Dumb steering race question

[650gts]

I'm swapping the old ball bearing ones for new tapered ones.
Does anything need to come out other than the ball bearings?
Are those bearing grooves molded into the frame? Do they come out?

Thanks.

 

[jetmechmarty]

The races need to come out.

 

[650gts]

Thanks

 

[Kevin Werner]

I'm swapping the old ball bearing ones for new tapered ones.
Does anything need to come out other than the ball bearings?
Are those bearing grooves molded into the frame? Do they come out?

Thanks.

There are no , NO, dumb questions. I would use a drift and a hammer and tap the old bearing races out. Move around the races as you tap. When the whole race is out I carefully grind or sand the race perimeter so I can use it as a full size drift to install the new race and still extract the drift easily.

 

[jetmechmarty]

There are no , NO, dumb questions. I would use a drift and a hammer and tap the old bearing races out. Move around the races as you tap. When the whole race is out I carefully grind or sand the race perimeter so I can use it as a full size drift to install the new race and still extract the drift easily.

I hope I didn’t come off as the grumpy old mechanic.

 

[Jan_P]

It was long time ago I did it and have done it on a Kawasaki also
I believe I used at drift as per # 4 or a chisel
And I usually lubricate more than most doing it grease and / or Oil helps getting things to move.
The Kawasaki sat firmly so we had problems doing it .
If it offers resistance tapping it back again and apply grease and on it again can be a trick.
Dont remember how it looks but perhaps a Dremel tool can cut open it a bit
Carefully not hitting the frame with the Dremel ( bearing seat )
Yes and installing bearings has a procedure with some tricks .
Cleaning / Grease / Sometimes cooling / tap / please check online
I think I have seen a long bolt being used for installing

 

[gggGary]

note the top and bottom tapered bearings are SETS do NOT mix the parts! The bearing with the larger ID is the bottom bearing. Once installed the new tapered races are very difficult to remove as the ID of the new tapered outer race is larger than the old race and you cannot get a drift on the "ledge" to remove it.
IMHO Best method to install;
Take an old race and weld it to a piece of pipe,

about 1 1/4" black iron pipe about 6" long so it's handy to hang on to while you hammer. other end has a heavy washer welded in as a striking face.
this both makes a good drift. and and the welding shrinks the race just enough that it will be a slip fit in the frame bore. Seating the new races takes some significant impact action, when the race fully seats, the "ringing" sound as you strike has a much lower, more muffled, tone.
I should make a longer mark 2A version of this drift with an inner race on the other end to seat the lower race down on the stem. Reuse the old seal on the lower stem. Remove the seal BEFORE attempting to remove the old race, it will stretch over the race, replace it after the new race is installed. There is a notch on the stem flange that it sits in.

 

[jetmechmarty]

I have a bearing driver. It wasn’t expensive.

 

[gggGary]

I bought a fancy bearing driver kit with mandrels, a threaded rod, and nuts in a nice case, it was expensive, found this hammer drive piece of pipe works better. Resold the kit.

 

[Kevin Werner]

I have not done Steering head bearings since 1984. However, the collection of outer races I do have that have been carefully ground down in diameter suggest I have changed a tapered bearing or two. I don't remember the wheels falling off those vehicles. But then, my memory is failing.