Taper Roller Steering Head Bearings

[tfb]

Getting those bearing races out!

Chaps, chaps, chaps...
There is indeed an easier way than mucking around with punches and drifts and thumping great hammers and all that.
Simply get an arc welder, and run a bead of weld around the inside of the bearing race (ie. on the face where the roller bearings used to roll). TAKE CARE not to weld the edge of the old bearing race to the headstock, or you will have just made your job a little more difficult!
Now wait for things to cool down. Then, a slight tap and they will literally fall out.
When someone first told me this way of doing it, I didn't believe them. I thought it would only expand the races in the headstock. But the truth is, the bearing races contract enough to come loose. I have done this on a GS1000S I used to have, and then my GPz900 -- and each time it worked a treat. As easy as that.
Mike.

[Anonymous]

That's all very well,but if you see my original question I don't have access to a welder! :x That's why I'm asking if anyone knows how to fabricate a simple tool.However,thanks for all the suggestions so far.

[tfb]

Yes, it's a pity you don't have access to a welder. But it is soooo easy that way. Are you sure you couldn't borrow one or hire one? It really is worth it, because not only would you save yourself a lot of sweat and stress thumping things, you would also save yourself the risk of seriously damaging either yourself or the machine with misplaced thump of that hammer...
Mike.

[Anonymous]

I'd probably burn the street down! 8O 8O 8O

[tfb]

Dougie,

No you wouldn't! It's really not that hard, because
(i) you're not having to actually fabricate something, just destroy it (the bearing race) in a relatively controlled fashion, so 'expert' welding isn't needed; and
(ii) if you practiced running some lines of weld on a scrap bit of metal first, you would soon (within 5 minutes, tops) get the knack of it, and then move onto constructing your first oil tanker by the end of the week.

Be brave,
Mike.

[Anonymous]

Mike,
I have welded (or attempted to) in the past,and I can quite safely assure you I'd be far less dangerous to myself,my bike AND the environment with a 2lb lump hammer and a big drift!
And no,I'm not joking!
However,having seen the pic of the removal tool that SqDancerLynn1 posted I think I could fabricate a tool that would do the job,now that I can visualise how it works.It wouldn't have to last more than a couple of uses.

Luckily I don't need to replace the bearings for a while,but as the saying goes,forewarned is forearmed!


Cheers,
Dougie.

[tfb]

Well if your welding is that shaky you might be right to go for the 2lb hammer and drift! Let us know how you go with getting the bearing races out.
All the best,
Mike.