Steering head bearing replacement.

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HowardQ
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Steering head bearing replacement.

#1 Post by HowardQ » Fri Jun 22, 2007 12:12 pm

Just a quick dumb question really, don't need fine detail.
What needs to be stripped off to replace the steering head bearings on a 2001 Falco, as mine are getting a bit worse and will need replacement soon.
I am assuming that mine are the original non tapered units, so it won't be just a case of tightening them up a bit, having removed the top yoke.
Does it mean all the plastics off and forks out etc., or can they be extracted in some way without doing all this. :smt017
Sure somebody has probably mentioned it before sometime.

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Nooj
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#2 Post by Nooj » Fri Jun 22, 2007 2:31 pm

Looking at the drawing, it's a big job. Steering stem and bottom yoke don't come apart as far as I can see, so it's a full front-end-off job.

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Fausto
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#3 Post by Fausto » Fri Jun 22, 2007 4:12 pm

I agree with Nooj. It's a big job.

You may not need to remove all the plastics if you can get to the pinch bolts to release the forks. Not done this myself (yet) so can't be exact. I imagine the hardest bit will be pressing the new bearings into place.

IMHO it is one of the best money/time savers to regularly (yearly) strip the headset and clean and regrease the bearings. This should keep them in good nick and delay the necessity for renewal - although ball bearing type headsets will always end up pitted at some point no matter how often you do this. :smt009

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anzacinexile
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#4 Post by anzacinexile » Fri Jun 22, 2007 7:42 pm

Had to do similar when I changed my forks to Ohlins. Had to replace both yokes (Ohlins are different diameter) but it ain't as bad as it seems.

Didn't have to remove plastics although removing the top fairing gives you a lot more room to work. Only thing that caused me bother was removing the top cap with a good fitting 14mm allen key (just tight that's all). Loosen the top cap while the fork legs are still attached as it gives you something to heave against. Once loose, remove the forks, tap of the top yoke once you have removed the locking castle nuts (having first straightened the tab washer) and the bottom yoke and tube will DROP out.

A long piece of steel rod and a hammer will drive out the outer races, the top inner race will slide off the tube but to get the bottom bearing off, I ground the race very thin and then snapped it with a tap with a sharp cold chisel.

You might want to take the new bottom inner bearing and the bottom yoke and tube to a local engineering jobbing shop or a good garage who has a fly press because although not particularly tight, getting a tube of the right diameter to drive the inner bearing on might prove difficult. Fitting the outer races into the frame was easy. Use the old outer races to drive the new ones in.

Sounds horrible but it was easier than it reads.

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Re: Steering head bearing replacement.

#5 Post by Thumper » Sat Jun 23, 2007 3:00 pm

HowardQ wrote:Just a quick dumb question really, don't need fine detail.
What needs to be stripped off to replace the steering head bearings on a 2001 Falco, as mine are getting a bit worse and will need replacement soon.
I am assuming that mine are the original non tapered units, so it won't be just a case of tightening them up a bit, having removed the top yoke.
Does it mean all the plastics off and forks out etc., or can they be extracted in some way without doing all this. :smt017
Sure somebody has probably mentioned it before sometime.
You may be surprised but although the bearings are plain roller type they can still be adjusted assuming there is no damage :smt001
Always expect the unexpected

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anzacinexile
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Re: Steering head bearing replacement.

#6 Post by anzacinexile » Sun Jun 24, 2007 8:30 pm

Thumper wrote:
HowardQ wrote:Just a quick dumb question really, don't need fine detail.
What needs to be stripped off to replace the steering head bearings on a 2001 Falco, as mine are getting a bit worse and will need replacement soon.
I am assuming that mine are the original non tapered units, so it won't be just a case of tightening them up a bit, having removed the top yoke.
Does it mean all the plastics off and forks out etc., or can they be extracted in some way without doing all this. :smt017
Sure somebody has probably mentioned it before sometime.
You may be surprised but although the bearings are plain roller type they can still be adjusted assuming there is no damage :smt001
They are angle face ball races but the theory is the same......

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HowardQ
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#7 Post by HowardQ » Sun Jun 24, 2007 9:36 pm

Thanks for all the excellent advice, it does sound a pretty big job. Thumper's comment is particularly interesting as I assumed, (not being taper bearings), that it would be pointless trying to repack and adjust.
There is only a very small amount of play, no clicks on heavy braking or anything and it still swings smoothly from lock to lock if the front is lifted off the ground, but I know it's there and the MOT runs out on Thursday. Struggling to find the time at the moment, (and the money!), with daughter's wedding in a few weeks, so put it in for the MOT on Saturday anyway, and it passed. :smt023 :smt001 :smt023.
Takes the urgency away a bit. Will partly strip, repack bearings and adjust in near future and see how it goes before replacing.
Many thanks again for all your help.

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