Topic: Wow, that was a surprise, ball bearings everywhere.

[Jayelwin]

So I thought I was done with the questions for a while. I'm almost down to frame and I loosened the spanner nut on the steering column and dropped the lower half of the triple tree out and wow, ball bearings everywhere. Now I've taken off a few front ends in my day and I've never seen one with loose ball bearings. But this is the oldest relatively untouched bike I've restored.

So I'm not chasing all these balls around the garage. I'm sure I'd never find them anyway. And they're obviously old and in need of replacing. I've always put All Balls tapered bearings on my dirt bikes. Do I have to dremel off the old race and then go find a press? That's always a pain. Hopefully someone makes a modern steering head bearing kit for such an old bike.

Honestly the ball bearing shower was a surprise. If I had known I would've been more careful.

[LesterPiglet]

Yep. Dremel it off though I've just used a hammer and chisel.
Replace with tapers. No press needed but do look for threads on bearing replacement as they usually come with different sized spacers.
No big deal chum.

[Stev-o]

Yes, replace the balls with All Balls, I get em at Amazon.....


http://www.amazon.com/All-Balls-Steering-Bearing-22-1011/dp/B000GZQ3XW/ref=au_as_r?ie=UTF8&Make=Honda%7C59&Model=CB750K%7C17058&Year=1974%7C1974&carId=007&n=15684181&s=automotive&vehicleType=49

[Don R]

Hmmm, no one ever had that happen before. Before they did it the first time lol. Me too! I even took another one apart to count the balls and dropped them too!

[scottly]

As soon as I read the thread title, I knew someone had disassembled a triple for the first time. We've all done it at one time or another.

[Johnie]

You can easily tap the lower and upper race out with a long flat head punch and hammer. No kidding...it comes out pretty easy if you just keep tapping around all sides to bring it out evenly. No need to mess with a Dremel...

[scottly]

You can easily tap the lower and upper race out with a long flat head punch and hammer. No kidding...it comes out pretty easy if you just keep tapping around all sides to bring it out evenly. No need to mess with a Dremel...

1+ Even the lower race on the steering stem can be easily removed with the careful use of a punch; I've never done it any other way. 

[Xnavylfr]

After my first time, I always place a sheet under the front end so the balls  to run off to never -neverland.


Xnavylfr(CHUCK)

[Bankerdanny]

Allow me a counter point, if the races and bearings are in good shape there is no reason that you need to spend the money and effort for the tapered upgrade.

It's kind of become a given that when building/restoring/freshening a bike the steering bearins should be 'upgraded' to tapered rollers. Personally I don't feel that way.

The races and bearings on my '75 roller were in great shape, so I just cleaned out the old grease and replaced with fresh stuff and reassembled. I don't have any canyons to carve and I doubt that I am a good enough rider to notice the difference even if there were. I choose to spend my cash and wrenching time on other parts of my bike.

[Jayelwin]

The whole bike is "tired" and I'm investing so much elsewhere, a $35 modern bearing kit is worth it. Aside from the fact that I've got ball bearings all over the place.

[madmtnmotors]

Aside from the fact that I've got ball bearings all over the place.

Just one of the "Rites of passage" to ownership of one of these icons. We'd tell you what the rest are, but then you wouldn't have "earned" them!     

[DJ_AX]

... evenly.

The key word here.

Little taps... this side, that side, the other side, this side, that side, etc....
at first it may not seem like it's moving but it is.
Before you know it your done. Easy.

Once they're cocked then it's hard work.

[Jayelwin]

Thanks. I'll try that.

That definitely wouldn't work on a DR650.

[izzyryder]

This is funny. I literally had the same exact thing happen to me when I was taking my front end apart. Ball bearings fell everywhere and the first thing I thought was, "Oh No! F#ck!!" Then "I'm never finding all those."

Tapered bearings are better anyways.

[Johnie]

Like other guys I always put a soft towel or blanket under the work area so the balls do not fall and roll. If you decide to use the balls over again just use a lot of grease on the lower race. Then I take a hemostat to place the balls on the race evenly into the grease which holds them in place. Then I slowly bring the balls up into the race without losing any. This is for the guys who decide to just reuse the old ball bearings.

[bryanj]

Just to throw in my 2cents worth, it's a falacy that tapers will last longer, if they were being used as a full circle rotation bearing as designed yes they would  but in head races they only move a few degrees away from a centre point and that is not as often or as fast as you think so tapers will still indent the rollers into the races and go "Notchy" over time albeit a longer time than the loose ball type.

Haveing said that tapers are easier to assemble and adjust!!

[JeffSTL]

I think there are two reasons for "notchy"  stearing bearings, one of them NOT being wear.  The most likely reasons are that at some point they have been over tightened causing indentations or the bike has sat and moisture has caused pitting in the races and on bearings.

[lrutt]

Allow me a counter point, if the races and bearings are in good shape there is no reason that you need to spend the money and effort for the tapered upgrade.

It's kind of become a given that when building/restoring/freshening a bike the steering bearins should be 'upgraded' to tapered rollers. Personally I don't feel that way.

The races and bearings on my '75 roller were in great shape, so I just cleaned out the old grease and replaced with fresh stuff and reassembled. I don't have any canyons to carve and I doubt that I am a good enough rider to notice the difference even if there were. I choose to spend my cash and wrenching time on other parts of my bike.

+1 to this. I've not converted any of my old bikes over and honestly, once cleaned and re-greased, I've never actually had to even replace any bearings or races. And from my sig you can see I have a few old bikes, these are just the ones I currently own, not all that I've done.

[LesterPiglet]

I re-used the original balls in my steering after inspecting them and deciding they were fine, bad move. The bike was very hard to keep in a straight line.
I think it's worth either getting new balls or tapers for peace of mind.

[Duanob]

SORRY it was probably me! 

I am one of those that replace the ball bearings and leave out the retainer. I've always done that even to all my bicycles, motorcycles, whatever uses ball bearings. I just pack the race with lot's of good grease enough to hold the balls in place and put everything back together. Never had an issue.

[martin99]

Why wouldn't you replace them? Ball or taper, your choice, but small money for peace of mind I reckon. At least you won't have to worry about them for the next thirty-odd years.

[Jayelwin]

Okay, sorry to revisit this. I saw a YouTube video that stated that the all balls tapered bearing kit for the CB 750 is too tall and then mucks up many other installation aspects. Is this still true? I ordered the 22-1011 set.

[bjbuchanan]

If it was too tall they used the wrong spacer. Countless guys, myself included have installed the kit with no issues. It seems the biggest question is dust seal or not? The spacer issue resolves itself, use the one that more accurately reflects the bearing/race stack you just took out when compared side to side

I have had two bikes with only about 15000 miles that needed them replaced. Mine had a notch on my k6 and my friends kz was "self-centering" Fancy joke speak for jacked up steering that was scary feeling in a turn