Buy the right damn tool!

[ironsheik]

So my bike (83 gs1100) has been garaged since November and I've been slowly putting GSXR running gear on it. I decided to put in new steering bearings while it was all apart and found all kinds of varying advice on how to go about removing the races from the stem. There is a special Suzuki tool for this task that costs $65.

I decided to try all the other things which included buying a $15 prybar. In the end I spent a few hours of aggravated attempts to remove the lower race to no avail. I finally ordered the tool realizing that I'll be working on bikes as long as I can so I'll use it again. It got here, I removed the race in 5 seconds and damn it was easy.

Buy the damn tool!

One other little piece: If you ever do your own wheel bearings, get the Pitposse wheel bearing remover. It rules.

http://www.pitposse.com/whbereset.html

[GQROD]

+1 for getting the right tools,

for some things it just makes life easier and the job go faster if you eat the cost and get the tool that was meant for the job. Especially with bearings or rotors that a PO has decided to ice like a cake with red locktite!

[salty_monk]

Yep... or at least make something that looks like the real one yourself. I too have the pit posse wheel bearing tool. It's great. Spent an hour with a punch before I bought that!

I have the spring compressors they do too after a "failed DIY" attempt.

Dan

Dan

[headsbikesmopars]

I took a 12" piece of rebar which is very hard and bent it in a vice at a slight angle to reach into the top of the lower race. It too was out in 5 sec. The top one is a piece of cake. JMHO.

Terry

[reddirtrider]

I took a 12" piece of rebar which is very hard and bent it in a vice at a slight angle to reach into the top of the lower race. It too was out in 5 sec. The top one is a piece of cake. JMHO.

Terry

Yep, the key is to have a slight bend at the end. I've done the same thing with an old piece of steel bar. Give it a few whacks and the bearing race is out and it didn't cost squat.

[doctorgonzo]

I did have to cut out my races with a dremmel cutter. Hours of banging with various bended bars to no effect.Wheel bearings are a breeze though, all you need is a socket extension..