Argh! Can't remove lower steering bearing race!!!

[ironsheik]

Hey all. I got the top race out of the frame on my 83 1100ed but the bottom one won't come out easily. I cut it pretty deeply with my dremel but the angle doesn't really allow me to punch it any more with a chisel. I kind of mangled a small part of thee tube as well which sucks. I'll have to file some before the new race goes in. Anyway, I'm planning on using a bit of heat on the frame but there's no good way I can see to knock the race out from the top. The angle doesn't allow me a good place to tap on. Any tips would be appreciated.

Josh

 

[waltfen]

Cut all the way through it with the dremel and it will almost fall out.

 

[bonanzadave]

I think that's why I left the old outer race in there and just slid the new inner race and bearing on the stem up into the old outer race. The new All Balls race seemed the same as the stock one.

 

[NICK!]

I took a really big straight blade screwdriver and beat just the very tip over until I could get on that bottom race from the top. Think I bent over only about 1/8", works like a charm.

 

[bwringer]

I took a pry bar and bashed the plastic handle until it shattered and I had a nice hunk of metal. The angled tip reaches the top of the race perfectly.

 

[mighty13d]

if you have a welder handy and you're able to reach up in there, run a couple hot beads of weld right around the inside of the race and let it cool on it's own. after it cools you'll be able to pull on it with a finger and pull it out.

I've done this with a wheel bearing from my car. 12 ton press wouldn't remove it, so i grabbed the welder and once it cooled, i only had to drop the socket i was using to press it with onto it, and it fell right out!

 

[dardoonk]

I took a pry bar and bashed the plastic handle until it shattered and I had a nice hunk of metal. The angled tip reaches the top of the race perfectly.

Ditto, found a pry bar that is really more like large screwdriver with a bend about 2" above the blade. I fit in thru the top and pounded like helll

 

[Steve]

Cut all the way through it with the dremel and it will almost fall out.

Make two cuts about 1/4" or so apart. If you don't get quite all the way through on those cuts, the race is at least significantly weaker and you can hit the little piece out with a screwdriver. Once the piece is out, the rest of it will just about fall out.

.

 

[dirtyfingers]

Yep, prybar works good. But.....I found that the particularly hard ones would sometimes fall right out if you layed a bead of weld (with a MIG welder) and allowed them to cool. Cant be sloppy with the welding.

 

[bwringer]

Mongo no have welder.

Mongo smash prybar. Smash Mongo smash! Pretty plastic handle go boom.

Then mongo bash prybar into bearing race with big hammer. Bash bash bash.

Soon, evil bearing race go ping on floor.

Mongo happy.

 

[Suzuki_Don]

mongo no have welder.

mongo smash prybar. Smash mongo smash! Pretty plastic handle go boom.

Then mongo bash prybar into bearing race with big hammer. Bash bash bash.

Soon, evil bearing race go ping on floor.

Mongo happy.

well done "mongo"

 

[Dogma]

Good grief! All this work to get them out. How hard is it to install them?

 

[endlessGSgeek]

Special tool tip!!

Special tool tip!!

... there's no good way I can see to knock the race out from the top. The angle doesn't allow me a good place to tap on. Any tips would be appreciated.

Josh

This works:
find a 12" bolt, 5/8" thick
Pin a washer between two nuts on the threaded side. The washer should be THICK, and as big as you can find (that still makes it down to the race from the top). Orient the washer so that the sharp side of the washer (cut edged) aims down, for a better bite.

Find the lip, and use a hammer to hit it from above. The bigger the washer, the better your bite. ONCE the race begins to move, you can get the washer in deeper behind the race and it gets easier.

I saved hardware from a telephone pole (galvanized bolts) to do this. It works like a charm.

Good luck!
EndlessGSgeek

 

[endlessGSgeek]

another special tool

another special tool

Good grief! All this work to get them out. How hard is it to install them?

Getting the new one in: just gently tap around the edge from below (lower race). Shave the old used race around the edge to make it slightly smaller (bench grinder), and then use the old race in the recess when the new race starts to go in recessed. This spreads out the impact and guides it in more straight.

 

[ironsheik]

Thanks for all the tips. The next time I have to do this, I'm paying $60 for the Suzuki tool. I'll bet it's a piece of cake. I thought I learned long ago to use the right tool for the job but I guess I just didn't see the cost/benefit thing working out at $60 for a single use tool. Now I know it would have saved me a couple of hours of annoyance and damage to my bike. Oh well. I'm on my way to grab a proper pry bar now... Hopefully I didn't mangle the frame too much.

 

[propflux01]

I used a 'ladyfinger'. Took about 4 hits with the hammer and fell out.

 

[ironsheik]

I used a 'ladyfinger'. Took about 4 hits with the hammer and fell out.

What's a ladyfinger?

 

[propflux01]

This:

I used the curved part and hooked into the lower race, then with a hammer and a extension, through the top, smacked it and 4 hits later it was out. Took all of less than a minute.

 

[mighty13d]

looks like an extended railroad spike

 

[propflux01]

I do not know what the 'technical' name for them are, but I have always heard them called 'ladyfingers'. Sort of a pry bar, and have always had one or two around in a toolbox. the head works real good getting into that spot on the bottom of the neck that is slightly wider, and like i said, 4 hits and it was out!