| Author | Message | ||
     Starter |
Anyone else had the steering stem seize into the bearing inner race just like the front axles used to. Also how did they go about getting it out? Kinda worried about the strength of the frame casting if I get hitting it to break loose. | ||
| Cthagreekgod |
Happended to me this past winter. It took a lot of WD-40, a pry bar and screw drive, a hammer and a lot of hitting, and prying to finally get it off... | ||
| Sam_07 |
Use PB Blaster. Any autoparts store carries it. Spray it on and let it sit for an hour. It really works wonders. | ||
| Hughlysses |
If it won't come off with PB Blaster and gentle "persuasion", I'd rent/borrow a gear puller from your local tool rental place or auto parts store and try that. It would be much less likely to hose something up than resorting to 5 lb sledges and BA pry bars. | ||
| Akbuell |
Hampered by a lack of tools, ect. when I replaced the stem bearings on my X-1, I Very Carefully notched the inner race with a cut-off disk on the Dremel (I had one of those) after removing the cage and rollers, then whacked it w/a cold chisel. The race broke, and was easy to remove. That being said, a bearing puller is the way to go. | ||
| Starter |
Would love to know where all the prying and hitting is being done. From my assessment of the issue the ony place to hit is the top of the stem once the upper triple clamp is removed. Prying??? Got me stuffed unless your talking about between the frame and the lower triple. The stem is not coming out of the headstock let alone the bearings. So any talk of the bearing pullers is useless. Not really going to get an answer in this thread, but wondering if this is the failure mechanism for the steering head bearings. Seize onto the stem, require adjusting, and when adjusted bind and lterally stuff the bearing. | ||
| Ducbsa |
Apparently all thought you meant the lower bearing, which is the usual place for this problem. Now that you have told us that you mean the top bearing, I would suggest that you support the motor, take the wheel and the top triple clamp off, use PB Blaster or whatever you have in OZ, soak it, then protect the top of the stem with hardwood or a shouldered aluminum shaft and bang on it. Have a way to catch the forks and maybe take the caliper off and hang it. Maybe other steps to think through, also. | ||
| Akbuell |
Sorry, didn't know you meant the upper bearing. So, yeah, soak w/penetrating oil (Kroil, PB, ect) and whack with a large swing press, using a piece of quality hardwood or similar to protect the stem. Heating with a torch and then applying the oil and allowing to cool, repeated a few times over a day or so before using the hammer may help. And get new bearings before you start. I would replace them both if having to hammer one out. You will already be in there ....... | ||
| Akbuell |
Forgot to mention ..... Were it my bike, after getting everything else ready, I would support the front of the bike by the frame before starting to hammer. No sense in having the muffler jack point and the engine mounts absorbing the forces involved. Dave | ||
| Id073897 |
Remove seals. Remove cage. Remove balls. Remove inner race. | ||
| Starter |
Both were frozen and rusted to the shaft. Ended up having a mate who designs this stuff for a living pick it up and press it out at his lab. All was going (and went) well till he pulled the old bearing apart out of curiosity. "Whats wrong with a simple tampered roller?" was his sole comment. I would have to agree. BTW the fork internal diagram in the workshop manual is different (maybe wrong) to the as built from the factory. Part #17 goes in on top of #16 (the spring) inside the #15 the collar. |
