Steering bearings. Should I try that....?

[Redman]

Should I be doing this .... ?

I know it needs to be done, actaully I started to notice it about about 3 years ago.

But Should I be trying to do this....?
Do not have a machine shop.
Dont have bearing pullers and such.
Should I try this with just regular hand tools....?

I tryed a little bit of prying and tapping at the bearing on the bottom of the yoke there. Tried some penitrint. Nothing, didnt budge a bit.
Have not tried on the races in the steering neck.

.

 

[Nessism]

Absolutely.

Can you catch the edge of the inner race with a long screwdriver on the inside of the steering neck driving downward? If so, slowly tap around the lower race until it pops out. If you can't catch and edge you need a dremel tool and cut off wheel to slice through the race about 2/3's of the way. Then take a sharp chisel and give the race a good whack in the cut and it will crack so you can take it out.

 

[Steve]

If you can't do it with the screwdriver, as Nessism suggested, here is what to do with the Dremel:
Use the large reinforced cut-off wheel, cut the race. Don't worry too much about putting a bit of a nick in the frame, it won't matter when the new bearings are installed.

Cut the race twice, it will practically fall out. :encouragement:

My races looked about the same as yours.

.

 

[gbw]

See this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYUL4siK82o

Here's another one where they don't have any "fancy" tools: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ozfh93CvBs

 

[storm 64]

Dave I have the tools to make the job easier. Outer racer removal punch, new race puller, stem race driver. You are more than welcome to borrow them. Let me know and I'll send them out Monday.

 

[Baatfam]

Cut it with the Dremel tool as suggested. That's what I did and it worked fine.

 

[Redman]

Thanks guys.

Yah, I didn't do much research on this.

I got the bearings some time ago.

Had the fork tubes out this afternoon to change the fork seal, and then said should look into getting at the steering head bearings.

Thanks.

Some more research this evening, and then back at it tommorow afternoon.

Norm, Will PM.

THe two in the neck dont seem like much of a problem.

THe one on the stem looks to be more of a challenge.

Dave.

 

[Redman]

 

[bwringer]

Dremel again. Cut a slot in the race, stick a cold chisel in the slot, give it a pop to crack the race and it'll loosen and you can tap it off.

To install, put the seal on, grease the bearing, slide the bearing into the place, then put the old bearing race on top upside-down to use as a driver. Bash or press it into place with a hunk of iron pipe with a cap on it.

 

[cowboyup3371]

I'll add another vote to cutting that race with your dremel

 

[Guest]

I'll add a vote to cutting too, but wear face protection when you chisel it. I still have a piece of steel in my throat from doing that on a car years ago.

 

[Redman]

Thanks Guys.

Have seen a few utube vids.
But having your highly esteemed statements here is much more valuable.

.

 

[Redman]

Ah... now I see that the lower bearing race in the steering neck is in a place where the neck goes to a larger diameter, such that cant catch the race edge with a large screwdriver from above (as can the upper bearing race from below).
Ah... so that is a good candidate for getting cut with the dremel... or need a long bent punch like Storm showed in his picture.

Will be back at it this afternoon.

.

 

[Redman]

Dremel again. Cut a slot in the race, stick a cold chisel in the slot, give it a pop to crack the race and it'll loosen and you can tap it off.

To install, put the seal on, grease the bearing, slide the bearing into the place, then put the old bearing race on top upside-down to use as a driver. Bash or press it into place with a hunk of iron pipe with a cap on it.

Did cut a slot in it.
Whacked and hammered with a cold chizzle. Could not get the thing to crack. Maybe I did not cut deep enough. Or maybe my THree-for-15-bucks (Home Depot) chizzles are not hard enough.
But whilst wacking on it I noticed the bearing was starting to twist and move up, so was then able to keep driving it araound and up, and got it off in a while.

While driving it off, one corner of the edge broke off that I was wacking/chizzling on it. I heard that piece hit the wall of a far corner of the garage YIKES that piece must have had some velocity on it. (Consistent with what AMK was saying.)

I filed off a couple places I scratched up the surface.

Grease Packed the new bearing and put it in place.
Was a bit concerned at all the further down it fit.

But was easy to tap it down into place with mallet and rod using old bearing as a driver tool. Just tap one edge, then other side, then other quarter, then opposite side, little by little, around.

 

[Redman]

The race in upper neck came out easy. Was easy to reach up from underneath woth long screw driver and tapp it out.

THe lower one is a differetn story. Unlike most vidios, can not reach through from the top and catch the race with a long screw driver. Maybe if had a long screw driver with the end bent at an angle, then maybe could catch the edge of the race.

So, I used the cut-a-slot technique.

Am sure I cut all the way thru it, and could not get it to fall out.
So used a small chizzle and tapped on the slot and got it to spinn a little bit, then could pry it out, little by little, one side then the other.

.

 

[Redman]

Inplace.
Also showing original bearing halfs.

Am so glad to be this far.
All the vidios say that the bearing on the stem is the hardest part.

I started to tap the race into the upper steering neck, and it started to go crooked . . . so... whoaaa.... project on hold for a bit, untill I look into this some more.


.

 

[GSXR7ED]

Good info.

The video makes it look easy when you have the correct tool.


Ed

 

[cowboyup3371]

I had luck using a 2x4 on top of the race to tap it down

 

[bwringer]

On a GS, I've never had much luck catching the edge of the lower race, even with a "bent chisel" sort of tool or any of the commercial "bearing puller" tools (none of these contraptions I've tried actually, you know, frickin' work). I just go straight for the Dremel now on steel frames. On modern bikes with aluminum frames, there's usually a slot cast into the bearing seat area that makes this easy.

To install, I use a set of tapered aluminum bearing and seal drivers from Harbor Freight. The aluminum discs can't damage the hardened steel of the races:
https://www.harborfreight.com/10-piece-bearing-race-and-seal-driver-set-63261.html
These things are ridiculously handy. Grab a 20% off coupon from the nearest mailbox or magazine and get you a set.

To get the races started, use two of the discs with a length of threaded rod and some nuts and washers. You probably won't be able to draw them into place all the way like this, but you can get them started straight and seat them by hammering.

I also have a large copper hammer I inherited that is just the ticket for bashing bearing races into place without damage. Not a common item in most garages.

 

[Baatfam]

I also have a large copper hammer I inherited that is just the ticket for bashing bearing races into place without damage. Not a common item in most garages.

I love my soft metal hammers...

Left to right:
4 lb lead sledge hammer I bought in 1973 for the knockoffs on my 1960 Austin Healey 3000 - don't have the car anymore, but love the hammer for all sorts of things
1 lb brass hammer purchased in 1974 when I worked at a Lotus dealership - I use this one all the time
5 oz bronze hammer that I made in 1980 or so, when I worked at a place with a machine shop I could use - Very, very handy little hammer