Steering Head Bearings

I have a 1981 XJ650 Maxim. The steering head bearings need replacement. I have rebuilt bikes in the past and installed roller bearings. I have no plans to fully rebuild this bike and was wondering if it is possible to just replace the ball bearings upper and lower without fully disassembling the front end. I was hoping I could easily pull the top triple tree, loosen the stem and replace the individual ball bearings keeping the original races.

Any thoughts or assistance is greatly appreciated.

Larry

 

You'll need to drop the stem out to replace the lower bearings, and you have to pull the wheel (and preferably the forks) to do that. Chacal has roller bearing kits for the stem.

 

Replace the races too (it comes as a unit anyway) as they will probably be more worn than the ball bearings. When I did my two XJs, the races had permanent divits from the ball bearings. There was a noticeable "notch" and wobble at speed which was kind of scary. After the replacement, it's rock steady at all speeds. This can be a safety issue so don't wait.

I used All Balls roller bearing replacements and they've worked great. After the initial installation and about 2-300 miles of riding, you will need to tighten the top nut on the steering stem again as the bearings settle into the races. Do a search here for steering head bearing replacement forum strings and you'll find lots of other discussion on this topic.

You will need to remove lots of the front end to do this job but it's worth it in the long run. Prop up the front end and remove the front wheel and forks as this will make the job easier. Or you'll be supporting the entire front end instead of just the fork clamps and steering stem which will drop out when you remove the top nut. Also, remember to properly support the front calipers; don't let them dangle from the brake lines.

 

i think you'll find the races are the part that's screwed up

 

^ what he said.

The races take the brunt of the forces transmitted through the steering head, and the steering head dosen't move very much except during parking-lot maneuvers. Consider what happens when you roll wagon wheels over a stone road in the same straight line; it makes a groove. The bearings are doing the same thing to the races; rolling over the same small area every time the steering stem has to self-correct (which is all the time). Get the roller kit. You won't regret it.

 

All-Balls makes a set for about $20; needle bearings w/ new races. Put the races in the freezer for a few hours, tap the old races out, then the new races can be tapped in almost effortlessly...pack them with a waterproof grease though as thy come lightly greased to prevent rust and corrosion. Just replaced all frame and wheel bearings and was pleased with the quality (Japan!) imo.