again I’m not sure as I can’t seem to find any clear info on it.
Hopefully someone will shed some light on it soon
I’ve fitted the all balls kit with the relevant bearings and spacers and the steering stem is still loose in the headstock of the frame.
It’s wobbling around slightly as if the bearing isn’t tightening down properly.
Anyone else come across this before??
Did my pictures help you out?
I think the order I used was top bearing, seal, thick washer, thinner washer, castle nut, top triple clamp, really thin OEM washer, and top nut.
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So you didn’t use either of the washers under the bottom bearing and seal?
I’ve seen some people with a washer under the bottom bearing too.
I think there was a washer with a built-in seal below the bottom bearing, just as there is a seal right above the top bearing. That was in 2018, so I don't recall the specifics. I'm going off the pictures I took back then.
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