Steering Race Removal Advice?

[0m3nc0w]

Does anyone know how to get the steering race out of a '78 R100/7? My manual says to use a wooden dowel and hammer it out from the other end but as you can see it is impossible to get a purchase point because of the flange.

The lip on the race is less than 1mm... crazy. Some folks in other forums have used a dremel to cut them 90% and then use a chisel. I'd like an easier way than dragging this thing onto a flatbed and to the dealer.

[Bamboo812]

http://www.cycleworks.net/index.php?mai ... ucts_id=62

[Duane Ausherman]

For a professional it would be a good idea to get one of the several tools that are offered.

We used a drift pin that had the business end a bit splayed out, or "mushroomed" out. It would catch that tiny edge and by moving it around with gentle taps, the race would come loose a bit. Once the race moves a mm, then it is easy.

I am not sure that my suggestion will be useful.

[ME 109]

Can you weld? Well enough not to weld the bearing shells to the headstem?

A one inch long weld, arc, mig or filler-less tig on either side of the outer race will get them out. If you don't weld them to the headstem.

Surprised Duane didn't mention it.

[2valve]

Could you borrow a slide hammer ?. Or how about a tin of freeze spray, to shrink it a tad then quickly tap it out via Duane 's method .My BM mechanic uses the weld trick. No doubt ME109 could do the job blind folded.

[Duane Ausherman]

Can you weld? Well enough not to weld the bearing shells to the headstem?

A one inch long weld, arc, mig or filler-less tig on either side of the outer race will get them out. If you don't weld them to the headstem.

Surprised Duane didn't mention it.

I am surprised too. The welding shrinks the race down and it will fall out. We did that one too because one then has the old race to use as a driver for the new one.

If you don't care about the frame paint, you may use the oxy/act. torch to shrink the race.

[ME 109]

No doubt ME109 could do the job blind folded.

Eyes open for that one.

There was a time tho when I could easily have had my gearbox on the ground in less than an hour, blindfold.
Thank heavens those days are over.

[jagarra]

i bought a set of the Cycleworks race removers, worked great on the upper race, had a few issues with the lower one. Had to make a few adjustments to the tool to keep it from slipping on race edge.
Can't use arc welder due to electronic devise in my chest. Now if you have a can of canned air around to dust off your computer keyboard , if you dispense it upside down it becomes freeze spray, 2 for 1 there in same package.

[Ken in Oklahoma]

If you don't care about the frame paint, you may use the oxy/act. torch to shrink the race.

Unless you've done that or seen that done successfully I would be skeptical. Heat can help a lot of metal things to 'move'. But heating the bearing and the surrounding area by oxy-acetylene would be a somewhat slow process, and since the bearing race and the surrounding head stock are effectively 'as one' the differential expansion of the race and head stock might still leave a person with a tight 'pressed' fit. (Caveat: I have no experience with this method. I may be full of #$%@ here.)

As for the Cycleworks tool, I do have some experience with it. My '91RT had 'notchy' steering head bearings and Joan, who upon rare occasions still posts here, called an airheads tech session to replace the bearing. The tool worked, but just barely. The Cycleworks tool is way too light, in my opinion. I was turning the wrench trying to pull the bearing race out when the steel barrel of the tool (reminding me of a short piece of exhaust tubing) deformed markedly. But the tool did work. I offered to pay for the tool, but the owner was sure he could get it back into shape.

There is a type of tool, called a 'blind hole bearing puller' which is intended for the situation of extracting a bearing which has been pressed into a hole with a shoulder stopping the bearing outer race. I used one (of Harbor Freight's best) to extract a bearing from a Harley wheel. I thought the extractor wasn't going to work, but it did--just barely. Unfortunately a professional tool large enough to handle a steering head bearing would cost a whole lot of money, around a couple hundred dollars I guess.

In the future, if and when I have to extract a steering head bearing, I will 'weld' the race out with a MIG welder. Or rather I'll get a very experienced welder who is much better than I am, to do it. I would think a stick welder would be nearly impossible to use due to that long welding rod waving around. So that would make a MIG welder a better choice, I think. At least you're a lot closer to your work. That and the new and cheap auto-darkening welding helmets should get the job done.

Ken

[john5t]

The Cycleworks tool is the way to go, but it costs some money. I made a homemade version using some washers, a nut, and a bolt. Had to grind a bevel on the edge of one washer and cut halfway through it (so it would pop into place, same as the Cycleworks tool does). It just barely worked but since it is a single-use tool (I hope) I didn't want to spend the money on the Cycleworks version. Look at theirs really closely and figure out how it works and you may be able to come up with something yourself.