Steering Head Bearing How to

mbodell · 05-29-2007, 02:46 PM

Well first I am going to apologize for the lack of pictures, I forgot my camera and it was two hours away to get it.
The first thing to do is to get a copy of the service manual. It is posted multiple times on the forums. You will need it for the torque specs.

I used the All Balls Bearings for this repair. Part number 22-1004

I also did the racetech springs at the same time, so you may be able to get the forks out with the wheel attached if you are more skilled than me.

Put the bike on the center stand and tie something heavy to the back. I used a crackshaft from a 351. I also used and engine lift attached to the front of the frame to help secure the frame when I hit out the races. (this was probably overkill)

Remove the fairing first. The quickest was is to just remove the metal bracket from the frame. The next step was to remove the brakes, which is two bolts on each. The hardest thing to figure out was how to get the front wheel off. I ended up using a 5/8 sparkplug socket and a socket to 1/2" allen wrech thing that fit in the other end of the sparkplug socket from autozone. This worked out great since we could torque the axel back in to spec.

The next step was to drop out the forks. After you have the forks out, you need a 27mm socket for the top steering nut. (I took off the handlebar to make things easier, you might not have to) After you get past that, there are two wierd sprocket nuts. We couldn't find a tool for this, Yamaha makes one for $65, but I am cheap. I used a mountain bike sprocket remover from park tools. the top nut comes right off without the tool, the bottom ones does have some torque on it. After that the steering assembly comes right out.

Now for the fun part.
The lower race will come off with a chisel and a good size hammer. It takes awhile, but it will eventually move. The old races in the headstock come out with a long heavy steel rod with a flat tip. I used a 18" steel spike that was flattened on the end. Each race has a spot on the side that you can place the rod to hammer out the old ones. This takes a few hits on each size with a good size hammer and steel rod.

Now that everything is off you have to put on the new stuff. For the lower race on the stem, I used a piece of L grade 1 1/4" copper. You need about two feet. It went on really easily, but you will bend up the end of the copper.
To get the other two races in was also not that bad. The top one you can hammer in with a mallet. For the bottom I used the mallet until it was flush with the frame and then finished it up with a flat steel rod. (be very careful doing this, one slip/scratch and you will need to get a new race)
After that, you just put all the seals in, and put it back together. I torqued the bottom top steering sprocket down hard to set everything and then loosened it and tightened it to the point that it put a little more resistance from side to side than I wanted. This turned out to be just right after everything was together again.
My old bearings were seized and rusted after only 7600 miles. Best $40 spent on the bike yet.

I meant to post this under the mod section. If a moderator can move it that would be great.

Randomchaos · 05-29-2007, 03:15 PM

I plan on checking my head and wheel bearings soon. I have been occasionally feeling a grinding of sorts in the front when coming to a stop over the last weekend, and still have the random wobble. Can you be a little more descriptive in how you set the races? Did you use a copper pipe?

mbodell · 05-29-2007, 03:48 PM

I set the bottom race on the stem with the 1 1/4" copper pipe. This was the only one that gives anyone trouble. The copper pipe made it really easy. I did the ones in the frame with a really hard mallet. The bottom one in the frame would probably be easy with a large piece of copper that was the same size, but I just used a flat metal rod and tapped around the edge (carefully) to finish that one. The top one only required the mallet. I was afraid to do this myself, but after doing it, it wasn't that bad. It just took some muscle and patience. A set of metric allen wrench socket adapters will make life easier too.

vaanen · 05-29-2007, 04:11 PM

Brilliant! Thanks for that mbodell! i'm doing mine next week, i'll be taking pictures to add to the guide!

mbodell · 05-29-2007, 08:00 PM

Glad to help. The new bearings are so smooth now I think it is better than stock.

Randomchaos · 06-13-2007, 10:49 AM

Well I got everything pulled apart, and the old races out/off. Thanks for the tip on just removing the front fairing stay from the frame. That saved a good 15-20 minutes of parts removal time! I plan on taking pics of me putting the new races in today, along with some other odds and ends of pictures to add to this thread!

04Fizzer · 06-13-2007, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randomchaos

Well I got everything pulled apart, and the old races out/off. Thanks for the tip on just removing the front fairing stay from the frame. That saved a good 15-20 minutes of parts removal time! I plan on taking pics of me putting the new races in today, along with some other odds and ends of pictures to add to this thread!

I did all my work without pulling the fairing off. It might have made things easier, but it wasn't necessary.

mbodell · 06-13-2007, 12:49 PM

I figured that with dropping the forks out, if I left the fairing, I wouldn't have been able to get my torque wrench on the bolts to secure the forks in place. Plus it only takes a few minutes, why risk scratching your plastic?

Donnie869 · 06-13-2007, 02:12 PM

I'm doing mine tonight. I am hoping that its just a clean and repack. I can't see the bearings going bad in one year. I will also take pics and post them in this thread. Keep on riding !

Randomchaos · 06-13-2007, 02:16 PM

How many miles do you have on the bike?

Donnie869 · 06-13-2007, 02:20 PM

all most 8,000

mbodell · 06-13-2007, 02:31 PM

Mine went at 7500 and some of them were seized. The all balls tapered bearings can handle more torque and are so much smoother. I would just recommend replacing them because the Yamaha seal very much a piece of recall worthy crap and won't keep out the water. You will be doing almost just as much work anyhow.

Donnie869 · 06-13-2007, 02:34 PM

damnit man! where's the love and support? Your are supposed to say " its okay donnie go ahead with the repack" but nooooo I gotta replace the bearings and blah blah blah. What a fool I am !
love you to

Donnie869 · 06-13-2007, 02:42 PM

check this out. this is why I want to take mine apart.
My steering bearings at 14,500km

mbodell · 06-13-2007, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donnie869

check this out. this is why I want to take mine apart.
My steering bearings at 14,500km

That is what mine looked like. They were pitted and just plain awful. I was intimidated doing the work. The mechanic who looked at my bike for me initially acted like I was crazy to repack them since by that point most of the time intensive labor was done. It really wasn't hard the way that I did it. It sucks to have to do the extra work, but it is better to do the extra 30 minutes of work while you have it apart and spend the $40.
Repacking them and riding with the knowledge that you are riding on bearings that you know will fail in 4-5k miles then spending another hour to take it all apart again doesn't seem like the right answer to me. If you live near the beach in Florida, you can fly me down and I will do them for you.

(I am sure that the Florida weather isn't going to prolong the life of those bearings either)