Topic: Steering Race Remover Tool - Does it work on our bikes?

[Bristledisk]

Hi All,
Does anyone have experience with the Steering Race Remover tool shown in the picture?

Does it make the job easier than a hammer and brass drifts? Does it catch the lip?

My bike is a CB550.

Thanks 

[Alan F.]

Any piece of scrap wood that fits in the frame neck will do. In May I used a piece of 5/8" aluminum tubing from a day job past, worked like a charm. The only secret is to move whatever tool you use around and eyeball it often so you don't cock the race on it's way out.

IMHO there's no need to drop cash on that tool, and I LIKE  buying tools.

[bryanj]

If you are removing originals its easy, removing taper roller races no it wont work

[Bristledisk]

Thanks for the replies. I'm removing the original steering bearings and replacing with taper bearings. I've potentially have another CB550K and CB350F to do after this. I'm strangely nervous about doing this job so I'm looking for the easiest (foolproof method). I know there really isn't one.

[754]

Use something with a sharper edge, socket have a lot of bevel on the edges.

[jakec]

Removing the old races is easy and will take like 30 seconds. It's installing the new races that's hard.

[Alan F.]

Yup, easy so don't worry about it, like read up, understand and go at it worry free.

Really easy, no black magic or secrets here, you got this. The force is with you.
Last time I drove them out with a chunk of aluminum tubing, like you'd cut out of an old lawn chair. Just keep it moving from 12 o'clock to 6, 9 to 3, whacking away with a carpentry hammer. Eyeball the race to make sure it doesn't cock to one side or the other and they'll pop right out.

Check my build thread (in my signature) for my take on calculating which spacer I used on my 750k8 (Rising Sun Brand tapered bearing kit) it seems to have worked.

[Stev-o]

Personally, I wouldnt waste money on that tool.  Not like you're going to be changing them annually.

Got a BFH and a drift punch? Done!

BTW - have you read "The Tapered Bearing Thread"? Will answer all your questions.

[BenelliSEI]

When installing new ones, freeze the race nd heat the headstock with a heat gun. They will often just drop in.

[scottly]

Check my build thread (in my signature) for my take on calculating which spacer I used on my 750k8 (Rising Sun Brand tapered bearing kit) it seems to have worked.

Hey Alan, I think you may have gotten the spacing wrong on the bottom of the stem. Your Sun kit may be similar to my Parts Plus brand, since you used the stock seal. I had to turn down the OD of the thick washer so it would fit the ID of the stock seal, otherwise the seal will be squished between the bearing cone and the washer. You mentioned having to tighten the adjuster nut several times to seat the lower bearing, but you were probably just squishing the rubber. 

[Alan F.]

I don't think so. I only drove the lower race into the frame neck flush, the rest of its depth it was driven by turning the nut. I used the seal that came with the rising sun kit.

[scottly]

Nevermind...

[Alan F.]

Nevermind...

Ok. There's plenty that I don't know but I felt my logic on this one was sound. Thanks for double checking for me, I appreciate it.