Replacing those steering head bearings

[debby]

On my winter todo list is replacing my notchy steering head bearings with the tapered roller kit I bought months ago. I'm kinda nervous about tackling this job though. What concerns me is this: everything I've read says you have to really beat the he ll out of the old bearings with a punch and a BFH to get them out. If they fit that tight, how do I get the new ones in without ruining them?

tia,
Debby
77 GS550B

[Anonymous]

Head Brgns.

I did this on my 82 GS850G. Your lucky if you can use a punch to get the outter races out. My lower one I had to use a dremell with cut off wheel and cut it out. Dam the air was blue!!!! Anyway to put them is fairly easy if you have a driving tool ( socket or whar ever )same OD as race. I put my races in the freezer the night before. Took wifes hair dryer and heated the area real good where races seat and pounded in the outter races. But you have to have the cold races handy as to install them rather quickly. Good luck and the key is to drive the races in straight. If you cock it off to one side they can be real H-ll geting them back out. Just take your time and you'll do fine.
Frank

[tfb]

To get the old ones out, by far the easiest way to get them out is to run a bead of weld around the inside of the bearing. When they have cooled they will literally fall out.

Of course, you have to be careful you don't accidentally weld the edge of the bearing to the headstock. 8O But that is fairly easy to avoid.

Mike.

[duaneage]

Might want to consider a shop for this. If you don't get them aligned just right they will wear fast and not last long. They are a critical part and failure is not an option.

I used a fire extinguisher once to cool bearings for a wheel hub, I heated the hub with a torch and dropped the cold bearing in. I had about 1 second to align the bearing before it set up.

One side was ok, the other side had to be redone and that was not fun.

just a suggestion, one has to know what their own abilities are.

[Anonymous]

I replaced the head bearings on my GS 1000G - it's not too hard. Getting the outer races out is the tricky part, go with the arc welder idea if you can get hold of one, it DOES work. I used a junky piece of 3/8 steel rod about a foot long as a punch. To remove the bottom outer race, ended up grinding the side of the rod near one end to make it fit better. If you like, I'll e-mail you a photo of it. To replace, rub a little grease around the cavity in the headstem and tap them in using a large socket of about that diameter to hit against . They MUST be in the correct alignment. It's one of those jobs that you really worry about until you do it and everything works out fine !

[Jethro]

Do yourself a favor and buy a good quality drift. I struggled for years punching bearings out with a socket or a big bolt I tapered on the bench grinder. I recently coughed up the $12 for a nice drift and it makes a world of difference.

[Jethro]

The proper way to press the races back in is to use a long threaded rod with bolts on either end and big, huge washers. Tighten up the bolts with the races between and press them onto the headtube. That's how a shop would do it, and it's the easiest way.

[duaneage]

You can also use a tool for pressing bearings into bicycle headsets. They are very similar. They are available from www.nashbar.com, or www.pbsbike.com, or any number of other online shops.

I have one that has a guide which centers it in the tube and keeps it straight.

[Jethro]

Mmm, that is the ultimate, but aren't those bike tools expensive?

[duaneage]

Mmm, that is the ultimate, but aren't those bike tools expensive?

Some are very expensive, if they say campagnolo on the tool.

Nashbar sells them for 80 - 100 dollars. A little steep but probably cheaper than a shop would charge and you keep the tool

http://www.nashbar.com/results.cfm?category=99&subcategory=1229&storetype=&estoreid=&init=y&pagename=

these guys have some good stuff too

http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/index.php?category=222

These tools are used to work on VERY expensive forks and frames with absolute precision. I own 4 racing bicycles and I insist on doing my own work. [/url]

[Jethro]

You must bike a lot if you know bicycle bearing presses. I managed a bike store for 9 years. You ride road. off-road or both? You must have some good terrain for both there!

[Anonymous]

so what exactly is contained in the taper bearing conversion kit??

Ive looked for them here in Aus but they are extreemly pricey ($100 +)

anyone have the actual bearing numbers and description of what I need for my GS750 (Ps: im not after a kit from america, just part numbers and manufacturer names please)

[Anonymous]

Hey Andrew - Don't know about the special Suzi taper roller things. I just knocked out the old races, they are tapered rollers, and took them down to the local "Bearing Services"(a chain we have here in Victoria, if they're not in Qld., I'm sure you have something similar). They measured them and gave me a nice shiny new set. Cost me about a third of the price you were quoted. Been O.K. for about 15000 Kays so far and I live on a bumpy old dirt road too.