Steering Stem Bearing Torque
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Squid
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 30
Steering Stem Bearing Torque
Hey Guys,
I am in the midst of putting the front end of my bike back together after a fork rebuild & I have replaced the steering head bearings while I had it apart. What have you guys come up with as far as an effective way of torqueing the steering stem bearings down with out having the special tool from Honda?
Thanks
I am in the midst of putting the front end of my bike back together after a fork rebuild & I have replaced the steering head bearings while I had it apart. What have you guys come up with as far as an effective way of torqueing the steering stem bearings down with out having the special tool from Honda?
Thanks
Out of my mind, back in 5
MotoGP
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 6,109
From: Skurup, Sweden
The right size socket, grinder and some patience and you can quite easily make one yourself... Or if you have welding equipment it's usually easier to cut up two sockets to get the needed depth too clear the steering stem... There are a few threads around with images by me and others, a quick search will find them if you need to visualize it...
Member
Squid
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 95
From: Missouri City, Texas
Oddly enough I was in the same boat just the other day and came across this thread. A 12 pt 1 11/16" socket does in fact get the job done. You can't find them at Lowes, Home Depot, auto parts stores or even Harbor Freight. I had to pick mine up from Northern Tool an luckily they had them in stock. The socket itself is about 1mm too shallow but with steady pressure evenly set on top, it came off with no problem.
Little tip though: If you don't by chance already own a 3/4" driver, don't buy the 3/4" to 1/2" adapter for $8 at Northern Tool when you can get the same adapter plus two extras at Harbor Freight for $4.
Little tip though: If you don't by chance already own a 3/4" driver, don't buy the 3/4" to 1/2" adapter for $8 at Northern Tool when you can get the same adapter plus two extras at Harbor Freight for $4.
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 320
A 42mm 12-point socket worked also. Bought it at Harbor Freight as part of their jumbo metric socket set. Had a lot of other useful sizes for the superhawk also. And with cheapo harbor freight adaptors, it was compatible with the 3/8" torque wrench I had.
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MotoGP
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 5,213
From: Gettysburg, Pa
Be prepared to re-adjust that sucker in a few months of riding! Keep tabs on the feel. Jack her up 
and try to wiggle up and down @ full lock or try to push/pull on the front wheel when its off the ground. The last thing you want is to wear new bearings.
and try to wiggle up and down @ full lock or try to push/pull on the front wheel when its off the ground. The last thing you want is to wear new bearings.
Senior Member
SuperSport
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 807
From: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
I tightened the adjustment nut until the steering stem moved with some resistance and then I moved it back and forth until it loosened. I did that several times. I tightened the adjustment nut to about 100 in-lb. That's slightly more than specified in the Honda Common Service manual (8 ft-lb.) for tapered roller bearings but less than that specified in the VTR shop manual (18 ft-lb.) for caged ball bearings. There is a wide range of opinions on the Internet about the proper installation torque. This approach worked for me. YMMV
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