Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Just finished changing the steering head bearigs. What a job! Took about 1.5 days, the difficuilty being that i did not have many (or any) of the special tools required. The others managed to do their suzukis in about 3 hours because the bearings were, it seemed, better designed for removal without the speacial tools.
Anway, managed to get the whole thing apart without a problem and disassembled the stering shaft. Had to grind off the male part of the race from the steering shaft because without another lower bearing seal i could not affort to damage it by levering it off. Managed to find a grinder downstairs from the guesthouse we have been staying at
To remove the lower male bearing i tried making a tool by bending the tip of a flathead screwdriver i boughtt a local bazaar and hardening it. This didnt work though becuause i could not get eough bite on the lip of the bearing. Ended up wheeling the bike to a nearby car repair type shop and running a bead of weld on the inside so that as the weld cooled it contracted the bearing ulling it loose. I was glad to have remembered doing this once while working on a farm in the north west of Western Australia!
Put the whole thing back together and she works like a dream!
Found the lower bearing was the only one to be damaged, quite rusty, as were the others in the suzukis. It was also quite badly pitted from the hammering on the rough roads. I only changed the bearing race in the upper bearing not the female part as it was still in good condition and will keep it for a spare later on.
Now to try and work out where dad can send my new number plate and the bike will be back to race ready, till the next thing happens!!!
- comments