Changed my steering head bearings.... took some pics

[thirdgenlxi]

Yup, finally changed out my steering head bearings today. It was actually alot easier than I thought it would be! I didn't take nearly enough details pics to write up a how-to (sorry!), but I did snap a few along the way. This is the poor mans method, lol... I didn't have any of the "proper" tools (special socket, bearing/race drivers, hydraulic press, stands, etc), so I had to improvise, hahah

Improvision #1... all I had was a rear stand. If I tried to jack the front up with my floor jack under the headers, it would just tip over off the stand (of course I caught it before that actually happened). So I strapped it down to the stand



Then I fiddled with the jack some more and finally found a good balance point on the headers where it would go up straight



Take apart everything up top



Then pull it all out the bottom



Spare parts aside



Improvision #2 - didn't have the bearing race removers, so a long flathead screwdriver and a BFH had to suffice



Improvision #3 - didn't have the race installers, so I used the old races flipped backwards to pound in the new ones. Worked like a champ!

Lower



Upper



It's nice they give you some little indents on both sides to be able to get a screwdriver on the races to pound them out



Old bearings VS new bearings. The OEM ones are roller ball bearings, where as the new ones I'm using are tapered roller bearings from AllBalls





Can't forget the lube!! Put plenty of grease in the new bearings



Improvision #4 - didn't have any bearing drivers, so once again one of the old races fit perfectly to drive it down. I had this piece of pipe, but it wasn't long enough to hit with a hammer (although manual says to use a hydraulic press), so I had to use the weight of the pipe itself as a slide hammer to bang the bearing down



Took a few good smacks, but worked perfectly!



Gotta grease up the new races with plenty of grease too



This is the bearing preload adjuster nut... the one I didn't have the socket for. Usually you could use a screwdriver and hammer, but it must be torqued properly so I needed some way to get a torque wrench on it



Improvision #5 - I made this! It's just the lil spanner wrench that came in my tool kit for the rear shock. I cut a 3/8" square hole in the handle exactly 2 inches from the center point of the adjuster nut



Used the equation (ACTUAL = INDICATED x (WRENCH LENGTH + EXT. LENGTH) / WRENCH LENGTH). Found that my torque values went from 216 in. lbs down to 175 in. lbs. Worked like a champ!



Then reinstall forks



Snug everything up

[thirdgenlxi]

Then put everything up top back together



Front wheel and brake calipers back on



Tada! Good as new



Old bearings and races really didn't look bad at all for being original with 166,000 miles, but still they had a notchy detent previously



Surprisingly still turned very smoothly in the races by hand! I was expecting them to be all tore up




Sorry I couldn't do a more detailed write up.... was kinda in a hurry trying to get done before dark. Took the bike for a ride and it feels great!! Steering is super smooth with no notchiness anymore, and the bars are straight as an arrow going down the road. I'm happy now... that detent in the steering at low speeds was really getting annoying!

[Gas Man]

did you use a good syn grease in there?

Why tappered roller bearings? They had problems with those on the 954's in 2002... made the front end too loose. I know I went into tank slap at about 135mph back in the day.

When tightening the steering head, u used torque, but did you check fall away?

[thirdgenlxi]

Originally Posted by Gas Man

did you use a good syn grease in there?

Why tappered roller bearings? They had problems with those on the 954's in 2002... made the front end too loose. I know I went into tank slap at about 135mph back in the day.

When tightening the steering head, u used torque, but did you check fall away?

Yea I remember the 954's having a recall on the steering head bearings, taking out the tapered roller and putting in ball bearings. The 954's have always had stability issues though, even with the ball bearings. F4i's have never had any such issues, and I know a good number of people that have switched to the tapered rollers without any problems.

I like them better just cuz they're generally more durable than the ball bearings, and don't develop the notches and detents that the ball bearings are known for

As for tightening them.... F4i's (just like the VFR's) use a torque spec only for setting the preload on the bearings. Most bikes you use the pull scale to measure the rotational resistance and just tighten or loosen the nut until the resistance is in spec. F4i's there is no spec for that, you just torque the adjuster nut down to 18 ft. lbs and it's done, hence the reason I needed to make my little spanner wrench tool to fit on my torque wrench

And yes I used good grease... and lots of it

[Gas Man]

Cool. I figured you did it correct but don't hurt to ask. Good pics!

HOw bad was it to pound in the new races? Could use 2 pieces of metal and a large bolt and squeeze them into place. Kinda like a cheap press idea.

['73 H1 Triple]

Originally Posted by Gas Man

Cool. I figured you did it correct but don't hurt to ask. Good pics!

HOw bad was it to pound in the new races? Could use 2 pieces of metal and a large bolt and squeeze them into place. Kinda like a cheap press idea.

The way he did it won't hurt the bearings at all due to the fact the pipe hit on the center carrier and not on the outer portion.

Jeff
machinist

[thirdgenlxi]

Originally Posted by Gas Man

Cool. I figured you did it correct but don't hurt to ask. Good pics!

HOw bad was it to pound in the new races? Could use 2 pieces of metal and a large bolt and squeeze them into place. Kinda like a cheap press idea.

That would work too, though you'd still have to use the old races, as the new races set recessed into the hole so you need something the same size that'll go inside a little bit to get them in all the way. Not bad pounding them in though. They fit in there TIGHT, no doubt! But a couple good swings with a 6lb sledge and they went right in

[ZUKIMON]

Awesome job man. You did everything what I would call the proper way without the proper tools. What you did is completely fine, and is used by some shops that even have the "proper tools", as it is faster sometimes. I have used this method many times before on cars/trucks and have never had an issue.

One thing I did think of when I saw your adjuster nut and you said you didn't have the socket........Front hub sockets for 4wd trucks have the 4 prongs/pins that you need to turn this nut. The nuts on these trucks are basicaly the same design. You can sometimes get lucky and find one that will fit and they are as cheap as $20 + - from Autozone/Advance. They seem to keep plenty on hand as well. Just a little FYI for anyone out there that may get into this later on. They are usually 1/2" drive though, which means that you need to either have a tourqe wrench that will go down as low as you need, or get a reducer from 1/2" to 3/8" and use the smaller wrench.

I'll shutup now! Awesome to see the bike is still going strong.

[HRCNICK11]

The head stock races go in easier if you toss them in the freezer over night, it makes them slightly smaller till they warm back up.

[Antwanny]

Originally Posted by HRCNICK11

The head stock races go in easier if you toss them in the freezer over night, it makes them slightly smaller till they warm back up.

learned that when dad built his choppa also took an industrial spotlight and to heat up the neck of the frame.