82 KZ750 Steering Stem bearings - tapered roller

I installed Timken bearings in mine first. I got them at Kaman Bearing. This time I got the All Balls bearings. I didn't check if there was a lip inside to use to drive it out again. I was just happy to have it back together after all that trauma and work. Not fun.
Steve

I think I did ask my question rather unclearly. I did mean installing the inner race of the lower bearnig on the shaft, which I thought was called the stem but maybe I have mis-used words here.

I tackled the job tonight and it went great. I have a bearing splitter/puller and it just paid for itself tonight. It is the style pictured and it took longer to assemble all the threaded bits than it took to pull the old ball bearing inner race off the shaft. Unbelievable how easy that was.

Driving the outer races out of the frame was a bit of a pain though, it took many many taps going back and forth to just inch them out of there. I also bought the all balls kit and now I am very worried because I never checked if they left a lip to tap them out whenever they fail in the future. Here's hoping they go forever!

To install the inner race on the shaft I first used a soft faced hammer to gently tap it down until it stopped moving, then a very soft drift and a hammer to seat it the rest of the way. It was probably about 200 gentle hits with a hammer to get it seated fully but I didn't leave a mark on it and it is all the way down to the bottom. I'm extra pleased that I remembered to install the lower grease seal before driving the bearing race down! Since it went on so easily this way I used the same technique to seat the outer races. I was going to get washers and some threaded rod to draw them in but instead just tapped them until flush with a soft faced hammer, then a soft drift to drive them fully into place.

Thanks for all the advice. I've been checking in on this thread throughout the day but just didn't get a chance to post until now. I'm inside reading up on the procedure to torque down the upper nut then I guess I had better finish that part of the job!

swest wrote: I installed Timken bearings in mine first. I got them at Kaman Bearing. This time I got the All Balls bearings. I didn't check if there was a lip inside to use to drive it out again. I was just happy to have it back together after all that trauma and work. Not fun.
Steve

There is no lip to drive out the All Balls race. You can see in the image I posted above that inner circumference of the race doesn't quite come to the neck. If it ever needs to be removed it will be more difficult than the stock race. Ed

Odds are I won't be the one to do it.
Steve

650ed wrote:

swest wrote: I installed Timken bearings in mine first. I got them at Kaman Bearing. This time I got the All Balls bearings. I didn't check if there was a lip inside to use to drive it out again. I was just happy to have it back together after all that trauma and work. Not fun.
Steve

There is no lip to drive out the All Balls race. You can see in the image I posted above that inner circumference of the race doesn't quite come to the neck. If it ever needs to be removed it will be more difficult than the stock race. Ed

When i had my frame powder coated the lower race got hit with sand. It was the tapered bearing style race, with no lip protruding. I ran a weld on the inside of the race and it fell out.

Braver man than I am.
Steve

DoctoRot wrote:

650ed wrote:

swest wrote: I installed Timken bearings in mine first. I got them at Kaman Bearing. This time I got the All Balls bearings. I didn't check if there was a lip inside to use to drive it out again. I was just happy to have it back together after all that trauma and work. Not fun.
Steve

There is no lip to drive out the All Balls race. You can see in the image I posted above that inner circumference of the race doesn't quite come to the neck. If it ever needs to be removed it will be more difficult than the stock race. Ed

When i had my frame powder coated the lower race got hit with sand. It was the tapered bearing style race, with no lip protruding. I ran a weld on the inside of the race and it fell out.

That's exactly my plan if it goes wrong. I've had to do it with wheel bearings on my old RX-7 so I'm familiar with the process. It works surprisingly well. I just really prefer the hit it until it falls out approach when I can use that instead.

650ed wrote:

swest wrote: I replaced the roller bearings I had in before. Getting the lower race out was a bitch. Almost nothing to lock on to. Had to make a punch out of bar stock to get to it.
Steve

I had a hard time with that old lower bearing too! I had to use a Dremel cut off wheel to score the race then use a small sharp chisel to break it.

Long afterward I saw a tool like that in the image below. It might have helped, but I can't say for sure. Ed

Attachment 00003a-24.jpg not found

Yeah that tool doesn't work. It's best to cut it in one place with a dremel and keep the existing race for installing the new one.

Also, make sure the shaft is supported when working on it. Do not use the clamps as a support. In my experience, they will bend.

I'll put up a pic of the bearing tool I made for my truck tranny. I've used it three times on the last 20 years. I didn't think of it when I did the ones on my bike. :whistle:
Steve