How To Replace Motorcycle Steering Bearings Without Special Tools
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- Опубликовано: 30 июл 2022
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In today's video I'll be showing you how to replace motorcycle steering head bearings. These are the bearings that sit under your triple clamps and on your steering stem and connect your steering head to the steering tube in the frame of your motorcycle.
Over time and after thousands of miles or kilometers steering stem bearings can get worn and/or rusty and this will negatively impact your handling, if the bearings have deteriorated enough they can become a safety hazard.
I'll be showing you how to replace these bearings without the use of special tools. I'm doing it because where I live special tools needed for this job can't be rented. They can only be special ordered and their total cost can only be justified by professionals.
Before you decide to try and replace the steering head bearings make sure to verify that they are indeed faulty. Elevate your motorcycle and make sure it's stable. Steer your motorcycle slowly and gently. If your steering head bearings need replacing you will notice a particular spot where the steering head sort of „catches“ or snags a bit. This is the are where the bearing has worn grooves and the balls inside the bearing want to stay in this grooves.
In order to access the bearings we will need to remove the front forks. First we are going to unbolt and remove the front calipers and move them aside so they're not in the way. Next we're disconnecting the speedometer cable. After that we're going to unbolt the handlebar. Before you actually do this it's a good idea to make markings on the handlebar towers and the bar itself so that you can return the handlebar to the same position. Once this is done we are going to unbolt the forks from the triple clamps. Access to the lower triple clamp bolts is often poor if your motorcycle has fairings and rounding out these bolts can be very bad news. So it's often best to be safe and remove the fairings so that you can get proper access to the bolts and use a more suitable tool.
Since the forks are out you can use this opportunity in case you want to install something like rubber shock covers / fork covers. After that we can remove the large triple clamp nut on the upper clamp. Once the nut is off you can remove the top clamp. Underneath you will find the preload adjusting nut. If you don't have the special wrench you easily remove this using a hammer and screwdriver. Once the adjusting nut is off you can remove the dust seal and the top bearing, and pull out the lower triple clamp together with the steering stem.
We'll be replacing the bearings with tapered roller bearings. Rollers are what can be found on most modern bikes and they are usually a better and more durable choice because the larger surface area of the rollers is better at absorbing and distributing loads.
First we will remove the old bearing seats from the steering tube on the frame. Slowly and evenly knock them out from the opposite end using a long rod or similar tool.
Once the old seat is out, clean the area and install a new seat by slowly hammering it in using a socket that is just slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the new bearing seat. Repeat the same procedure on the lower bearing race.
Next we need to remove the bearing from the steering stem. This is often the trickiest part of the procedure when you don't have the special tools. Start with a sharp chisel and slowly hammer it into the gap between the triple clamp and the bearing. This should lift up the bearing slightly and allow you to deform it. In some cases you will be able to knock the bearing away and be done but sometimes this isn't possible and you will have to resort to an angle grinder to cut the bearing. Obviously be careful not to damage the steering stem.
Now we can install the new bearing. First install the new dust shield and make sure it's properly centered. Then install the bearing by gently hammering it down using a screwdriver to contact the inner race of the bearing. Never hammer the outer race in anyway, this will damage the bearing and you will have to get a new one.
Once the bearing is installed we can install install the lower clamp and stem from below. The upper bearing goes next. Don't forget to use the provided grease to grease the bearing. Once the bearing is in finish things off with the upper dust shield and adjusting nut. Final adjustments to the preload are best made once you first test ride the bike. At this stage just hand tighten the nut to the point where turning moving the lower triple clamp doesn't immediately loosen the nut.
Test to see how everything feels. The steering should move freely with the slightest of input. If it feels too tight, loosen then preload nut.
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Finally someone who actually goes for avrage tools instead of the "Just go and rent some special tools from your favorite local special tools renter" xD
Thanks for the video.
I just did this 2 weeks ago. It was a learning experience as I wasn’t expecting the lower bearing to be presses, but basically did everything you outlined and it came out great. Keep up the great vids!
Pack the bearings with grease more thoroughly. It's impossible to overdo it. Just wipe away excess blobs, but you want grease pushed inside onto all roller surfaces.
For pressing bearings into place, I like to use self-made simpleton tools with threaded rods and nuts to do the main work. I find that it gives you more control of the process. You can still adjust any tendency of the bearings to tilt and stick by gentle blows to the right side. Worked a treat for me so far!
Agreed, I use threaded rod a lot to press stuff in and push stuff out.
@@RadDadisRad 🙏 So zhe brrrozherhood of zhe zhrrreaded rrrod finally found togezherrr! Time to rrreach forrrr worrld domination!!1! 😎
Sorry, I just had too much coffee… 🤷♂
I was able to use pvc pipe that was just the right size, with a threaded rod down the middle, big washers and nuts on both ends. But you can make it out of any type of tube that is just the right size for you.
I just keep the new race/bearings in the freezer while I’m doing disassembly, then prior to install I heat up the housing with a heat gun or torch, bring out the bearings in a little lunch cooler and normally they just slide right in, if not a tiny tap always does the trick.
Very good video, the only thing I would add is that after a day of riding, recheck the preload nut and adjust if necessary, an easy test for being too loose is with the bike in netural, apply the front brake and rock the bike forward and back, there should be no movement of the triple clamp relative to the frame and no "clunking" felt or heard.
Exactly. I hold little confidence in the rudimentary tooling to properly seat the bearings, however normal use will. Adjustment will complete the job.
That's a very satisfying repair. The grinder portion is not for the faint of heart, I would think. Maybe a Dremel would be easier to control for some of us. On my bicycle, I actually paid a shop which did have the expensive tools for that same job, the only time I've ever done that.
There's a trick. As the grinder gets close to grinding all the way through the race,the thin metal starts to oxidise and go blue. At this point you can stop grinding and split the race with a chisel.
It is also better to arrange a support for the grinder such as a block of wood for an arm rest , rather than doing it free hand.
A dremel would take forever.
Easiest trick for installing the bearing races is to use the old one. Put it right way up, so you're hitting the thinnest edge, then tap on that with a hammer, working your way around it. Once the new race is installed, just carefully use a punch or something small to tap it back out, because you're using it the right way up it leaves a nice edge to hit without damaging the new race. Oldest trick in the book, because a) the old race is about to be thrown out so doesn't matter if you damage it, and b) it's the perfect size for the job.
@@chuck7432Yes, I have one myself and not that cheep one. The point was not using specialty tools. Most people don't need race driver sets
Great video! Most of us don’t have a full workshop at home, so this was perfectly explained for anyone wanting to have a go.
Small tip: you can place bearing seats into the freezer, and use a heat gun on the part where you install them.
Sometimes cold bearing seats drop right into the hot part with no hammering needed.
Exactly ! It works great
I genuinely actually enjoy the bike content
Love the background music, lol!
What’s that track?
Nicely done 👍
But you should grease the bearings a bit more (the best way I know how is to put grease in your palm then with the other hand you press the bering in to it, so that the grease penetrates it deeper) at least the lower bearing was looking a bit dry, I presume you did it better just not on the video 😜
Super edukativni kanal i videi 💪, pozdrav iz Slovenije
Don't forget to service yr forks. The oil needs changing regularly if yr riding off road. MX bikes change fork oil every 20hrs it's almost always overlooked, and really improves the front end. I'm betting yr bikes never been done unless its had a leaking seal.
Excellent.
I didn't see where you greased the lower bearing before enclosing it in the stem housing. While these are very low speed, minimal movement bearings, I would tend to favor packing both bearings with grease before installing them. Not packing too thick to slow movement but thick enough to prevent water and debris from easy ingress.
I noticed that also the video shows him installing with the lower bearing dry. I would assume that off camera he realized this and took it back out and applied grease only cause when he was greasing the upper bearing and installing that one he made a caption to do that to both upper and lower bearing so I would think he noticed his mistake and then removed it to apply grease
Dry as a bone !
I don't know if it's what you were going for, but I love the sort of "How it's Made" vibe to the tutorial. Really takes me back :D
Good tutorial. My only criticism would be that the bearings should be packed better with grease
Super duper helpful! I am looking to do a front end swap and this such a great guide for the service portion!
Very enlightening and well done. Thank you for this.
Please do a ICONIC ENGINE video about the 6.7L Hoonicorn V8
Super easy to follow, great vid
For all that time and effort, start with quality bearings. All Balls is one of the best. ( Yes, they make tapered roller bearings in spite of their name.) I'm not sure about those bearings made in India. I've seen Indian "quality" steel products before.
Not all bikes require special tools. I replaced the bearings on my Yamaha FJR with no special tools other than wrench for the adjusting nut up top which is quite common - some call it a spanner wrench ( I thought "spanner" was just a British term for wrench), some call it hook wrench which describes what it looks like.
When those new bearings are a bit too tight to slide on to the steering stem, put them in your freezer for 30 minutes and then install them before they warm up.
That adjusting nut really should be installed with a torque wrench. Often times, your shop manual will give you an initial torque spec to seat the bearing after which you undo the nut. Then re-torque the nut to the final torque spec. Your steering assembly is far too critical to be going cheap on tools. I already lost one friend after improperly adjusted the steering stem nuts cause a loss of control.
Or C-spanner
Nice job. Very helpfull for me. Thanks
Pozdrav. Pratim te već duže vrijeme i svaka čast na vrhunskim videima koje objavljuješ, stvarno uživam u njima. Molim te da u bližoj budućnosti napraviš video s usporedbom CVT - Dvije spojke - klasični automatik , iz tehničkog aspekta ali također volio bi čuti i tvoje osobno mišljenje koji je tebi najdraži, kojegbi koristio u kakvom tipu vozila isl. :-) . Hvala i Živio 🙂
Another great video. Need update on 4AFE turbo project.
Absolutely fantastic ,thank you
Very helpful, thanks
Great work thanks
Love your channel, bro. I don't even like motorcycles, but I watched the video to support. Any update on "boost school"?
I was fortunate enough to learn this job from a 70s service manual where this is the instructed method lol
That Delta Integrale from 3:32 is gorgeous
Very Good advice.
Thank you!
Ahh, the old Dommie. Good choice. That was my 22nd bike. On to my 34th now ;)
I just keep the new race/bearings in the freezer while I’m doing disassembly, then prior to install I heat up the housing with a heat gun or torch, bring out the bearings in a little lunch cooler and normally they just slide right in, if not a tiny tap always does the trick.
I put the bearings in a Ziploc bag that I suck the air out of prior to putting them in the freezer though so condensation doesn’t build up, don’t want moisture inside of those things lol
G'day mate love your channel I would love to see you do a spot on 2 strokes and expansion Chambers how they work2👍
ok this is a good video and good instruction eccept on one part the new bearings has to be packed with greasse by pushing greasse behind the rollers of the bearing this is essential for the long life of the bearings i am a car mecanic myuself with 15 years experience and replace or repacked similar bearings on trailers and those you do not pack with greasse to not last they get rusty fast so i suggest everyone who fo.llowed the instructions and isntalled roller bearing to oninstall the new bearing and pack them propely the lower bearing can be packed in place just putting greasse on top of the rollers while installing does almost nothing
Another secret to hammering the lower inner race down the shaft is to tap it alternatively on two symmetrically opposed fixed points, with moderate force, to prevent jamming it. It will go down surprisingly fast. This was taught to me by an old man passing by the garage while I was struggling with mine. Before it, I tried heating the inner race to 180 degrees and freezing the shaft as the service manual instructed, but it was in vain.
Nice Lancia Delta HF in the background on 03:30 !
"at the very least lift up the front part of the bike so that the front wheel is in the air" .. aight brb just gonna go pop a phat wheelie to check me steering bearings 😉 🤣. Love this channel bro
Fantastic!! Please pack the bearing more thoroughly than shown. Put a large dab of grease in the palm of one hand, and scrape grease into the larger diameter side of the bearing's gap until the grease squeezes out of the rollers.
Great video, could make something informative about - automatic disconnection of cylinders in engines how it works, atc. ? Please
Ahh, the old Dommie. Good choice. That was my 22nd bike.
Great!
In college, my buddies had access to *liquid nitrogen* . In taking off the outer race of the bottom bearing from the steering stem, we cooled the stem
with the liquid nitrogen, and then heated the race with a bunsen cigarette lighter. The race lifted right off with no binding! And it worked in the
reverse direction when putting the outer race of the new bearing onto the steering stem. Absent liquid nitrogen, I'd try it with *dry ice* .
Literally looking for both. Blind bearing (1 side only view, can only pull) and its on a crankcase with very little access....
Physics is your friend...sometimes.
Those bearing races you installed in the frame? Freeze them for a day before driving them in. The lower bearing on the stem? A little judicious warming in the oven will ease the installation. You can still pack them with grease after it's on the stem and cooled.
I was going to mention similar, though as well as warming the bearing, put the stem in the freezer. it'll still be tight, but it'll need less encouragement with the hammer.
Honda has dot marks in the handle in order to repositioning.
Water causes disasters in steering bearings; don't abuse on pressure washing.
I as a water pressure fundamentalist had to change the steering bearings of my Transalp twice.
And ruined a pair of aluminium wheel rims.
And re tighten the bearings after a short period of run once "set in" is done.
6:07 "sharp chisel" 😄 Bro thats an adjustable wrench handle with one end sharpened!
I know, cause I also have one 🤣
For an upcoming engine video please do sleeve valve engines like the Rolls Royce Cressy.
tapered steering bearings require a bit of "pre-load" on them to work properly where as conventional "ball bearing" (what was OEM) do not! the end result is you don't want excessive looseness in the steering! but, it is a significant change between the two designs! tapered bearings make for a much better "feeling" steering system for sure! wish I saw more of them standard on bikes!
mine comes OEM with ball at the top and tapered at the bottom. a rare mix
Hey, Can you please do a video about magnesium block and their application
3:44 nice way to catch water also
Was hoping to hear some feedback on how the new bearings/steering felt!
I would have demonstrated and applied way more greese actually packing the berrings as it should be done. Those were not properly greesed at all. Remember there is no adding more later once assembled. and just outside surface is not sufficient. They will just look like the ones pulled off way to quickly
LOL, I see your really enjoying motorcycles.
If you check rear of handlebar you will find a center punch mark that lines up with the split in handlebar clamps for standard placement (only on OEM bars) If you fit Renthal or aftermarket alloy bars they won't have a mark.
It generally isn't known but Honda specify tightening taper roller bearings initially to 35ft.lbs torque to make sure everything is properly seated then adjust by hand (I've made peg spanners from thick wall pipe, weld an old socket for drive)
Special tools are over rated, I've seen brand new bearings destroyed by not using tools properly.
(plus various other components by using tools wrong or not knowing how to use them)
It's generally better to use a tube to drive lower bearing on, even plastic water pipe works fine (it works good as a seal driver as well)
Ball bearings are used instead of taper roller for two reasons,
1:- they are cheaper.
2:- they are lower resistance due to less contact (600cc~1000cc sport-bikes almost always use ball bearings)
When I worked at MMI-Orlando, there were 'certified' Harley Davidson instructors who actually believed HD made bearings with a 'notch' to keep things centered and refused to believe it was caused by wear (I did general and specialised Suzuki training)
Ok now that last sentence is hilarious, and just adds to the stereotype of head-in-the-sand harley owners.
Another way besides a chisel or grinder to remove the bearing from the lower triple clamp without risking marring the visible surface is to drill two holes into the bottom of the clamp so you can use a thin punch to tap up on the bearing. Works like a champ and no one will ever notice the two holes on the bottom.
5:05 and the larger surface are also creates more friction, hence most high-end race bearings are actually balls :)
Small tip about bearing seat instalation. Put them in to the freezer for an hour an they will slide in without any hammering :)
The bearing races are very hard and brittle. To remove the lower race from the steering stem, I cut it only slightly with a small grinding wheel, and then hit it lightly with a hammer and chisel. The race promptly broke in half at the small cut.
Yes, we tried that. Usually works. But not this time
What a great tutorial...refreshing.....😏...dramatic....😳...exhilarating ....🙄.....nail-biting til the end....🙃....
Video didn’t mention when driving the bottom race the dust shield must have a few thou clearance so it doesn’t bind in the steering head.
A more reliable way to check the bearing is to do it under normal load from the bike. Lifting it off the ground removes the load. Better I find is to put down two sheets of polythene with oil between the sheets. Roll your front wheel onto this frictionless sandwich and you can freely turn the handlebars and much more easily detect anomalies whilst the weight of the bike (and you if you like) are loading the bearing.
This feels like such a random video from your channel, and the music is WEIRD too, because it keeps changing tempo, but like... It's good information and you've done videos that aren't discussing car tech before so... _clicks like?_
Great video question I have a 125cc am guessing it's all the same. I have stiff steering when i turn left but when my bike is on the 2 step stand moving the steering wheel left to right is perfectly fine no stiffness, when I ride its stiff is this the bearings. Thanks
Nice done but should you have greased the bearing before assambly the steering.
I would like to know how this job is done using specialty tools needed? Furthermore, what are the special tools required?
I think it is best to not play music during the explanation. There will always be people who don't like what you chose.
Nice video other than that 🙂
I removed my lower bearings using two screwdrivers to pry upwards then used two spanners on opposite end and it slid right off
so i have a 05 gsxr 600. replacing the steering stem bearings and i noticed my top frame hole where the top race sits is more of an oval shape? i cannot get that top race in no matter what it just won’t fit. any suggestions?
Been through this shit last season, i had to chop them off with a hammer and chisel, of course before that the use of an angle grinder was mandatory 😅
You only got 1 nut though for the steering, wouldn't it loosen up over time?
When you do these bearings you’ll benefit from using way way way more grease on the bearings, give the stem a coating aswell on offroad bikes it only take one river crossing and water can get trapped in the head stem and end up as an expensive tear down, ask me how I know.
Actually you can't use too much grease. The bearings will only throw out the excess. Bearings take a lot less grease than people think they need. But they should be properly packed. I agree about coating the stem...
@@johnnyblue4799 I only say “way way way” more because every bearing I’ve gotten, the manufacturer cheapo out on grease and expects the everyday working man to be able to use every last drop from the tiny packet (which is usually not enough anyway.) but for non critical things like headset bearings and swing arm bearings, I pack the shit out of it only because I don’t want water pooling, not because the bearing needs it.
Make sure that the fork are at the same right as before
If you have the forks off always change the fork oil. You will be surprised how nasty the old fork oil can get and how much better the suspension action is with fresh oil..
Excellent ❤️
Can u pls share the Bike name & Part no of bearing.?
It's your way and the high way...😏😉
Oh lord give me the confidence of a guy with a 250cc bike 😂
Wait…what? I’ve never seen a Honda Dominator with a water cooled engine in my neck of the woods. What model is that specifically?
Nx250
@@d4a I see. Never seen one in Australia, only the NX650 Dominator. Cool channel by the way
It's a common myth that impacts such as hard landings or wheelies causes pitting on the bearing races.
This of course is ludicrous. If it was possible, car wheel bearings would get damaged every time a wheel hit a pot hole.
The usual cause of notchy steering head bearings is condensation collecting on the race where the ball or roller sit and causing corrosion.
Put plenty of grease around the bearing to keep moisture away from the area.
0:50 you can use a used tools or buy new and sold. Special tools are not very expensive worldwide, if your local shops are expensive u can buy by aliexpress.
0:16 this bearing is not worn out. This is just rusted because of lacking service. There is no grease since 5-10 years i think.This is one of a points you should check once a couple years, this is no big deal to take this down, clean and put some fresh grease.
Motorunicyclist, if you want to be more badass in your own mind.
They have those in my country and they aren't very badass
👉Any and every bearing will wear out at some point👨🔧
3:30 **Lady Gaga has entered the chat**
Y’all lifted that bike like it was a bycicle 😅
For installing bearings like that, I've successfully used the technique of wrapping the bearing in a wet cloth, and then putting it the microwave to heat it for a few minutes, before then just dropping it into place.
You're better off taking a sledgehammer to the microwave and to the bearing itself. It will save you a lot of existential questions. Moreover, you can do the microwave in advance if you´re in a hurry.
A pipe split and spread makes a better tool than a screw driver. I would not recommend Indian made bearings, and I would also not have any new bearing exposed to grinding dust. Also a good quality moly grease is far superior to the goo supplied with your bearings. Nice bike, Honda Dominator is a classic dual purpose derived from the XR600R but a lot more durable (read softer). Very cool.
The grinder is too big... I prefer a dremel.
Incorrect information. For example hanging a motorcycle to check will only work if steering bearings were overtightened and top bearing is notched. If the top bearing is smooth you won't detect it on this test.
To check lower bearing take a 50gal trash bag, fold it multiple times and put it under front wheel contact patch. Then and only then when you have weight on it you can check lower bearing good luck.
I wonder if 2 bikes can be welded together then have a solid roof with windows on the side to stop shit from hitting the driver.
Yeah I think bikes would be a lot safer if they had 4 wheels and a canopy to sit in.
"How not to..." would have been a better title for this video... Man, I usually love your videos but this one just made the hair on my back stand up...
1) Why didn't you just remove the wheel and separate the shocks? You are just torturing yourself with them attached to the wheel...
2) Removing the shocks is a great time to inspect the oil, replace it if necessary, same with the oil and dust seals.
3) "Slightly smaller diameter socket" is just what you need to damage the inner surface of the new seat, what you need is a socket that is exactly the same diameter so that you don't put force on the working surface.
4) Chisel and angle grinder on the lower bearing? Really? How about using a little heat on it before going medieval?
5) Trying to hammer the new bearing from a 3mm opening without damaging the basket is just too damn risky, how about making a very fancy "special tool" from a suitable diameter iron pipe? Will only cost a few bucks...
Thank you!