thirdgenlxi
08-03-2009, 02:51 AM
Yup, finally changed out my steering head bearings today. It was actually alot easier than I thought it would be! I didn't take nearly enough details pics to write up a how-to (sorry!), but I did snap a few along the way. This is the poor mans method, lol... I didn't have any of the "proper" tools (special socket, bearing/race drivers, hydraulic press, stands, etc), so I had to improvise, hahah
Improvision #1... all I had was a rear stand. If I tried to jack the front up with my floor jack under the headers, it would just tip over off the stand (of course I caught it before that actually happened). So I strapped it down to the stand
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01313.jpg
Then I fiddled with the jack some more and finally found a good balance point on the headers where it would go up straight
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01314.jpg
Take apart everything up top
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01316.jpg
Then pull it all out the bottom
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01315.jpg
Spare parts aside
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01331.jpg
Improvision #2 - didn't have the bearing race removers, so a long flathead screwdriver and a BFH had to suffice
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01317.jpg
Improvision #3 - didn't have the race installers, so I used the old races flipped backwards to pound in the new ones. Worked like a champ!
Lower
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01319.jpg
Upper
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01323.jpg
It's nice they give you some little indents on both sides to be able to get a screwdriver on the races to pound them out
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01320.jpg
Old bearings VS new bearings. The OEM ones are roller ball bearings, where as the new ones I'm using are tapered roller bearings from AllBalls
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01324.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01326.jpg
Can't forget the lube!! Put plenty of grease in the new bearings
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01328.jpg
Improvision #4 - didn't have any bearing drivers, so once again one of the old races fit perfectly to drive it down. I had this piece of pipe, but it wasn't long enough to hit with a hammer (although manual says to use a hydraulic press), so I had to use the weight of the pipe itself as a slide hammer to bang the bearing down
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01329.jpg
Took a few good smacks, but worked perfectly!
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01330.jpg
Gotta grease up the new races with plenty of grease too
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01336.jpg
This is the bearing preload adjuster nut... the one I didn't have the socket for. Usually you could use a screwdriver and hammer, but it must be torqued properly so I needed some way to get a torque wrench on it
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01334.jpg
Improvision #5 - I made this! It's just the lil spanner wrench that came in my tool kit for the rear shock. I cut a 3/8" square hole in the handle exactly 2 inches from the center point of the adjuster nut
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01338.jpg
Used the equation (ACTUAL = INDICATED x (WRENCH LENGTH + EXT. LENGTH) / WRENCH LENGTH). Found that my torque values went from 216 in. lbs down to 175 in. lbs. Worked like a champ!
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01339.jpg
Then reinstall forks
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01341.jpg
Snug everything up
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01343.jpg
Improvision #1... all I had was a rear stand. If I tried to jack the front up with my floor jack under the headers, it would just tip over off the stand (of course I caught it before that actually happened). So I strapped it down to the stand
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01313.jpg
Then I fiddled with the jack some more and finally found a good balance point on the headers where it would go up straight
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01314.jpg
Take apart everything up top
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01316.jpg
Then pull it all out the bottom
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01315.jpg
Spare parts aside
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01331.jpg
Improvision #2 - didn't have the bearing race removers, so a long flathead screwdriver and a BFH had to suffice
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01317.jpg
Improvision #3 - didn't have the race installers, so I used the old races flipped backwards to pound in the new ones. Worked like a champ!
Lower
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01319.jpg
Upper
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01323.jpg
It's nice they give you some little indents on both sides to be able to get a screwdriver on the races to pound them out
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01320.jpg
Old bearings VS new bearings. The OEM ones are roller ball bearings, where as the new ones I'm using are tapered roller bearings from AllBalls
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01324.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01326.jpg
Can't forget the lube!! Put plenty of grease in the new bearings
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01328.jpg
Improvision #4 - didn't have any bearing drivers, so once again one of the old races fit perfectly to drive it down. I had this piece of pipe, but it wasn't long enough to hit with a hammer (although manual says to use a hydraulic press), so I had to use the weight of the pipe itself as a slide hammer to bang the bearing down
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01329.jpg
Took a few good smacks, but worked perfectly!
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01330.jpg
Gotta grease up the new races with plenty of grease too
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01336.jpg
This is the bearing preload adjuster nut... the one I didn't have the socket for. Usually you could use a screwdriver and hammer, but it must be torqued properly so I needed some way to get a torque wrench on it
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01334.jpg
Improvision #5 - I made this! It's just the lil spanner wrench that came in my tool kit for the rear shock. I cut a 3/8" square hole in the handle exactly 2 inches from the center point of the adjuster nut
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01338.jpg
Used the equation (ACTUAL = INDICATED x (WRENCH LENGTH + EXT. LENGTH) / WRENCH LENGTH). Found that my torque values went from 216 in. lbs down to 175 in. lbs. Worked like a champ!
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01339.jpg
Then reinstall forks
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01341.jpg
Snug everything up
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/thirdgenlxi/Steering%20Head%20Bearings/DSC01343.jpg