Author Topic: Big difference with tapered bearings?  (Read 681 times)

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Offline Blackhole

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Big difference with tapered bearings?
« on: December 02, 2012, 09:56:35 AM »
I have a 77 CB550F that I am trying to put back together and wanted to know if there is a big difference when putting tapered bearings in the steering.  What I have now seems to move nicely but while I have the bike broken down is it worth it to put a set of these in.  Thanks for the input.

Offline crazypj

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Re: Big difference with tapered bearings?
« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2012, 10:14:24 AM »
Not really but they cope with bad adjustments better than ball bearings and have a higher load capacity.
You'll find many sport bikes use caged ball bearings as they are lower friction and also lighter (I guess it matters to marketing dept?)
Taper rollers are 'recommended'  just about everywhere  but they really work better with rotary motion rather than reciprocating motion (steering doesn't do 360 degree movement)
If you can get them cheaper than OEM it's worth the change but they are not 'fit and forget' as people seem to think
I fake being smart pretty good
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Offline Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er

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Re: Big difference with tapered bearings?
« Reply #2 on: December 02, 2012, 11:31:48 AM »
Depends on how bad the ball bearings were but tapered 'are better'. New SET vs new SET you may not notice a difference on everyday street riding. If replacing use tapered/upgrade without question.
As of today 3/13/2012 my original owner 75 CB750F has made it through 3 wives, er EX-wives. Free at last.  ;-)

Offline 70CB750

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Re: Big difference with tapered bearings?
« Reply #3 on: December 02, 2012, 01:59:46 PM »
Bearings are easier to deal with.  Once you put them on, you can forget all about them. 

But balls correctly set and preloaded are good enough for this application. 
Prokop
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Offline ofreen

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Re: Big difference with tapered bearings?
« Reply #4 on: December 02, 2012, 04:09:57 PM »
It depends on what you are going to do with the bike.  If you mostly ride on smooth roads and don't intend to do many miles, then the ball bearings will do.  Anything else and you will appreciate the tapered bearings.
Greg
'75 CB750F

"I would rather have questions I cannot answer than answers I cannot question." - Dr. Wei-Hock Soon