Steering Head Bearing Replacement
 

I just did my steering head bearings again (it's been about 5 years since the last time they were replaced). I had already switched to tapered bearings the last time, and stayed with the same style this time.

Two things I did differently than last time:

1) Used a Dremel tool to cut the lower bearing from the stem (rather than paying a shop to press the old one off). Just cut most of the way through the race then use a chisel/regular screwdriver and a strike with a hammer will split the race the rest of the way--stays in 1 piece too so you can still use it to drive the new bearing on.

2) Rather than tapping/pounding the adjustment nut with a hammer & punch, I picked up a 1 11-16" 12pt socket (I also needed a 3/4" drive adapter) from Sears. Someone had mentioned this tool on a previous post. Way easier/quicker to get it torqued down. And the socket/adapter cost about $26.00, which is half the cost of the Honda part (07916-3710101) which runs about $50-60.00 online.

I don't have a torque wrench, but I used the fish scale (was suggested on a past post here). Pulled at just over 3lb and I plan on having to readjust after a couple rides from what I have read.

It was pretty nice to do it all in my own garage without having to run around and take parts or my bike to a shop and pay someone else to do something I can easily do myself. Does anyone know what it would cost at a dealer/shop to get steering head bearings replaced? It cost me $40 for the bearings and about $35 for the socket/scale....$75 plus a few hours of my time seems like a good deal to me!

nice job. If you are doing jobs like this, do yourself a favor and get a torque wrench. Even the simple pointer/indicator type can be fairly accurate and cheap, but a good one you will have a very long time. Definitely recheck them after a few hundred miles - mine loosened up but it took awhile. I imagine a dealer would charge many hours to get the forks off, triples, lower race etc etc - 3? 4?

I've never heard of the fish scale thing. It is actually a really bad idea. The desired torque is at the nut, not at a different point along the lever. The lever in this case being the ratchet or wrench. The number will change significantly the farther away from the nut or bolt you go.

Same thing if you ever have to use a dogbone or crows foot to torque something, make sure it's at a direct 90 degree angle to the torque wrench.

Probably doesn't matter in this case, just my 2 cents...

the fish scale is just the honda shop manual method as the final test to see that the bearings are not too tight or too lose by measure the force it takes to move the unweighted fork off center - done after you have torqued them. You measure the pounds it takes to just move the forks from pointed straight ahead by attaching the scale midway between the top and bottom bridge on the fork tube and pulling directly back. Hope that makes sense the way I'm describing it but its in their manual.

I've taken apart a hawk TWICE. Each time with a buddy, in just a hair over 2 hours. Wonder why a shop takes so damn long...

it was just a guess! I could be way off what a shop might charge. Of course you said there were 2 of you and it still took 2 hours- that might easily be 3-4 for one person. Plus they are trying to make money, you are trying to save money on your own time, might be different incentives :)

Its like someone once told said about doing "scut" work in med school - ------------ as a student paying over 20K a year to go to med school, that person should want to work as many hours as possible to get his money's worth, as each hour becomes less expensive. Whereas the resident who is telling students what scut to do, and getting paid 30K for over 100 hours a week, is trying to do as little scut as possible to make each hour worked more valuable. Different perspectives I guess.

Oh, there was nothing directed at you, just saying it's garbage that they charge DOUBLE the amount of time it actually takes.

As for taking apart the hawk with two people, it was only two people when needed, like when taking off the forks or dropping the motor....otherwise, it was just one person.

I hear you. For me the two people part usually takes longer too as we sit and bullsh@@T half the time.

Ideally, I would have torqued as per specs, but I had to work with what I had. Hopefully after they have seated and I go back to adjust, I'll have access to a torque wrench. Although, I have to guess that there is a somewhat direct relation to the pressure needed to move the bars and the torque setting of the steering stem nut. I know it won't be exact, but it should be much better than just going by feel or assuming you've tightened it 'enough'. When I dig back into it and re-torque the nut, I'll measure with the scale again and see how close it actually is. Scale first, then the correct way wth the torque wrench (hoping I have one then), then the scale again to see just how close they are.

I hope I don't damage the new bearings in the meantime, but right now there is no clicking or binding and the bike handles better than it did a day ago so it should be o.k.

Picking up on this thread as I'm about to replace my steering bearings.

Is grinding through the bearing race the agreed upon best way to go when removing it from the stem? I've done it in the past with a hammer and drift and it took a hell of a lot of work. Does heating the race up help matters?

As for the 1 11/16 socket, I'm a bit confused ... that fits over the locknuts? As I recall they appear to be made for hook spanner type wrench, not a socket (or the specially designed tool). Some clarification would be appreciated.

Lastly, I was surprised to see such a high torque value on the adjustment nut, 76 lbs/ft. Is that figure correct?

Thanks!