Stem bearing replacement

[dougster]

Hey All.
It is good to be back on the forum, after being away for awhile.

I am finally replacing my stem bearings, and I need help on how I can remove the lower bearing from the stem. I don't want to booger up the shaft while doing it. I have read all the posts I could find, and seem to have missed any input on how to best remove it.

Anyone got any help for me?
(BD, you got any new great way to do this, like you did for the coolant change?)

[recumbentbob]

This may help. I searched and found this.

http://vulcanbagger.com/forums/showt...g+stem+bearing

[gleam]

This isn't what you want to hear probably, but I take mine to a local bike shop. The $25 Canadian Pesos it costs me is a good deal imo. I don't have the tools, presses, welders or anything to do the job properly, and the consequence of getting it wrong isn't something I can afford either. They take the old one off, and press the new one on. On my Virago they said they welded a bolt or nut or something to the inner race, and used that to beat it off the stem, fwiw.

[hammer]

I put together the write-up in the link. There are lots of things I do myself but removing the bottom bearing and pressing on the new one was not one of them. IMO, go with gleam on this one and take this part of the operation to a shop. I did.

[dougster]

Thanks for the input. I actually got the bearing off without too much trouble after all. Now to knock out the races an d then put it all together again.

[skiman]

If you using an All Balls kit be careful myself and another member had to put a shim under the stem nut because it was bottoming out before it would tighten the bearings. You'll know when you have the nut tight and the fork is still flopping about.

here's the shim if you need one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BRAND-NEW-IN...item3f5be72dea

[dougster]

Wow. That is the first I heard of that!

[TacomaJD]

My 06 Nomad has 17k miles and the bars flop way too easy while tire is in the air. I've read of being able to tighten the steering head nut due to being a little loose from the factory, but never crossed my mind that my bearings could also be worn? I haven't gotten around to trying to tighten it yet, but I hope that fixes the issue.

[hammer]

By memory the manual spec on the 1600 Nomads is about 5 lbs. That never made a lot of sense to me given the 1500 spec is about 13 lbs. I had the wobble early and dropped the front end enough to check the upper and lower bearings and used 10 lbs and then 13 lbs and the wobble disappeared.

I just replaced my front tire and, at end of life, normal cupping was bringing the wobble back some. New tire now and tracking is now perfect. So if you have some wobble it could be the tire now.

The crescent wrench tool shown in my write-up works well but pulls a little less than a socket would.

[TacomaJD]

It's definitely loose, it wobbled bad when I bought it with 13k miles and what I figured was the oem Bridgestone Excedra or whatever it's called, wore slap out. I recently put new Avon Cobras on it and there is no wobble unless I let go of the bars or hold them loosely and it hits a bump or something in the road.

I was told to judge steering head tightness by lifting it up and gently flinging the handlebars to either side and if it bounces back really easily, it's too loose. Mine will bounce back nearly to center lol. Way loose. I come from the sportbike scene and am used to my steering being set up heavy with an Ohlins stabilizer, so the feel of this Nomad sometimes feels like I'm driving a clapped out 78 Datsun or something haha.

I'll dig into it one day and tighten it, but for now the new tires were a noticeable improvement making it manageable.

[gleam]

Originally Posted by skiman

If you using an All Balls kit be careful myself and another member had to put a shim under the stem nut because it was bottoming out before it would tighten the bearings. You'll know when you have the nut tight and the fork is still flopping about.

here's the shim if you need one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BRAND-NEW-IN...item3f5be72dea

That makes three posts about this I've seen now. I regret not sourcing one now, since I may be held up by this. I'm gonna hope that I can take the number INA AS3552 to a bearing place locally and get one. They want $35 dollars to ship that tiny thing to Canada.

I bought a 36mm socket to grind into a tool for the nut but after reading a few of these threads I think I'm gonna try to do it by feel instead. Curious to know how you make out with the shim OP, and how you got the lower race off the stem.

[skiman]

I found it when I was trying to seat the bearings. I tighten the crap out of the stem nut and the forks still flopped about so a put a washer I had that fit the stem and they tightened right up so I took some measurements and order a 1mm thick shim worked like a champ.

If you have to have bearings in their sweet spot too loose it wobbles to tight it doesn't track right you find your constantly making fine steering inputs.

I would stay to the tight side just where the bike tracks neutral so as the bearing seat in your no have to readjust all the time.

It's PItA but worth it.

You might try googling the shim measurements to see in there's a source in Canada I'm sure the is.

Here's one.
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/BRAND-NEW-INA...UAAOSwq7JUDmJK

[MrMikey]

Gleam, did you go with the All Balls or go with tapered roller bearings?

For the shim try M B S Motion Canada, 50 Akerley Blvd in the Burnside Park, Canada Bearing, 133 Illsley or National Bearing 100 Wright Ave. I've dealt with them all for work and they all were good at sourcing odd parts, even seals for my Chinese tractor......Mike

[hammer]

All Balls is a brand and cross-referenced to Kawi bearings are tapered roller.
I have Precise Bearing here locally and they cross reference the races and bearings to match pretty much anything. I am puzzled by the need for a shim. I don't remember any need for a shim for mine and the All Balls calibrated to an exact match. Maybe somewhat different for a 1500?

Their is no race on the stem for the bottom bearing. It's press fit onto the stem. I know you can get a good fit without a press but it's the way to go if you can access one. Locally the shop removed the old checked the stem was true and the gasket good and it came back all greased up and ready to go.

[gleam]

Originally Posted by MrMikey

Gleam, did you go with the All Balls or go with tapered roller bearings?

For the shim try M B S Motion Canada, 50 Akerley Blvd in the Burnside Park, Canada Bearing, 133 Illsley or National Bearing 100 Wright Ave. I've dealt with them all for work and they all were good at sourcing odd parts, even seals for my Chinese tractor......Mike

I got the All Balls kit, yeah. Which I believe is tapered roller bearings. Thank you so much for the places to try.