Re-greasing steering head bearings

[lrz]

Hopefully that is the extent because I've a to-do list one year long at least!!

I'm sure there is nothing new under the sun in this endeavor, but I am curious for tips/hints/tricks in addition to the re-search I've done.

Patient is an 80 g/s.

Yes, Spring may finally be upon the land...

[Major Softie]

If I was going to open all that up, I'd replace them with tapered bearings, regardless of whether or not the current ones are notched (which they most likely are).

[Chuey]

If I was going to open all that up, I'd replace them with tapered bearings, regardless of whether or not the current ones are notched (which they most likely are).

Do R80GSs not have tapered roller bearings?

Chuey

[ME 109]

+1 on new bearings. No point stuffing around.

[Duane Ausherman]

Read all about fork alignment first.

[Zombie Master]

Hopefully that is the extent because I've a to-do list one year long at least!!

I'm sure there is nothing new under the sun in this endeavor, but I am curious for tips/hints/tricks in addition to the re-search I've done.

Patient is an 80 g/s.

Yes, Spring may finally be upon the land...

You can pull the steering head down without removing the forks. If you do a very careful inspection, and see no marking on the races, and there was no notching, you could clean the bearings, dry them, re-grease them, and just tighten the whole thing up. I've done this dozens of times. Saves a bunch of work. If you do see some wear, then you can just continue on and replace the bearings. I've used Silkolene RG waterproof racing grease with great results. On my dual sport bike, I just pulled the steering head down after 20,000 miles of nasty logging roads, and the bearings looked like I just greased them. Original steering head bearings still in place @ 70,000KLMs. I'll be using that stuff for all my bearing servicing!

[lrz]

Top o' the mornin' all!

Thanks for replies, I am planning/hoping to take the route ZM has mentioned-see the aforementioned "to-do" list length & breadth...

Normally shortcuts do not appeal to me but in this case I really need to limit the scope as much as is possible; obviously if there is notching the plan must change.

[Rob Frankham]

You can feel notching much better than you can see it...

Once you have the forks out, clean the bearings thoroughly and reassemble the head dry... just the forks and yokes (sorry, trees ). tighten the top bearing nut by hand and move the forks from lock to lock. If the movement feels tighter at one point in the arc than another, then the bearings are shot and need to be replaced. If the notching can be seen, then they're not just shot, they are well and truly [censored]

Rob

[lrz]

I don't think the races are notched. Only been riding "Jesse" since August( a HOT month!) but as the temps dropped, freezing or below at night, the bars became stiff... I'm assuming old grease is the culprit.

[Ken in Oklahoma]

You can pull the steering head down without removing the forks. If you do a very careful inspection, and see no marking on the races, and there was no notching, you could clean the bearings, dry them, re-grease them, and just tighten the whole thing up. I've done this dozens of times. Saves a bunch of work. If you do see some wear, then you can just continue on and replace the bearings. I've used Silkolene RG waterproof racing grease with great results. On my dual sport bike, I just pulled the steering head down after 20,000 miles of nasty logging roads, and the bearings looked like I just greased them. Original steering head bearings still in place @ 70,000KLMs. I'll be using that stuff for all my bearing servicing!

I'm in alignment (sorry) with ZM here. It is soooooo much easier to pull off the top plate, drop the fork assembly a bit, and clean up the bearings as best you can, re-grease, and put back together when compared to the effort and tooling (welder or special bearing puller) that it would be well worth the effort and the gamble that the bearings themselves are un-notched. If the bearings are, indeed, notched instead, then you haven't lost too much time. Then would be the time to take the forks off and replace the bearings.

Of course the lower bearing set would be hard to evaluate at best, cleaning the races and working with an inspection mirror to see what you can see. But I'm from the if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it school. If the old bearings feel right with the new lube then you've won big. If not, well you haven't lost too much.



Ken