Steering bearing and races getting replaced.

[Mike m]

So Saturday ill be replacing these bearings and races.ive read alotta info on this and heres my plan.welding a 1/4 grade 8 bolt to the lower bearing race surface and use a punch to drive the race out.

[red]

So Saturday ill be replacing these bearings and races.ive read alotta info on this and heres my plan.welding a 1/4 grade 8 bolt to the lower bearing race surface and use a punch to drive the race out.

Mike,

Am I missing something here?  Why not simply use a long drive punch, from inside the steering head?  You can cobble one up from heavy rebar, if you cut or grind the ends flat.  A decent little set of large drive punches would not be too expensive, anyway.

Are you going to use ball bearings, or tapered roller bearings?  I hear lots of good news, from riders who switched to tapered rollers in the steering head.

[FJ_Hooligan]

There is a "lip" above the lower race that prevents you from getting a punch on the race to knock it out.

Also, the FJ already uses tapered roller bearings in the steeringhead

[Urban_Legend]

I read (not sure if on here or on Fakebook) of one cleaver cookie drilling a hole in the the collar that houses the race to punch it out, then reseal the hole with selastic or similer. Sound easier than flipping the frame (or welding upside down) to weld a bolt to the race.

All is a lot easier than using my custon made punch (large scrwe driver with a bit ground out of the end) and flooing the crap out of it and the race. It worked, but required much beer and some creative cussing.

Mark

[FJ1100mjk]

Type the line, or copy and paste the line below into a Google search, and you'll get all the details. Same method works for any topic that's been covered here a gazillion times over the years.

steering head bearings FJowners.com

[ribbert]

So Saturday ill be replacing these bearings and races.ive read alotta info on this and heres my plan.welding a 1/4 grade 8 bolt to the lower bearing race surface and use a punch to drive the race out.

Wouldn't a dob of weld, at say four of points around the race, do the same thing and allow you to knock it out evenly, working your way around?

Noel

[FJ Flyer]

I could not get the race out trying to use a long punch from above.  Luckily, Hippie Cane came to the rescue and let me borrow his custom-made removal tool.

[Motofun]

If you're into tool collection  (who isn't?)  Park tool makes a special tool just for this job.  It's about 3/4" diameter solid punch but the bottom end is cut and splayed out.  You force it up from the bottom of the head stock until the splayed end springs thru the bottom race and clicks back out.  Then drive the bottom race out.  Reverse course for the top race.  Works like magic.

[Old Rider]

I used a dremel cutting disk (a thin one) and cut thru bearingrace it then fall out.Carful not cutting into frame.

[CutterBill]

I've seen some FJ's that, due to production tolerances, had absolutely no lip showing at all. Not possible to use a punch. Honestly, the easiest way to get a bearing race out is to use a MIG welder to run a bead all the way around the race. It doesn't have to be a pretty bead, just get some heat into the race. All the way around, but don't burn thru the race into the frame. Once the weld cools, it shrinks the race and it will fall out. Or maybe with some light tapping on the new bead.

When I first read about this, I was skeptical. But I've tried it several times and it really works.
Bill

[jscgdunn]

Not on bottom.  Tried it.  Welder is correct option.  Even a bead part way around works.

[ZOA NOM]

I read (not sure if on here or on Fakebook) of one cleaver cookie drilling a hole in the the collar that houses the race to punch it out, then reseal the hole with selastic or similer. Sound easier than flipping the frame (or welding upside down) to weld a bolt to the race.

All is a lot easier than using my custon made punch (large scrwe driver with a bit ground out of the end) and flooing the crap out of it and the race. It worked, but required much beer and some creative cussing.

Mark

I did this on my previous bike, and it worked, but it drove me nuts thinking about the hole in the neck. It's just not a very elegant solution. Next time I will weld a flat bar across the race.

[RPM - Robert]

As Bill said, we usually run a MIG bead on the face of the bearing race about halfway around. Most of the time it simply falls out after it cools without having to punch it out.

[oldktmdude]

   Welding a run around the bearing is definitely the way to go if you can weld. Most of the time it just falls out when it has cooled off.  
Once the bearing is out, Dremel or die-grind 2 small opposing divots in the steering stem to allow for the use of a bearing punch next time.
  Regards, Pete.  

[Mike m]

Thanks.I seen one post were a fella drilled 3/16or 7/32 holes to punch the races out.