Steering head bearing replacement
Questions are <<<in bold like this>>>
Then the part I don't understand is under the question. A line after it ends the questionable part and continues the article.
How to tell if your bearings need looking at
It takes a huge problem to feel anything while riding, so to check your bearings you need to get the front wheel in the air. Turn the bars from side to side with the wheel off the ground and feel for any slight notches. There should be no hesitation when turning the bars from side to side. If there's even the slightest notch or hesitation, they need greasing (at least).
Disassembly
If you think there is a problem after you do the testing, you're going to have to take apart the front of your bike to get at the bearings. If they feel pretty bad, you might want to order parts before you do this. If you just want to lube the bearings, the directions are basically the same, except for removing & replacing the bearings and races.
If your races are notched, dented, or otherwise not smooth inside, you should replace them. Check to see that the bearings are in good shape and not pitted. If they just need to be lubed, lube them up and put everything back together.
OEM bearings
If you want to replace the bearings with OEM parts, you need to get everything circled in these diagrams:
From FRAME diagram (left):
- 92047 - 92047-011 RACE,STEERING STEM BEARING
- 92048 - 92048-006 RACE,STEERING STEM BEARING
- 92048A - 92048-008 RACE,STEERING STEM BEARING
- 600 - 600A0800 BALL-STEEL,1/4" - 39 total, all same size
From FRONT FORK diagram (right):
- 92047 - 92047-012 RACE,STEERING STEM BEARING
- 92056 - 92056-003 SEAL-OIL,STEERING STEM
- 92022C - 92022-231 WASHER,30.5X50X0.6
Aftermarket roller bearings
You can also get tapered roller bearings from All Balls. Order them directly or check with a shop that sells from the Parts Unlimited or Tucker Rocky catalogs. These will last longer and require less maintenance. They will raise your bars 1/8-1/4", which is not something you're going to notice.
The part number for the All Balls kit is 22-1014, and this kit contains the following:
- Bottom (Larger): Bearing #99-3503, Seal #33-1006
- Top (Smaller): Bearing #99-3504, Seal #33-1005-1
This kit contains a seal for the top bearing, which is not an OEM part and was not put on bikes from the factory. The seal fits fine, however, and helps keep dust and grime out and lubrication in.
Stuff that has to be removed
<<<Can you change the position of the bars on the 250 in any way?>>>
You're going to have to remove most everything on the front end of the bike. Removing the tank is optional, but a really good idea. As you did while testing, find a good method of propping the front end. Make sure it is all stable and not going anywhere.
These things need to be removed:
- Brake caliper: Brake hose doesn't have to be disconnected, but tie the caliper up so it doesn't hang by the hose.
- Both handlebars: Make sure the brake reservoir remains in an upright position, to keep air out of the line. You can leave everything connected to the bars.
- Forks: Loosen the bolts on the upper and lower triple clamps one side at a time and take both forks out, taking care not to scratch the shiny surface.
- Disconnect the horn connectors and unbolt the horn.
Remove the stem lock bolt by turning the bars to their lock to the left and then using a wrench. The top triple tree should come off now and reveal the stem nut itself. To remove the nut, use a spanner such as the kind used to adjust shock preload. An adjustable spanner like the one on the right should be usable for other tasks.
The alternative, and definitely not the right tool for the job, is to get a punch with a 90 degree nose or a #3 flat-tip screwdriver and carefully hammer the nut until it's loose. It's much harder to get the adjustment right at the end with this method, and it also provides more opportunities to slip and damage something (like your hand).
Removing the old bearings
Once the nut is removed, remove the dust cover, the upper bearing race, and all the ball bearings. Keep it all, in case it can be reused. Watch for balls rolling around your workspace. Slide the triple tree down and remove the lower race and balls. Be prepared for the bearings to fall out of their own accord. Inspect these and set them aside for now if you decide to replace them.
You now need to knock out the races that are stuck in the frame. Use a piece of steel rod and a hammer to push out the lower race. Just set it against the race in a different place for each whack of the hammer.
Don't worry about damaging the races; they're going to be replaced. Clean the places that hold the races on the frame with a rag, getting out all the dirt and grime.
<<<How to get out the race that's at the top of the steering head?>>> I'd imagine it's "Beat on it 'til it falls out", but I think pounding upward would be a little difficult, not to mention the danger of having the bike fall over.
Other ways you might think about for this include using a bearing puller, a piece of PVC pipe in the correct size, or a punch.
Removing the race that's stuck on the lower triple tree can be a bit harder. The steering tube and lower triple are all one piece. Clamp the tube that goes between the two triples (henceforth know as the 'steering tube') in a vice. Vice scuffs on that tube will not affect anything, as it doesn't come into contact with anything except at the ends through the bearings. There's a large enough gap between the outside of that tube and the inside of the steering head so burrs on the tube from the vice will not matter. So, turn the part upside down so it looks like a 'T', with the lower triple on top, then clamp the vertical portion of the 'T' in the vice.
<<<So, do you just hammer with the metal rod through the bottom of the triple, then slide the race off down the steering tube?>>>
Use the same punch method as you did above. Don't worry about damaging the seal or washer, as they will also be replaced. Clean everything that will be reused.
Installing the new bearings
Take the larger bearing race (#99-3503 - the race is the part without the pins) and install it on the lower part of the steering head on the frame.
<<<Can you use the old 'correct-sized socket' method for this? Lots of people don't have access to different sizes of pipe.>>>
<<<And pvc or metal pipe?>>>
Get a piece of pipe that's a teensy bit smaller on the outside diameter than the race, but large enough so it cannot slip into the bearing surface of the race. You want to apply pressure all around the edge of the race without touching the inside of it.
If the part of the pipe you are hitting is wider than the hammer, put a flat piece of metal across the pipe, so the hammer blows are transmitted to all edges of the pipe equally. This diagram shows how the bottom race fits into the frame:
| | (steering stem)
|/ \| (race)
| | (pipe)
^ ^ (hammer thataway) ^ ^ (up)
Be very careful to hit only the outside of the race. Even just a light tap on the inside of the race could ruin it.
Install the top race (#99-3504) in the steering head in the same way. This illustration is for the top race in the steering stem:
V V (hammer thataway) V V (down)
| | (pipe cross section)
|\ /| (race cross section)
| | Steering stem (on frame)
Don't install the races upside down. This is impossible with oem parts and should be apparent with the tapered bearings. These diagrams show the taper of the bearing and race. The race fits into the stem (frame), and then the bearing fits into the race.
Top bearing/race orientation:
\ / bearing
|\ /| race
| | stem
Bottom bearing/race orientation:
| | stem
|/ \| race
/ \ bearing
Installing the larger (#99-3503) bearing onto the lower triple tree can be fairly difficult. If you have a hydraulic press and some PVC tubing, use that. If not, use a hammer and something hard to hold the clamps against. Place the bottom of the triple clamps so they are completely flat. Any angle in them and you'll bend them - which means you will need a new triple tree.
Shown below is the lower triple with the steering tube attached. This is the fancy way of doing it, with a piece of black PVC over the tube so the press is pushing only on the bearing via the PVC pipe.
First, slide the larger seal (#33-1006) down, with the metal side facing downwards. Now slide the bearing down the tube, with the taper going up (looks like this / \ ).
Give it a solid push down with your hands so it doesn't move around in the next steps. Take a suitably close diameter piece of PVC tubing and the old bottom race flipped upside down to give the tubing more lip to bite onto. Be careful when you apply pressure. Do so slowly, and be ready for loud "pop" sounds as it goes on. Release the pressure once or twice to visually inspect for crookedness and make sure it's seating properly.
Lube everything up liberally, making sure you work the grease into the bearings well. Spin them several times and then re-apply to ensure it's getting deep into them. Put an extra bead just above the bottom bearing, as it will get forced down into the bearing when you install the forks and the bearings seat the grease in properly. Do the same for the races.
[[image:]]
Slide the triple tree up into the frame. Now you'll be installing the upper bearing. Take the upper bearing (#99-3504) that you already worked grease into and slide it, small outer diameter side down, onto the tree (looks this \ / ). You will note this seems to stick up a bit - it does - and your bars will be a bit higher than before. Take the smaller seal (#33-1005-1) and place it, metal side up, onto the bearing. It should almost 'click' on, and on top of this you will place the dust cover and then the stem nut.
Tighten the stem nut up VERY tight, as hard as you think you can and still get it off. You are trying to seat the bearings, and you want maximum compression on all the bearings. Loosen it off until you can turn the triple tree freely.
Adjust the tightness of the stem nut. You want it tightened to just before it binds. No looser and no tighter. You want your bars to turn freely lock to lock with just a push of your hand (while the front end is suspended). Tighten the nut until it gets a bit of resistance, then back off a tad. Then do that again to make sure.
It's important to recheck the stem nut torque after riding for a week or two, as it may have 'settled' and become loose.
Reassemble the forks, fender, wheel, brake caliper, handlebars, and controls. Leave all of the nuts loose except the fender, as you can't reach those with the wheel on. Align the forks, then tighten everything to spec.
Tighten all the bolts, then check them all again. Snug the top stem bolt. Reassemble the horn, fairings, and gas tank. Put the bike on its centerstand. Turn the bars left and right, feeling for any notches or excess of friction. If there is too much, readjust the tightness of the stem nut.
Go for a very quick test ride, then come back to tighten everything again. Recheck the stem nut torque after riding for a week or two, to make sure it hasn't settled and become loose.
