Tapered Bearing question...

Tankereng

Tankereng

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Joined
Mar 20, 2008
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2,361
Age
49
Location
Colorado Springs
Bike
2018 Goldwing
STOC #
7405
Having a heck of a time getting the new tapered bearing down onto the steering stem..... don't have a bearing/race drive....

Would heating the bearing help? Or do I really need to get the bearing/race driver?
 
The lower steering stem bearing is cooking.....hopefully it will expand enough to allow it to slide onto the steering stem with minimal assistance....
 
Don't know if heating is the *right thing*...

If it is a *ring* you freeze it to get the metal to contract making the inside of the ring dia larger.
If you heat a rod the rod expands making the outside dia larger.
 
Mark said:
Don't know if heating is the *right thing*...

If it is a *ring* you freeze it to get the metal to contract making the inside of the ring dia larger.
If you heat a rod the rod expands making the outside dia larger.
Click to expand...

Don't I want to freeze things that need to shrink to fit inside something? i.e. wheel bearing / races

and heat things that need to fit around something....i.e. tapered bearing onto the steering stem?
 
Heating will expand the race, you need to freeze it for 4 hours or so.
You can make a puller with with a bolt/nut and couple of strong washers to pull the race down.
 
I've already got the races installed in the frame/stem...

Working on getting the tapered bearing installed onto the triple tree stem (Shaft)....
 
Tankereng said:
Having a heck of a time getting the new tapered bearing down onto the steering stem..... don't have a bearing/race drive.... Would heating the bearing help? Or do I really need to get the bearing/race driver?
Click to expand...

Funny you should ask. I just did this today on my ST11. I got the old one off easy enough and got the outer races installed no problem (freezer time and some light tapping with dull brass punch). However, the last step was to get that new bearing down on the stem. I knew there was little to no interference on the fit but I don't have a press or anything to "properly" push that new bearing on and honestly, I didn't feel like seeking out some local shop to do it either. So I took my big brass punch/driver/chisel (? I don't know the proper name) and narrowed the end with a dremel to fit on the the narrow inner race of the bearing. Then all it took was some careful tapping for about 30 mins and I had it seated. And yes, all that hammering/tapping did produce some brass chips but I blew it out with compressed air. I'll admit this was not the best way to git'r done but I had done it before many yrs ago on another bike and was confident it would work (or I'd be placing another order with CBRbearing).

My wife had been cooking earlier in the day but I missed my chance to toss the bearing in the oven to heat it up. Wasn't needed anyway.... stem and bearing at room temp for install.
Regards,

Brendan
 
Last edited:
You could have placed the Triple tree in the deep freezer, and heated the bearing to help slide it over the shaft. The tapered seats go in the freezer to help them go into the steering stem..

Last time I did the ZZR1100, I had to use an angle grinder to carefully remove the lower bearing. Brutish but it worked.

A long piece of pipe that can slide over the triple tree shaft can be used as a drift to reseat the new bearing, but you need to be careful.
 
Use the old bearing as your tool, put it over the new and use a pipe and hammer. Never apply any force to the outside bearing, just the inner race.
 
Thanks for the great advice...this is the part I like about diving into a project...learning new things..

The part I don't like....killing a bearing and waiting for the replacement.....:doh1:
 
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