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Steering Head Bearings

23K views 26 replies 14 participants last post by  richw 
#1 ·
Has anyone replaced the stock bearings with a set of tapered rollers? I would like to but not sure if it's worth the effort. Also, how do I get the existing slotted nut off? tried using a drift punch but could not move it. really don't want to but the "special" tool.
Suggestions?
 
#3 ·
#4 ·
I replaced mine. At 45,000 miles (when I got my Vee) the stock ball bearings were utterly wasted -- the balls had created sizable dents in the races.

Ball bearings on the steering stem of a big, heavy bike are just plain idiotic. Sheer engineering malpractice, if you ask me.

I used All Balls tapered bearings. :thumbup:
 
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#5 ·
Also, how do I get the existing slotted nut off? tried using a drift punch but could not move it.
Hit it harder. Really. You ARE hitting just the top one, right? Please report back on the tightness of the bottom one. On two different bikes ('07 and '08) I found the top nut VERY tight but the bottom one only finger tight. I have a feeling these OEM bearings and/or races wear in pretty quickly.
 
#7 ·
The top nut needs to be tight...it is a lock nut. The lower nut sets the preload on the bearing and must not be too tight.
 
#12 · (Edited)
I bought Timken bearings from amazon, about the same price. feel there better quality than All Balls. Got the seals from Suzuki, they fit better than the ones that come with the all balls kit. Made an installation tool out of the upper race using a drum sander to enlarge the ID and used it and a PVC pipe to drive the lower roller race onto the stem. Also used dry ice to chill the stem. The tapered bearings totally eliminated deceleration wobble on my 05 Wee. Will change them on my 09 Wee when the time comes. I made a nut removal tool out of a cheap deep well socket from Northern Tool.
 
#13 ·
I was dissapointed when I saw that a heavy street bike had ball bearings that were not even a full compliment, balls touching the next ball with no retainer.

I smell that the caged balls allowed fast installation even if they are a miss application.

Note if you ever need want balls just buy them from mcmaster a 100 is like $7
 
#16 ·
The balls aren't the problem -- it's the dents those balls inevitably pound into the lower bearing race. You have a single, almost infinitely small point of contact, and eventually the hardest steel will dent.

On a 125cc GP bike with a jockey-sized rider, ball bearings might possibly give slightly better feel. On a streetbike, they make no sense whatsoever.

My theory is that someone's cousin in Japan owns a ball bearing factory.
 
#14 ·
Gold Wings have ball bearing steering heads.
 
#17 ·
Egads, why? Are they a common problem, or has Honda applied some sort of futuristic force field mojo to make them work?
 
#15 ·
One other thing -- installing steering stem bearings is a comparative breeze on most aluminum-framed bikes. The V-Strom, for example, has slots where the races seat into the frame, so it's easy to tap the races out.

On most steel framed bikes (like my KLR650 and GS850), there is literally no provision whatsoever for removing the races. You have to weld in a scrap of metal to pound on, or cut the old race out with a Dremel. Large, enormous pain in the ass.
 
#18 ·
...ball bearings that were not even a full compliment, balls touching the next ball with no retainer.

I smell that the caged balls allowed fast installation even if they are a miss application.
Huh? I've never seen loose balls in a bearing in anything heavier duty than a bicycle, and they're getting away from those.

Every industrial ball bearing I've seen has caged balls, either a fabricated steel cage or a machined bronze cage. All work great for years.



Note that the bearing pictured is shielded. The shields have gaps big enough to allow oil flow through the bearing. The bearings we recommend for wheel bearings are sealed. They have resilient seals that keep dirt out. Different bearing makers use different suffixes for the same thing, but widely used is -2RS for two resilient seals (both sides of the bearing).
 
#19 ·
My 1973 Honda CB500 had loose ball steering head bearings. They were common back then. The routine was to stick the bearings to the races with grease before assembly. Caged balls seem to be in vogue lately. I imagine ball bearings were considered good enough. They lasted over 50,000 miles easily and most bikes don't reach that number.
 
#22 ·
ok...I know I am reviving a thread from the archives, but here goes....

When you replaced your steering bearings with the 32006 tapered rollers...how did it affect the torque required to set the pre-load...just done by feel? same as factory spec regardless of bearing type? Is the top dust seal re-usable? can the bottom seal be salvaged or easier to just replace?

Thanks folks...just getting my homework done for this coming winter work :thumbup:

Craig
 
#23 ·
Just do it by feel. Little finger on the bar ends should feel some resistance, but it should swing easilly.

One hint, overighten SLIGHTLY < 1/16th turn, rotate the steering side to side, then back it off to get it right. If you don't do that you get a layer of grease stuck in the bearing and it'll need to be redone in 100k's or so when the grease pushes out. Don't massively overdo it or you'll ruin the new bearing. Seals are usually reusable.

Pete
 
#25 ·
#26 ·
Yes, All Balls. best 40 bucks you will ever spend on these bikes, the stock bearings look like they belong in a mountain bike, not a motorcycle...
 
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