Steering head bearing replacement tips needed
 

Hi to everyone! I'm new to the board. I've been on a Hawk for the past 7 yrs. (88 nt650). Last week I bought a 2000 SH w/ 6500mi. Right away I noticed this bike had a slight click or loose feel in the head bearings under hard braking. After the load is reduced, another audible click/pop would occur. Anyway, I've searched these message boards and ordered the allballs replacement. I have 2 questions:
1. Does anyone have any time saving tips they don't mind sharing to ease my first venture into the head bearings. I've done all my own maint/repairs in the past which have inluded clutch replacement; fork seals, fork inner bushing rebuild; jet kit install (all on my gt650). I've never had to mess w/ the head bearings!
2. Does anybody have a manual that could scan just in this section? I will definetly be buying my own soon, but I just bought the bike and I don't have a lot of extra dough laying around. My wife wasn't thrilled with having to buy parts for it the first week I've had it!

Thanks in advance to any/all replies.

Do yourself a favor and pull the fairing prior to starting. It will save you time in the long run. Take everything off the forks and upper/lower triple trees as well before taking the upper nut off.

The old upper bearing will come right off; however if i recall the lower bearing was a bugger to get off the steering stem shaft. Place the lower Triple Tree in a bench vice securely between some wood blocks. I had to use a propane tourch and a sharp chisel and hammer to beat the bearing off the shaft. After you move it about an inch is it will move easily the resat of the way.

Place the new bearings in the freezer for several hours after you pack them with grease. The will contract and slide over the steering stem easier on reassembly.

The old bearing races will come right out with a pointed chisel. Use the old races to drive the new races back into there new location.


All in all it is fairly easy to do, the lower bearing was my only headache. Mine was poping just like yours on a hard stop. Now it is perfect.


Good Luck!

Oh, in comparison the stock bearings are shit compared to your newly aquired Tapered Roller bearing. When you see them you will be amazed that they actually lasted as long as they did, the stock bearing assembly is really really crap.

You'll need some method of seating the new races into the frame neck. I friend at a local shop let me borrow his drivers but some other methods could be available. For the best results the races should be seated into the neck as evenly as possible. Even if this means using a very big hammer. :lol:

The worst fit is the lower because you're driving uphill and on a backhand if you're a righty like me. If you have a set of "big" sockets whether SAE or Metric or both (Harbor Freight), you'll have a size that will seat these bearing races into the neck. Remember you can't drive the faces - you must drive the edges.

Fitting the lower bearing on the triple is a special treat as well. You have to have a special size tube to press the bearing into place. After much farting around at the local hardware in the pipe department, I found nothing that would exactly fit. Again - you have to drive the collar not the outer ring of the bearing.

Having given up I was rumaging around in the junk around the back of the nursery and happened on a chunk of 1" toprail for chain link that we had tore out of someplace. Fit perfectly. Getting exactly square cuts for the press was a bit difficult but we got that sorted. As I pressed the bearing on, the tube started to fail but never got so whacked that it couldn't drive the bearing home.

Like the man said, "Special tool nummer wha?"
V
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Bearing drivers.
 

As far as having the proper size driver is concerned you can use the old outer races that you just removed, they fit perfectly and you can pound on them to your heart's content.
Make sure the new bearings go in square and take your time.
Freezing the outers is a good idea since you want them to shrink to fit inside the head tube.
The inner race that goes on the stem should be heated though since you want it to expand to go over the stem.
Again the old bearing will make a good driver in conjunction with a proper sized pipe.
Take your time, wear gloves ( in case you miss ) and use a good grease packed into the bearing when your done.
Good luck and have fun.

Kai Ju

Thanks for the replies. The shop called today, the bearings are in. Now I have to figure out a way to get the bike up off the ground. My old Hawk had a ceterstand which made things easy!

Oh, no, Master, not the ropes!

Bike Work Platform
 

Here is what I used for years:
Buy a 4x8 piece of 3/4" plywood,
a 4 ft length of 4x4,
3 1/2" diameter 5" long lagbolts, washers and nuts.
2 1/2 eyebolts with 5" long shanks.

Attach the 4x4 to the end of the 4x8 plywood with the 3 lagbolts in the middle and on either end. (Head of the lagbolt on the plywood side, nuts and washers on top of the 4x4, you can be real anal and countersink the nuts and washers for a clean look)

Drill holes for the eyebolts and and attach near the end of the 4x4 ( these will be your tie down points ) and counter sink the nuts and washers so that the sheet of plywood still lays flat.
Back the bike into the 4x4 and strap it down with tiedowns.
Place a jack under the sump, with a piece of wood in between, and work on your front end.
If you need to work on the rear end..... never mind, you'll figure it out.
You can either park the bike on that stand all the time or when not in use, stand it up against the garage wall, out of the way.
Varnish/paint as desired.

Kai Ju