[Rainman]

After gathering as much information as I could, I finally tackled my steering bearings. I did my Dad's TW last week, so today was my TW's turn. I searched a lot for pictures and tips on how to accomplish this task and I found some good info on this site and others, but very few pictures so I took some to share.



I welcome any advice or other things that I may have missed. Feel free to correct me if I have done something wrong. Having the service manual in front of me helped. A special thank you to darnold87 for his help.



I'll try and make this a step by step, but its almost impossible to explain every detail.



You'll need to remove everything from the front end. Headlight cowl, headlight, blinkers, speedo, forks, wheel, etc.

I lightly tapped a screw driver in the lower clamp to spread it apart so I could remove my forks.

I marked every wire by writing on a piece of tape and sticking it to the wire. Most of the connections are unique, but I just didn't want to screw anything up.

The blinker assembly comes out in one piece

Here is everything marked

The handlebars with everything attached come out as one unit (after unplugging the wiring of course)

Now, take your wrench with a 22mm socket (same socket for the axle nuts) and remove the shinny bolt on top of the upper clamp.



EDIT:

It helps if you leave at least one fork in as the upper clamp will swivel. The bolt can be undone without the fork (what I did), but leaving a fork in does help.

Now, the upper clamp should just slide up and off

Now this is what you're left with

Now, there is a special tool from Yamaha that is used to take off the ring nut. I was told its expensive and hard to find. I read that most guys use a screw driver and a hammer or a pair of large pliers. I used a screw driver and a hammer. Its really not on there all that tight.

 

[Rainman]

Now, this step is crucial. The bottom clamp is heavier that it looks. You'll want to support it with one hand while you take off the ring nut with the other. If you are just going to grease your existing ball bearings, I'd advise to place a box or cart underneath the front head tube because you will lose a couple ball bearings. If you are replacing the ball bearings with roller bearings, then let the old bearings roll where they want! (steering stem already removed in this picture)

And this is what slides down and out of the head tube.

This is what the top of the head tube looks like. You'll reuse the ring nut and the cup shaped washer thing underneath it.

Underneath the cupped washer is another washer and under that are the bearings laying in their race.

Now, take a chisel and gently tap off the lower race thats stuck on the bottom clamp. Take your time, it will come off. Work your way around it.

It will eventually come up and you can slide of off but keep it, we'll use it in a little bit.

Now, we need to remove the old races in the head tube. I had a bar laying around that I used. Its about a foot long which is almost too long, but it worked fine. Put in in from the top and lightly catch a side of the old race. Work your way around the race while lightly tapping with a hammer.

This is what will come out.

 

[Rainman]

Now do the same thing to the upper one. Watch out because the upper one likes to fly. Mine landed about 10 feet away.

Now everything is disassembled, so we can get out our new bearings.

This is how they go together. You have a dust seal, roller bearing, and race.

Get some grease because the new bearings need some.

Make sure the grease gets pushed up through the bearings. I just put a glob of grease in one hand and used the other to push the bearing down onto the grease. Do this to both bearings.

Now, lets install the new races. I bought a bearing race and seal installer from my local farm supply store. It wasn't a perfect fit for these races but it did work great. They work for the wheel bearings too. They make installing the races easier because they get them in straight. Use some of your grease to lube the inside of the steering tube before installing the races.

 

[Rainman]

The bottom one going in. Lightly tap it in. When you hear a metal to metal sound, they are in. Take your finger and run it around the installed race as there shouldn't be any gaps.

Its in.

Now for the top one. This one is a little easier because you can see it. Grease it up and tap it in. Oh, and it won't go down all the way. The new race will stick up a little bit.

Now that the races are installed, we need to install the bigger bearing on to the steering stem. I put my steering stem in the freezer for a few hours. That helped a lot.

You can leave on the old rubber piece because it won't get into the way.



On goes the new dust seal

Then the bearing.

Remember that old lower race that I told you to keep? This is where it comes in handy. Slide the old race on top of the new bearing. We'll use it as a cushion when we tap the new bearing into place.

I used a couple pieces of pipe and lightly tapped on the bearing to seat it. It didn't take much. If you didn't put the stem in the freezer it may take more force.

Now the bearing should be fully seated like this.

 

[Rainman]

Now, take the stem and insert it into the bottom of the steering tube.

Then drop in the other bearing.

And then put on the new seal.

Then the old cupped washer.

And then the ring nut.

Now, we need to tighten the ring nut to seat the bearings.

This is where touch and feel come into play. Without having a special tool, you are going to have to tighten down the ring nut to your liking. First, tighten it down while moving it from side to side until it gets real tight. Don't lean on the wrench, but give it some good force. Now back it off a full turn and then tighten it by hand until all the up and down and side to side play is out of it.



Now, install the upper clamp

And put the bolt on lightly

 

[Rainman]

Insert the front forks so they can line up the bottom and top clamps.

Now, torque down the bolt to 65 ft lbs. This will tighten up the steering a bit. Feel free to take off the upper clamp and play with the ring nut. I probably did it eight times until I felt I got it right.

You can now start putting everything back together.

Remember to put on your speedometer cable before your headlight.

All done!

 

[PalmStateCrawler]

Nicely done. I'm sure this will come in handy for a lot of us. Thanks for taking the time to do this.

 

[B-dub]

Very well done! I'll be using this when I upgrade my bearings. Thanks for taking the time to document it and share it with us.

 

[jpuck]

i 2nd that good job, love seeing all the pictures it make it soo much better for the rest of use.

 

[n2o2diver]

Nice job! This will definitely help a lot of people out. Thanks for taking the time to post it.

 

[Omega Man]

Very nice! My TW came with that set of bearings, when I will have a chance to put them in-I don't know. I do know your effort will make things easier. Thanks, Gary

 

[jbfla]

Excellent work, Rainman.



I'm not looking forward to doing the steering head bearings, but your photos will help immensely.



Thanks.



jb

 

[STEVE IN SOCAL]

We did that last week on my '90. Took about an hour.We did fork oil and new fork boots, new tire as well.

My '92 came with newly installed steering bearings, but the PO had tightened the nut too much, making it hard to turn. Be sure and adjust properly.

 

[tw200sgp]

It is really worth it? I put taper bearings in a Yammy RD350 many years ago. It wasn't a lot of work but I did wonder if it was really worth it back then and even now.

 

[Rainman]

Thanks for the kind words guys. I just hope my pictures will help others.



I found that doing the steering bearings actually wasn't all that difficult. I put it off for months. I was ignorant about them and scared to mess up. Its not really hard, just tedious. Taking off all the stuff from the front end was the most work.



If you guys go to tackle it and get in a bind feel free to PM or email me. I'll help you out.

 

[STEVE IN SOCAL]

It is really worth it? I put taper bearings in a Yammy RD350 many years ago. It wasn't a lot of work but I did wonder if it was really worth it back then and even now.

Put your bike up on a rack, then turn the bars. If they turn without you noticing anything wrong, then they don't need it (yet). Mine were HORRIBLE. When I first got the bike I thought I had lost my riding mojo (first bike in 30 years). I just couldn't do a circle or fig 8 very well. Then my friend rode it and pointed out how bad the steering bearings were.

 

[Rainman]

Put your bike up on a rack, then turn the bars. If they turn without you noticing anything wrong, then they don't need it (yet). Mine were HORRIBLE. When I first got the bike I thought I had lost my riding mojo (first bike in 30 years). I just couldn't do a circle or fig 8 very well. Then my friend rode it and pointed out how bad the steering bearings were.

Mine were terrible too. They were what they call "indexed". The steering would sit in a groove when it was straight and about 45 degrees on each side. I just got used to them being so bad. Worth it? Absolutely. Should you replace them before they are needed? No.

 

[admiral]

Nicely done Rainman. Your pictorial is one of those that will help others for sure.



I'm also pleased with your expert use of the hammer, and couldn't help notice your use of silver duck tape on your instrument cluster. You must have access to the Red - Green show!

Perhaps you are a honorary member of the Possum Lodge!

 

[Gerry]

Great tutorial! We need to alert Wes to make this a sticky.. I will put a link in the Wiki so folks can find it from there. Thanks for making life easier for others. Gerry

 

[Rainman]

Nicely done Rainman. Your pictorial is one of those that will help others for sure.



I'm also pleased with your expert use of the hammer, and couldn't help notice your use of silver duck tape on your instrument cluster. You must have access to the Red - Green show!

Perhaps you are a honorary member of the Possum Lodge!

Hahah, good one. Yeah, the top of the instrument cluster broke and I figured with the front cowl on no one would see it!



Yes, the hammer and I are best of friends.