Steering was notchy for a long time so I got new bearings (not suzuki OEM ones :nono: ) and finally got to it....
Stem on the way out ( this is the easy part :icon_razz: )
(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc280/Affschnozel/SSB10.jpg)
Here is the bottom inner bearing/race , some grease left mingled with rust:
(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc280/Affschnozel/SSB11.jpg)
Now begins the ordeal of removing bottom race off the stem ,the Haynes says :
"To remove the lower bearing....use two screwdrivers placed on opposite sides of the race to work it free" .
I don't have bearing puller so I had to improvise and Haynes way was laughable.
A 17mm open wrench on the race's edge and a hammer got it off after a lot of cursing :
(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc280/Affschnozel/SSB12.jpg)(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc280/Affschnozel/SSB14.jpg)
Now this one:
(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc280/Affschnozel/SSB13.jpg)
No drift that I had could rest on the edges of the inner race securely , Haynes says to curve the edge of the drift ,
so a lenghty screwdriver got bent and took a role of drifting races out ( try bending a steel drift )
I prepared this "drawbolt arrangement" to install new races in , but it didn't work for me ,they came in an angle
(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc280/Affschnozel/SSB9.jpg)
I tapped the new races in using the old ones ,that worked great :thumb:
Installed new bottom bearing by placing an inner GS fork tube and whacking it on
( a perfect match in diameter and I have two bent forks lying around :icon_rolleyes: )
(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc280/Affschnozel/SSB15.jpg)
Greased the hell out of the stem and the head ( scary looking I know :o ):
(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc280/Affschnozel/SSB16.jpg)(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc280/Affschnozel/SSB18.jpg)
(http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc280/Affschnozel/SSB17.jpg)
All in all it's excruciating task if you don't have a bearing puller for that inner bottom race :mad:
Kudos for having a go, bearings scare a lot of people. A good tip is to get someone to heat the inner race with a blowlamp while you lever it off. The heat causes the metal to expand and overcome the interference but dont go crazy, the trick is to just heat the race and not the stem, it only takes a few seconds, get it right and it will fall off. You can gently knock the outter races into position with a soft mallet but you must keep them square on the way in..
Quote from: Affschnozel on October 15, 2007, 11:26:54 AM
.....
All in all it's excruciating task if you don't have a bearing puller for that inner bottom race :mad:
A Dremel used to cut a couple of slots in the race makes removal easier.
I had to manage with the basic tools I have , no blowlamp or Dremel tool amongst them ,though I thought of heating it on the gas :oops: :laugh:
Yeah I was that desperate at one point.
The result is great , I forgot how smooth the steering should be :icon_lol: