Advice Needed re steering head bearing.

[Goblin]

I have recently started doing my own maintainance, have replaced chain and rear sprocket and took my forks into the bikeshop to have seals replaced. Got it all back together with no problems. Im ok with the basics with my limited tools and knowlege, but now my steering head bearing needs replacing. Can anyone tell me how to go about this wee job? Like what tools are needed? Is there anyone in the Rotorua area who could talk me through it or give me some moral support?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[FROSTY:Me]

Not a super difficult job dude but I think--(I'll stand corrected here) your botttom steering head bearing is gonna be close to a press fit.Im not saying it should be Im saying with a few years of settling/corrroding in place itll take a bit of budging.
Basicly you gotta do exactly the same as ya did to get ya forks out before.
Your bike will need to be supported under the motor --the steering head needs to be free.
Undoo the big nut in the middle of your steering head and lift off the top tripple clamp. -make note of position of any washers etc.
what you'll see is a smaller version of the rear shock adjuster. (2 rings with suare slots in em) the top one is the locknut the bottom one is the bearring tensioner.If ya have the correct C spanner --good onya can I borrow it
If not use a center punch and hammer or a VERY blunt big flat bladed screwdriver and hammer --loosen off the locking nut then loosen off the bottom nut (ring) --the steering head will drop out as you loosen off the nuts.
The bearings should be visible --in the top of the steering head and sitting on the bottom tripple clamp.
they may need a bit of encouraging to get out/off
Reassebily is the reverse.
Im kinda oversimplifying but if ya can pull forks down this jiobs a doddle.
One word of warning--tapered roller bearings CAN take a little while to settle in.You may have to retighten them 2 or 3 times as they settle. You'll hear the classik clunk from the steering head that tells ya its time to retention

[loosebruce]

Well if ya can drop your forks out, your halfway there, its a fairly straight forward job to do, i'd imagine like most bikes once the forks are out there should be a nut on the top of the top clamp, un do that, the whip the top clamp off, then you should be faced with two locking nuts, undo them and the bottom clamp with steering head stem should come straight out.

Make sure you replace the bearing races as well, knock the races out with a punch of some sort, use the old races to knock the new ones in, drop the bearings in and assemble the the clamps up again, use the locking nuts to gain the right tension, shouldn't be overly tight as it'll kill the bearings, but tight enough so that theres no freeplay, you'll figure it out mate.

Chuck ya forks in and go pull some wheelies. easy as.

[loosebruce]

Yeah still waking up i is, too fast for me frosty, fuck thats a first

[FROSTY:Me]

yOULL KEEP BRUCIE YOU'LL KEEP

[Goblin]

Hey thanks guys. You make it sound easy enough. Can but try eh? The forks were easier than I first thought.

I wont be able to do the job for another couple of weeks.

Must admit its been great getting to know my bike intimately.

[Bonez]

Hey thanks guys. You make it sound easy enough. Can but try eh? The forks were easier than I first thought.

I wont be able to do the job for another couple of weeks.

Must admit its been great getting to know my bike intimately.

Putting the races in can be a bit tricky. You need to get them square with the lips they sit against. Putting them in a plastic bag in the frezzer overnight will helps. Yes it's nice to know a bit more about ya cickle. You'll be doing an engine recon in next to no time.

[Goblin]

Thanks Bonez. Yes I think the engine recon will be soon enough, old girl's getting a bit tired.

[Warr]

Never done it on a CBR, but when I did my XJ ones the hardest thing was getting out the bottom bearing race out of the frame.
Hopefully its different on your Honda, but ended up modifying something to tap out the lower outer race. And yea it took 2 or 3 adjustments to get it rite as my roller bearings settled.

[Goblin]

Cool! Thanks good people. I now have an idea how to go about it. If I have any problems I will yell for help.
Cheers!

[geoffm]

One trick for roller bearing races, to get them out is a quick zap with the welder around the inside of the race. Makes them shrink and they drop out. It assumes you never want to use them again...G

[Warr]

One trick for roller bearing races, to get them out is a quick zap with the welder around the inside of the race. Makes them shrink and they drop out. It assumes you never want to use them again...G

That sounds a good trick..

So a bead of weld around the inside of the race makes it shrink enough??

[F5 Dave]

The races always need replacing, don’t try to convince yourself otherwise.

Yeah, just get a mig in there & run a bead round & they fall right there on the floor. It is WAY cool once you learn this trick & find a friend with a small portable mig to come around to your place if you don’t got one.

Pretty much the only way when there is no lip to punch. If there is a lip then it is ok. I grind a couple of semi circles once they are out for the next chap (or chapess) after me.

He only other ugly area is getting the bottom race off the steering stem. If there isn’t the room to punch from behind (add a little heat before punching), then the other way is to destroy the outer with a screwdriver, pulling the rollers out leaving the collar that can be eaten away with a grinder until it is so thin a shock will crack it.

Of course this last piece requires some care as you don’t want to damage the steering stem, just the parts you are replacing. Course you can take this part to a shop cheaply/easily.

Pack the bearings with a decent grease, work it in for several min. Remember to fit the seal at the bottom of the stem before the bearing & heat the bearing before you drop it on. Use a bit of the correct size tube to force it down fully but only push on the inner solid collar. This will reduce the bedding in time people mention.

[Goblin]

I finally did it...with lots of help from my good mate Pete....I mostly felt like the proverbial spare-cock-at-a-wedding, while he took over & did all the difficult bits.
F5 Dave...the bottom one was pretty well pressed on, got it off with a fair bit of "gentle persuasion." Didnt want to risk damaging the new race so took it to Cam from A. Head & he pressed it on with the right tools for the job.
Cheers FROSTY...I didn't have the correct C spanner but the screwdriver and "gentle persuasion" worked ok.(yet another tool to add to my list next time I visit The Toolshed, my fav shop in the world)
And thanks loosebruce, using the old races to tap in the new worked a treat.

Cheers for all the advice guys. Bike feels a whole lot easier to get around corners. Only tested it round town so the open road should be a heap more fun. I have a true sense of achievement and I saved myself a coupla hundy.

ps: And wouldn't ya know, the hardest part of the whole job was getting the front mudguard back on....the most insignificant bolt on the whole friggin bike didnt want to go back on. There should be a patron saint of SHIT HAPPENS, call him St Murphy!

[F5 Dave]

Cool, I'm glad to hear it.

& yeah the silliest little bolts can take the longest part of the job & cause the most swearing. This is why shop bills can end up costing so much. Having said that I have to fill out time sheets that I mostly guess at, no one is being directly charged, but it gives you an insight into how accurate they can/not be & how time flies.