Steering bearing replacement tips

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wanaride
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Steering bearing replacement tips

Post by wanaride »

I'm getting ready to replace my steering bearings/races with new OEM units. After trolling through two pages of "Search" hits, I have found the following information concerning steering bearing replacement...
- while the "proper" method for lower bearing removal is stem press-out, a more practical method is a cutoff tool to cut through the bearing (while minimizing damage to the stem).
- once the old lower bearing is off, place the stem/clamp assy in the freezer for a couple of hours.
- place the new lower bearing in the oven to get it good 'n hot.
- obtain a piece of iron pipe, 1 1/8" diameter and longer than the stem, with threads on at least one end. Place a cap on the threaded end.
- place the hot bearing on the cold stem.
- slide the threaded pipe over the stem down onto the lower bearing, and tap down on the capped end of the pipe to press the bearing down. A stout sledge hammer should be used (2.5# was recommended somewhere). Keep pounding until the bearing is seated.

For the races:
- use a piece of 2x4 to get the new races flush with the steering tube.
- once the new races are flush with the tube, use the OLD RACES to insert each race up INside the steering tube where they are supposed to be.

Am I missing anything yet?

Questions:
1) How do you remove the old races? For example, to remove the lower race, do I insert a long flat-bladed screwdriver down through the top of the tube and tap around the lower race until it comes out? If correct, is the procedure similar for the upper race, just with the directions reversed??
2) Do I need to grease or anti-seize the new races before installing? I presume this grease/anti-seize will go on the side that contacts the frame tube?
3) When I cut off the old lower bearing, won't I irreversibly damage the dust seal on the bottom of that bearing? I presume the new OEM unit I have is properly sealed and doesn't need the old seal?

Thanks for your help!
Last edited by wanaride on 08:26 pm Jul 13 2007, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Indawoods »

1. YES
2. NO
3. YES 3b. YES
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Post by Jeb »

Wanaride - thanks for researching and summarizing. Tell us how it went when you're finished
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Post by IdahoCharley »

Just my .02 worth

1. Flat blade will work but you'll likely trash the screwdriver. A long punch or piece of round stock or section of pipe will also work.

3. A little grease or anti-seize does help the race move easier within the steering head - although it is not required.
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Re: Steering bearing replacement tips

Post by crazybrit »

Stem:
To remove the lower bearing from the stem, yes, you'll need to use a dremel and go very slowly. The bearing race and the stem are the same color. As you get close you should be able to just carefully snap the inner race open using a large screwdriver and open it enough to lift it off (don't destroy it though). I would not recommend trying to pry it off the stem, doesn't work in my experience and just risks damaging the stem. I'm sure ma-kawi makes a special tool but dremel works fine if you are careful and stop frequently to check progress.

Remember, when working with bearings, the old races are always your friends. They make excellent drivers. Piece of square pipe to drive the new one down (or round) but use the old inner race (the one you just cut through) as a driver. Flip it upside down so that the fat part is facing up and the narrow part meets the narrow part of the new inner race. This gives you a large area for the pipe to make contact with without worrying about damaging the new bearing. Since you just make a giant cut in the old race, if it gets stuck on the stem, you can just open it up using a screwdriver and get it back off easy like ;-) Not sure if this makes any sense?

I also never put the bearings in the oven. Just freeze the stem. Using the race driver trick you're only ever impacting the inner race of the new bearing and you can give it some serious beating to drive it down.

Tube:
To remove the races from the steering tube, make a tool out of a piece of 18" long 1" ID aluminum pipe. I used to have a pic, can take a new one if you need. Drill 4 holes at 12/3/6/9pm about 5" up the pipe. Then make cuts down to the end of the pipe. You can then splay the 4 pieces out and they will compress back in as you pull it up thru the tube but open up again inside. When you hit the pipe, all 4 splayed pieces will make contact with the race at the same time and it will pop right out. Whacking with a screwdriver will just mess up the driver and using a punch risks damaging the inside of the tube.

Use the old races to drive in the new ones into the tube. I put a little anti seize on them.

I got my bearings from an independant bearing shop. They had to get an OK from Koyo to sell them to me as they are an "OEM part" but they got it and they were way cheaper. I forget, maybe $20 for both. IIRC the seal on the upper was different (I think Koyo changed it) but the lower was exactly the same, had it's own seal.
Last edited by crazybrit on 07:50 pm Jul 13 2007, edited 14 times in total.
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Post by Colorado Mike »

and be very very happy you are not doing this on an aluminum framed YZ. I ended up having to grind out the old races with a carbide porting tool. :evil:
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Post by Indawoods »

Non-OEM bearings are not sealed on the bottom... avoid them.

If they make them... then I have never seen them.
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Post by crazybrit »

>|<>QBB<
Indawoods wrote:Non-OEM bearings are not sealed on the bottom... avoid them.

If they make them... then I have never seen them.
Mine are sealed, they are OEM. I just didn't get them from Kawasaki,
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Post by wanaride »

Thanks guys, this helps a LOT! :prayer:

Crazybrit, when you refer to the "inner race" of the lower bearing, what exactly are you referring to? Sorry for my ignorance (I'm no mechanic), but I know the "outer" race makes contact with the rollers in the tapered bearing; is the "inner" race the portion of the bearing that the rollers normally "sit" in?

If I read your post correctly, you removed the lower bearing with a Dremel tool, turned that cut bearing upside down, slid it down the stem, and used it to receive the force from the sledgehammer blows. Is my understanding correct?

Does anyone else use this technique, or do you use an iron pipe with cap on the end (or similar) to transfer the sledgehammer force to the new bearing?

I presume the pipe/race/whatever is supposed to transfer the force from the sledgehammer to the inner portion of the bearing (closest to the stem)?
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Post by crazybrit »

>|<>QBB<
wanaride wrote:Thanks guys, this helps a LOT! :prayer:

Crazybrit, when you refer to the "inner race" of the lower bearing, what exactly are you referring to?
The inner race is what is inside the bearing and pressed onto the steering stem. The outer race for the lower bearing is pressed into the bottom of the steering tube.

You'll cut the cage off first using the dremel, thats easy. Then remove all the bearings leaving just this inner race, which is where you need to cut it off using a dremel. If you are careful doing this you can use it for later .....
If I read your post correctly, you removed the lower bearing with a Dremel tool, turned that cut bearing upside down, slid it down the stem, and used it to receive the force from the sledgehammer blows. Is my understanding correct?
Well, the bearings are long gone, see above. So it's just the inner race that is turned upside down. It's much wider on the bottom than the top. So flipping it upside down creates a large surface to make contact with and of course the lower part now is a perfect mirror image of the inner race of the new bearing so there is ZERO chance of hitting anywhere other than the inner race, which is important. If your circular tubing isn't exactly the correct diameter you can't guarantee this.
I presume the pipe/race/whatever is supposed to transfer the force from the sledgehammer to the inner portion of the bearing (closest to the stem)?
Yes. For a stem bearing you always want to contact ONLY the inner race. Obviously for something like a wheel bearing the opposite is true and you only ever want to contact the outer race. Same technique applies for wheel bearings, save the old outer races, cut then off the bearing using a saw or dremel and use them to drive in the new bearing (rather than searching for a socket with an OD which matches the outer race).
Last edited by crazybrit on 11:50 pm Jul 13 2007, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by crazybrit »

Here is the tool to remove the upper and lower races from the steering tube. Took 5 minutes to make, cost about $5 and removes the races in 2 blows.


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Post by IdahoCharley »

Crazybrit - Great idea/Tool!! Thanks for providing us with a picture.
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Post by wanaride »

OK, the job is done. Details...

Lower bearing removal was EXACTLY as Crazybrit said. A Dremel cut through the "cage" and the rollers fell out. Next, I carefully cut through the lower bearing's inner race in one line parallel to the stem. I used a screwdriver/hammer to gently tap the inner race around the shaft to ensure it was loose, and I slid the inner race up the stem and set it aside for later. I then put the lower clamp/stem in the freezer.

Next, I tried to make Crazybrit's tool using a piece of 3/4" aluminum tubing I found at Lowe's (largest diameter they had). The splines were too weak and they kept bending. I then tried to use the non-splined end as a drift punch, but the aluminum was too soft and it did nothing. I went back to Lowe's and got some 1" galvanized pipe with the intention of trying to create Crazybrit's tool with that. I got tired of hacksawing it and decided to try using the blunt end of the pipe as a drift punch. BINGO! The lower race came out easily, and the upper race did too.

I cleaned the steering tube, greased the new races, lined the upper race with its hole, placed a small piece of wood against the upper race and pounded it flush. I then took the old race and used it to transfer the hammer blows (not too hard) to the new race to seat it slightly inside the tube. Same story with the lower race, but this time the old race got stuck up inside the tube (just like Vince said earlier). A few gentle taps with a metal hammer on the old race and it easily fell out.

I pulled the stem/clamp out of the freezer and placed it on a piece of wood so the stem area was supported. I slid the new lower bearing as far down as it would go, and I turned the old lower "inner race" upside down and slid it down the stem. The old inner race and new bearing were in contact. I then slid a 1-1/8" black iron pipe over the stem so that it contacted the old inner race, and 3 or 4 blows from a small sledge hammer easily seated the lower bearing on the stem.

I assembled the bearings according to the procedure in the service manual (tighten castellated nut securely while pushing up on the lower clamp, then release the nut so it turned freely, then turn that nut to just finger tight). I then placed the upper clamp on the KX nut/castellated nut combo (KX nut added for height), and tightened the upper stem nut to 30ft-lbs. NO CATCHING WHATSOEVER when the clamps were rotated, and I felt no play at all. (I did insert some thin aluminum foil strips around the stem in the upper triple clamp hole to take out some of the slack.)

I installed the forks according to BrucesSuspension.com instructions (he revalved my forks) and snugged the upper clamp bolts to 12.5ft-lbs, and the lower clamp bolts to 10ft-lbs.

Unfortunately, when I tugged on the bottom of the forks in a front-to-back motion, I still felt some play just like before the bearing replacement. I have no idea where this is coming from.

As far as I know, I did the job correctly and everything seems to fit well. I want to thank everyone who has posted on this subject because your comments were EXTREMELY HELPFUL. :supz:
Last edited by wanaride on 07:23 pm Jul 14 2007, edited 4 times in total.
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Post by crazybrit »

Good job dude. I forgot to mention, a needle for your grease gun is a good idea. Makes it really easy to get sufficient grease into the bearings. I squirt it in good and thick. Way easier than trying to put it in by hand. Glad it worked for you.
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Post by wanaride »

Wow, that's another great idea! Keep 'em coming! :partyman:
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Post by crazybrit »

>|<>QBB<
wanaride wrote:Wow, that's another great idea! Keep 'em coming! :partyman:
They sell em at automotive stores. I'd consider pulling the stem out and redoing if it was me as by hand it's hard to get enough in.
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Post by wanaride »

What grease do you use for the bearings? I've been using Bel-Ray green waterproof grease for everything (hand applied) but I'm not aware of a grease gun cartridge with that grease in it.
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Post by crazybrit »

>|<>QBB<
wanaride wrote:What grease do you use for the bearings? I've been using Bel-Ray green waterproof grease for everything (hand applied) but I'm not aware of a grease gun cartridge with that grease in it.
Just buy (or scrounge) an empty one, or a full one (and empty it). Hand pack it with Belray. I use one of the compact grease guns, forget the name for them, 1/2 size. With a needle, you can literally pack enough grease in behind the rollers to force them out against the cage. Then a generous smearing out the outside and you're all set.
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Post by IdahoCharley »

>|<>QBB<
wanaride wrote:

I did insert some thin aluminum foil strips around the stem in the upper triple clamp hole to take out some of the slack.

Unfortunately, when I tugged on the bottom of the forks in a front-to-back motion, I still felt some play just like before the bearing replacement. I have no idea where this is coming from.

:supz:
The foil strips around the stem should take out all of the slack between the stem and upper TT. Doesn't have to be a press fit or anything but should not have more than one or two thousands play IMHO. The top stem cap nut on the upper triple tree will hold it in place when the bike is just sitting there and your trying to move it by hand but imagine the forces being applied when your front tire hits an object when you are moving at say 30 mph.

If you are grabbing the lower tubes on the forks and moving them back and forth you may be picking-up some play in the bushings between the lower fork legs and the upper fork tubes.

I glad the bearing replacement got rid of the catching sensation for you!!
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Post by Indawoods »

When you pull the forks... are you grabbing the top part or the bottom?
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