Installing All Balls Racing Tapered Steering Head Bearings

[Scab]

From what I'm hearing, Dremeling off that lower inner race is going to provide the most excitement.

It appears dramatic, but really turns out to be quite easy. With the stress that is on the race, cutting with the dremel will take the race to a point where it suddenly fractures. It is not required to cut all the way through. It seems to me to be a 'safer' and more manageable method than a hammer and chisel. Hammers tend not to discriminate much.

 

[scubabiker]

I'm doing the All Balls tapered steering head bearing conversion now. I put the shaft in the freezer for a couple of days and tossed the bearing in a 425 degree oven. Then drove it down with a piece of copper pipe that fit the inner portion of the bearing well. I beat on it until the top of the pipe was pretty mangled. I too have a gap at the bottom that allows the seal to slide down about 1/32 to 1/16 of an inch. I'm afraid to have it pressed because of the other post here about the bearing breaking. The worst I can see happening is the stem coming a bit loose if the bearing moves down. What might be a problem is the seal not staying up in the frame tube to protect the bearing. I'm going to run a bead of RTV caulk between the bottom of the seal and the triple clamp to help hold it against the bearing. I get the feeling these are off the shelf bearings repackaged for this application and not made specifically for it (which would probably drive the cost up a lot). What I don't understand is why the factory didn't just make the bike with the better bearings to start with. Probably would have made the bike about $15 more expensive, but given Yamaha bragging rights about building a better product. The stock ones look like the bearings on my bicycle. I'm starting to understand why my dirt bikes cost as much as a street bike for a smaller machine. They are built much more ruggedly.

What I found worked for putting in the bearing races (cups) into the frame was to put them in the freezer. Then, put the old race on the new one and put a large socket on the old race and hit it with a hammer. The socket spreads the impact evenly onto the old race which in turn drives the new one in without contacting the surface the bearing rides on. I have a set of bearing race drivers from doing my own automotive repairs, but they don't come close to fitting the ones for the bike. Maybe it's the standard verses metric thing, but they aren't even close. I asked All Balls where I could get the proper sized driver (I like to do things the easy/right way, and it's a great excuse to buy another tool). They told me to tap it in with a copper (I assume they mean bronze) hammer, then drive it home with a piece of wood. They could make more money selling the right tool. If anyone reading this has a difinitive answer to the space under the new bearing, please let me know. I would like to remove the bearing and sand down the shaft a hair to get it fit all the way down, but the steering stops would get in the way of using a bearing seperator to pull the bearing back off.

One last thing, the dremel tool on the old race works like a charm. Mine made a "pop" and a hair line crack appered when I was 3/4 to 7/8 of the way ground through the race. Then a light tap with a chisel and it popped right off. Many thanks to all who took the time to right about this subject.

 

[JimLor]

Nice post! 5 months after installing mine and all is well. Haven't had any vague sensations returning or had the front wondering around. And I agree that heating the race and using copper or metal to drive that bugger on is the way to go!

 

[vabrzn]

Great post with a lot of good info!

Thx

 

[Scab]

Well, that is where I ran into problems. There is not supposed to be any gap under that lower inner bearing assembly. My concern with leaving a gap was "use over time." It is concieveable to me that the repeated jounce/rebound of the front suspension could cause full seating of the bearing, thus leaving the steering head in an imediate "loose" condition. Handling would suffer and the bearings could be damaged very quickly.

Someone with more knowledge than myself needs to chime in on this also.

 

[FJRMGM]

I guess I missed something - this mod looks like a considerable effort with only minor benefits?

Is this what happens in the frozen north country when you have all that "stuck inside because its too cold" time on your hands?

Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[Scab]

Roller bearings were an upgrade done by those that deemed their steering head bearings were in need of replacement due to handling issues or inspected bearing wear.

 

[v65]

Roller bearings were an upgrade done by those that deemed their steering head bearings were in need of replacement due to handling issues or inspected bearing wear.

or just like to take stuff apart.

 

[danvforce]

I also did the all balls tapered bearing when my forks were off at GP for a rebuild, the hardest part is removing the old race from the steering stem and pressing on the new seal and bearing. I'm lucky enough to have a friend who works in a diesel repair shop that has a press. If you you press the steering stem down thru the lower triple clamp the race come off easy. I've don't the tapered bearing on my last 3 bikes and just think they work better.

 

[JimLor]

I did it just because I've never done it before! No complaints before and none after. Also can't say that I've noticed a significant improvement...maybe a little and maybe because I want too! If for some reason I had to change them out, I'd seriously consider these just because they are "supposed" to be better.

 

[painman]

Has there ever been a documented case of OEM bearings having failed? I don't see the real benifits of the change out as there doesn't seem to be much wear action the the head area to wear these out. I have heard of an old HD trick is to tap a hole in the bearing area, (forks removed so no shavings enter the bearing area) to install a zerk fitting for greasing. Anyone have failed head bearings? PM. <>< :unknw:

 

[scubabiker]

Nice post! 5 months after installing mine and all is well. Haven't had any vague sensations returning or had the front wondering around. And I agree that heating the race and using copper or metal to drive that bugger on is the way to go!

Glad it worked out for you. Do you remember if your bearing didn't drive down far enough to hold the seal firmly? Do you also have a little gap that the seal moves up and down in? I'm not normally a perfectionist (just lok at my messy house), but I'm not a big fan of road rash either. So I'd feel better knowing if the gap is normal. Thanks.

 

[JimLor]

I did have a small gap. I beat the living crap outta that thing so I'm reasonably sure it went down as far as it was going to. I'm at work and the pictures don't show up - not sure if there's one in the first post here or if I commented in yet another post near the same time.

I'm not quite sure what is "sliding up and down." Once put together and torqued, I don't think anything is moving or sliding. I too have wondered about repeated bouncing, etc causing the race to seat further down and make the whole shebang loose, but no symptoms of that yet. While I haven't done it yet, I'm going to buy the spanner tool one of these days and do routine checks. Routine being if I feel something unsettling or maybe every 5 - 10k if I don't.

I used all sorts of logic to explain the space. the one I liked the best is that the old race is actually larger - sits higher - so for the All Balls to sit in the same space relative to whatever, there needs to be a space. I still like that explanation!

I'll look at the pictures at home tonight to see if anything else comes to mind.

 

[Lake Powell]

I have heard of an old HD trick is to tap a hole in the bearing area, (forks removed so no shavings enter the bearing area) to install a zerk fitting for greasing. Anyone have failed head bearings? PM. <>< :unknw:

I don't think that would work for the FJR, in that, the steering column of the frame is one large cast aluminum piece. From there it is welded to the hollow frame arms that wrap around the engine and the arms have openings to the steering column. So you would be pumping grease through out the whole frame.

Maybe you're on to something, maybe you could pump the grease all the way to the swingarm bearings and kill two birds with one stone? :yahoo:

Kidding....

 

[Lake Powell]

Nice post! 5 months after installing mine and all is well. Haven't had any vague sensations returning or had the front wondering around. And I agree that heating the race and using copper or metal to drive that bugger on is the way to go!

Glad it worked out for you. Do you remember if your bearing didn't drive down far enough to hold the seal firmly? Do you also have a little gap that the seal moves up and down in? I'm not normally a perfectionist (just lok at my messy house), but I'm not a big fan of road rash either. So I'd feel better knowing if the gap is normal. Thanks.

I did the steering column in the freezer and heating up the bearing trick as well. But I was able to get the bearing all the way down until the seal was in place and couldn't be moved. And I really had to hammer it to make it happen. Kind of like when you were putting the races in the head of the frame you can kind of tell when they bottomed out?

That kind of feeling.

I didn't use a copper pipe, I used a large drift punch and tapped (hammered) around the bearing race until it was firmly planted.

 

[Powerman]

I did mine last week, I just like the feel better of the tapered bearings on several bikes.

I didn't like the Korean bearings, but in this slow speed application it's probably fine.

The dremel tool cut worked like a charm on the inner race. I made a pipe extension for my punch to tap the upper race out from below, no room to hammer.

Chilled the outer race in the freezer, then a little more with some refrigerant trickled over it. Tapped them in with a brass punch. The triple clamp shaft was chilled the same way. Heated the inner race to @ 300 F in the oven, used some pipe over the original race to pound on. I saw a figure of 400 F, this is higher than recommended by most bearing manufactures. (spoiled by the digital controlled induction heater I used to have at work)

The 1 1/4" threaded together pipe A-frame worked well to support the front end. I tied the handle bars up with some string. Also tied the brake calipers to the side. Cleaned and flushed the forks while apart.

Only problem in this operation was removing the full gas tank. I plugged the outlet hose, but the gas decided to leak out the vent hose in a nice smelly pool while tilted at an angle!

 

[scubabiker]

Nice post! 5 months after installing mine and all is well. Haven't had any vague sensations returning or had the front wondering around. And I agree that heating the race and using copper or metal to drive that bugger on is the way to go!

Glad it worked out for you. Do you remember if your bearing didn't drive down far enough to hold the seal firmly? Do you also have a little gap that the seal moves up and down in? I'm not normally a perfectionist (just lok at my messy house), but I'm not a big fan of road rash either. So I'd feel better knowing if the gap is normal. Thanks.

I did the steering column in the freezer and heating up the bearing trick as well. But I was able to get the bearing all the way down until the seal was in place and couldn't be moved. And I really had to hammer it to make it happen. Kind of like when you were putting the races in the head of the frame you can kind of tell when they bottomed out?

That kind of feeling.

I didn't use a copper pipe, I used a large drift punch and tapped (hammered) around the bearing race until it was firmly planted.

I was still nervous about the gap under the bearing and went over to see my friend who has a press in his garage ($140 from Harbor freight, but it works). I sprayed it with some WD40 and tried the copper pipe I had used originally. It started to bend. My buddy had some galvanized pipe laying around, but it didn't fit the bearing well. Fortunately I had brought the old race along. Flipped up side down, it fit the bearing well and the pipe fit it. After some scary, ugly noises, there was a pop and the bearing seated all the way down. I packed the bearings with marine bearing grease (an old dirt biking habit, it holds up better and stops corrosion). Then used a large pair of channel locks to tighten it down, back off and retighten. I would guess I'm at about 30-35 ft. lbs. I may buy the proper spanner wrench if I can find one and see the actual torque. Unless you are loose, I don't see as how torque can be too critical. Unlike a wheel bearing that would get hot if overtightened, there's not much movement (read friction) of the bearing in the steering head. Be like the really old bikes, tighten it tighter to act as a steering damper. With the stem in place I could put my forks back on with the GP Suspension Eichbac springs and freash oil. plusI put new EBC HH pads all the way round and bleed the brakes and clutch. Now if I can get my valve adjustment finished, put on the heated grips and get all that plastic back in place, I might get to try it out. Tonight there is a storm with 70mph winds and a widchill of -20 below, so not too big a rush.

 

[scubabiker]

I did mine last week, I just like the feel better of the tapered bearings on several bikes.
I didn't like the Korean bearings, but in this slow speed application it's probably fine.

The dremel tool cut worked like a charm on the inner race. I made a pipe extension for my punch to tap the upper race out from below, no room to hammer.

Chilled the outer race in the freezer, then a little more with some refrigerant trickled over it. Tapped them in with a brass punch. The triple clamp shaft was chilled the same way. Heated the inner race to @ 300 F in the oven, used some pipe over the original race to pound on. I saw a figure of 400 F, this is higher than recommended by most bearing manufactures. (spoiled by the digital controlled induction heater I used to have at work)

The 1 1/4" threaded together pipe A-frame worked well to support the front end. I tied the handle bars up with some string. Also tied the brake calipers to the side. Cleaned and flushed the forks while apart.

Only problem in this operation was removing the full gas tank. I plugged the outlet hose, but the gas decided to leak out the vent hose in a nice smelly pool while tilted at an angle!

Careful, the EPA gets uptight when people vent refrigerant. You know, global warming and all that. We should get a break from them for driving our bikes instead of a big SUV.

 

[Powerman]

"Careful, the EPA gets uptight when people vent refrigerant. You know, global warming and all that. We should get a break from them for driving our bikes instead of a big SUV"

It was just a little bit, but I felt so un-PC-like.

I planted two trees yesterday.

 

[Go Far]

Thought I'ld tag this on the thread due to the 'bin-o-facts link

I was trying to find if the all balls kit 22-1003 fit a 2006 so I did a little research

Yamaha OEM part number for steering head bearings

2006 93399-99932-00

2005 93399-99932-00

Looks the same to me

And if you order from your local shop, here is a part number cross reference from the Allballs website-

ALLBALLS PART # 22-1003

Steering Brg - Seal Kit

Distributor Name Distributor Reference #

Motovan 05-752

GAMMA 22-1003

Parts Unlimited 22-1003

Western Power Sports 22-2003

Tucker Rocky 41-6237

KK 6700-391