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Post by brewerswhoop on Mar 15, 2014 13:03:04 GMT
Steering head bearings were notchier than a notchy thing, so bought the allballsracing taper roller bearing kit.
When fitted lip uppermost (as suggested on the allballsracing webpage), the supplied lower bearing dust seal makes a very snug fit on the roller cage, to the point where rotation isn't smooth when the cage with the seal in place is offered to the (as yet unfitted in steering head) lower race.
Options would seem to be:
a) ignore it, because the forces involved when the bike is being ridden will soon wear down the rubber lip
b) fit seal upside down
c) trim the lips a little
d) leave the seal off completely. The OE bearing didn't have one, and regular re-packing of bearing with grease should counter the absence of the seal.
Anyone else fitted one of these kits, and if so how did you approach this?
Ta
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Post by CD on Mar 17, 2014 17:24:45 GMT
I fitted plain roller roller bearings with lots of grease and no seals. The movement is minimal compared to suspension so just re-grease when doing the fork oil.
The bottom race knocks out of the headstock but needs a heavy screwdriver with shaft that goes right through the handle. The top race was a real struggle. I didn't have a side hammer or screw press so very awkward to knock out.
The bottom race on the bottom yoke had to be slotted with an angle grinder and broken with a cold chisel in the cut slot. Just to upset Neil, I also had the bottom yoke powder coated. It was also cheaper and more durable than paint.
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Post by alan292 on Mar 17, 2014 17:59:33 GMT
I fitted plain roller roller bearings with lots of grease and no seals. The movement is minimal compared to suspension so just re-grease when doing the fork oil. The bottom race knocks out of the headstock but needs a heavy screwdriver with shaft that goes right through the handle. The top race was a real struggle. I didn't have a side hammer or screw press so very awkward to knock out. The bottom race on the bottom yoke had to be slotted with an angle grinder and broken with a cold chisel in the cut slot. Just to upset Neil, I also had the bottom yoke powder coated. It was also cheaper and more durable than paint. Is that not a bit drastic CD ?...are they really that hard to do ?...If so should I ever need to get mine done the yokes are going into the bike shop to be done ! |
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Post by HRHpenfold on Mar 17, 2014 18:42:22 GMT
They are hard to do, you use a chisel to drift the bottom bearing up, using the chisel as a wedge between the bearing and the lower yoke, once you have space you can drift it up the stem, if it won't move at all, then it's easier to cut the bearing and split it with a chisel, you don't often need to do that though,
to fit the new bearing, you need a bit of pipe that just fits over the stem, to drift the new bearing down, having first fitted the seal, I have never known the seal to interfere with the bearing,
Drifting out the collars in the stem is the problem, the bottom knocks out easy as there is space to hit the collar with a long drift,
The top one is the difficult one, as there is no space, we have a tool to extract these, basically you wind the tool out until it is tight on the bearing stop, then you drift the collar out, failing this we cut a bit of bar then weld it to the tapered inner bit of the collar, the contraction of the weld makes the collar loose, but you can drift it from underneath via the welded bar,
If you then Dremel the stop a bit either side, then next time you have the space to drift it out, making the job much easier,
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Post by CD on Mar 18, 2014 8:57:05 GMT
Mine were an absolute pig to remove. The bottom inner race was so tight against the fork yoke the only option was to grind a slot in the bearing race. But that was far less drastic to the yoke than the hammering it would otherwise have needed. Grind a deep slot (in the bearing race only) and the cold chisel will crack it off.
The slot (or was it slots?) in the frame headstock to get a purchase on the outer bearings are not very deep. I had a friend holding a lever against my drift bar to stop it slipping while I thumped on the race.
The top race would have been easier with slots cut into the race, but I didnt have a Dremel tool back then. I never though of welding it.
My new bearings were also tight to fit into the frame and took a while to settle down so maybe my bike had tight tolerances.
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Post by brewerswhoop on Mar 18, 2014 19:28:25 GMT
Thanks Guys.
Mine were only a semi-pig to get out, so it sounds like I was lucky there! Ended up trimming about a mm from the rubber lip on the seal, and now everything is lovely.
Assistance much appreciated.
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