steering race removal..need help

so ive got a set of tapered bearings and new seals from Z1. i got the bottom race loose but i'm afraid that i will ruin the thread on if i force it off....do i need to cut the race off to save the threads????

thank you

Pburn, Feel you have multiple probs. lower races are usually larger than upper and simpy fall off, also, am not familiar with keyed stem. any idea as to origin? G

Hi, I just replaced my head bearings and the lower race will come off without damaging the top threads. Just go easy and tap the race on both sides evenly as it moves upward. Bob

it looked as though the threads were "set into" the shaft and not protruding like a bolt so-to-speak. im pretty sure its the one that came on the bike new 78'650... the previous owner didn't do much and the bike was not laid down, so i cant immagine him going out of his wat to replace this....

the race will slide up untill where it gets to be a larger diameter to the right of the keyway in the picture.

not sure what the keyway is all about yet either. lol

tinlizzie, did yours look like this?

It's not a keyway; it's the slot for the steering lock. You can cut the race off, but you really don't need to. I'd just grease the stem up some and slide it off. Ed

thanks guys, I'll give it a whirl in the AM

yes it should come off easy you have already taken care of the hard part.

thank you timebomb