Changing steering head bearings

[Noxious89123]

Now, I know what I need to do to change the bearings. Take the top yoke off, drop the bottom yoke and stem out etc.

But what is the best method of getting the bearing races out of the steering head, and getting the lower race off of / onto the stem?

Haynes says you can prise the lower one off the stem with a screw driver. Is it that easy? I also don't have any handy pieces of pipe, so how do I get the new one on? Just tap around it with a punch and hammer?

I've also seen th tick of using a thread bar, bolts and washers to press the new bearings into the frame. But where can I buy some threaded bar, thick washers and some bolts?! We have a small hardware store local, but they are a bit useless for this kind of thing.

And how do tapered roller bearings compared to bog standard caged ball bearings? Will they make the bike feel any different to ride? I'm sure they will, as now I have the forks off my bike, I've realised just how bad my head bearings are. They really do snap into place when you centre the yokes.
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'06 Honda CBR125RW-6 ~ '00 Honda CBR600F-Y ~ '07 Honda CBR600RR-7 ~ Bikeless
'53 Ford Ka 1.3 ~ '03 Vauxhall Astra SRi 1.8 ~ '52 Vauxhall Astra SRi 2.2 ~ '53 Vauxhall Astra GSi

[salty21]

i usually use varying thickness's of blade screwdrivers for the lover race on the stem and occasionally the do crack in the process. As for putting them on i used a hammer and bit of hardwood for the most part, then finished it off gently with a drift, working round it in circles using plenty of wd40.

To put the cups in the frame i just used another block of wood and a hammer. Just make sure the recess is clean and then greased before you start.

I dont know if its the correct way but it workrd for me.
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04 NSR 125(sold) ---- 03 CBR 600rr(sold) ----90 pan euro ST1100 '' ----02 CG 125
94 CB400 Super Four ---- 2000 VTR SP1 (sold) ---- 08 ninja p8f(sold, meh) ----05 CBR600rr

[Noxious89123]

How hard of a fit are they? Easier or worse than rear wheel bearings? They were a fcking pain to get in, took a real beating. Had to get a Man (with a capital M) to hammer them in for me

And what method did you use to get the ups out of the frame?
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'06 Honda CBR125RW-6 ~ '00 Honda CBR600F-Y ~ '07 Honda CBR600RR-7 ~ Bikeless
'53 Ford Ka 1.3 ~ '03 Vauxhall Astra SRi 1.8 ~ '52 Vauxhall Astra SRi 2.2 ~ '53 Vauxhall Astra GSi

[salty21]

the ones in the frame go in fairly easy, cant really say if there easier than wheel bearings as it's going to differ from bike to bike but the ones i have done went in without too much fuss, just make sure you clean the hole properly. the worst one by far is the one on the stem which is usually so tight a lot of people just re-use that bit and replace the rest (which kinda defeats the object imo).

the old ones in the frame are a doddle in my experience as they usually overhang on the inside so you can tap the bottom one out from inside going through the top of the headstock and the top one from the bottom if you can understand that.
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04 NSR 125(sold) ---- 03 CBR 600rr(sold) ----90 pan euro ST1100 '' ----02 CG 125
94 CB400 Super Four ---- 2000 VTR SP1 (sold) ---- 08 ninja p8f(sold, meh) ----05 CBR600rr

[finpos]

If the bearings have an exposed lip you can get a drift onto, they usually come out very easily as long as you knock them out evenly, just be sure to use a drift with a proper sharp end on it (no, not the standard issue slightly bent blunt screwdriver everyone has in their toolbox )

For whatever reason, some of them don't have a lip and you have to resort to all kinds of nonsense to get them out.


If you get tired trying to get the old seat off the stem, cut a nick in it with a grinder and whack it a few times, it'll crack! Can be tricky to get the new on cleanly unless you have enough bits of pipe etc. laying about, but it's not hugely difficult.


Putting them back in - I always tap them roughly into place using the old bearing shells then use the steering stem to seat them, it's almost like it's made for the job.

f.

[yen_powell]

One of the tubes from your hoover works when putting the new bearing onto the stem. Gets you in trouble too I seem to remember.

Make sure you are only striking the inner race that sits agains the stem and not the roller or ball bearings and their track.
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Blackmail is a nasty word........but not as nasty as phlegm!
XT1200Z and a DR350 in bits

[Blackwolf]

Threaded bar, can get from like Jewsons or a builders store.


Would happily give you a hand... at some point Im in loughbrough (GF is here) now but going home in a few hours. As for roller bearings and ball race, theres not much differnce. I think that the main differnce is that roller bearings are better becasue the head stock is easily tightened? My brain is failing me. Cant rememebr
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Current: Ducati Multistrada 1200s