Barry wrote:The tool I purchased for pulling the races out of the frame adjusts from 30-68mm. It doesn't say who makes it but the part number is MK-2455. the lower race ID is 45mm. The upper race is 37mm. Now getting the bearing off the steering stem is another matter.....
Hello from N.J. Great job Barry. Perhaps listing the vendor / web-site and price of the tool may be of some help to members here.
Now getting the lower off the shaft is much less difficult if you just cut the cage off (exposing a suitable area to secure a bearing splitter or a place to strike against ) if you don't have a splitter ,with the shaft in a set of soft jaw's on a vise quickly heat and strike side to side the remaining inner race off the shaft. Or once the roller's cage is removed use a small ( bearing splitter ) long bolts or threaded rod and a suitable puller will remove it. ( some heat may still be required. ) But you did good on getting this done. there are a few ways to tackle this lower bearing depending on tooling and condition or rust and one's ability.
Gene Kap.
"Its not bad if you don't know something, but when you don't know you don't know; That's when your in trouble". Joe Place 1912-2008 (my grandfather)
Looks like I paid too much for the bearing race removal tool: https://www.ebay.com/itm/30-68-mm-Bikem ... SwmMNcP7zF
I did get the bearing off the steering stem by removing the roller cage and cracking the inner part of the bearing.
Did my stem bearings last winter. Used the same tool, OTC 4796 Steering Neck Bearing Race Remover to remove the lower race, got from Amazon around $40. That was the hardest part for removal. Bearing splitter removed the lower tapered bearing. Kept the old races, sliced with a hand grinder to use as an installation tool against the new race. Found a 3/4" drive socket to fit down the head against the split race and used the swinging press to install the new races. You can tell by the sound when they bottom. Could not remove the lower race with anything I had on hand. Finally ordered the OTC tool and had the race out in 10 minutes. Sometimes you just have to get the right tool.
Had trouble with the All Balls kit I ordered. Half of the kit was wrong. Had to order the OEM lower bearing that has the integral seal and a new upper seal. I've had good luck with ALL Balls in the past, but the kit for the XII stem didn't work out. I would just order OEM next time. Not all that difficult a job. Good luck
Yeah,
The All Balls kit had the wrong seals. I was able to modify the new bottom seal and just reused the top seal. This project keeps expanding. I'm rebuilding the entire brake system. I had replaced all the lines 4 years ago, but now feel that 32 year old rubber seals and other components shouldn't be trusted.
Seems like every time I turn a bolt, the project keeps expanding. I recently replaced the o-rings behind the oil pan for the same reason.
The bike gets older, with increased needs. I get older, with decreased capacity. Sooner or later, these lines will cross.
