Topic: tapered roller lower/ball bearing upper?

[Alan F.]

A coworker mentioned this to me the other day, says it's a great improvement.
Anyone tried it on a vintage bike?
Would there be much use on a stock streetbike, or is it only beneficial if you ride hard or race?
-A

[Industrial Cafe]

strange, I would think roller top, roller bottom would be better.

[MCRider]

I'd have to ask for clarification. "Great improvement" compared to what?

Sure its better than balls top and bottom. Since the bottom does the lion's share of the work.

But why leave the balls on the top? Other than it might be easier.

I doubt you can buy tapered bottoms without taperd tops economically, (sold as a set). So why not just put them in?

Still I'd like to hear the explanation for the statement "great improvement".

[MRieck]

 I assume greater weight bearing/load capabilities with the tapered bottom (wear the real load is as was said) but less friction with balls at the top. That would all have to do with bearing contact area with the race. Trying to get the best of both worlds.

[bucky katt]

ok, we are talking about steering head arent we?

[MRieck]

ok, we are talking about steering head arent we?

Yes

[Johnie]

Where are the race dents mainly showing up, top or bottom race or both? I am doing the K4 top and bottom soon and the dents are the worst I have seen.

[754]

I think it may partly be a matter of convenience.
 As most of you know, you cannot buy drop in tapered rollers, they are taking existing sets, and modifying OD or ID.
 If you are making your own trees & stem, or just a stem, you have choices, of other sizes, ie a smaller OD race will fit easily with a shim bushing.. say a 22mm or 7/8 ID.
 So it might be a case of what was easy, and yes, I think taper on the lower is a help. But the convenience of quick tree or complete fork removal with 2 tapereds, is the icing on the cake..

[MCRider]

I assume greater weight bearing/load capabilities with the tapered bottom (wear the real load is as was said) but less friction with balls at the top. That would all have to do with bearing contact area with the race. Trying to get the best of both worlds.

YEs besides the ease of simply replacing the top with OEM, there would be less friction, so maybe there is a gain. I may do that next time just to see.

And to another poster, I've never seen a top OEM race dimpled, just the bottom.

[754]

Run em real tight, & they will..

[Alan F.]

I assume greater weight bearing/load capabilities with the tapered bottom (wear the real load is as was said) but less friction with balls at the top. That would all have to do with bearing contact area with the race. Trying to get the best of both worlds.

I understood that to be what he was describing, they had switched one of their track bikes to new tapered rollers, then switched to balls and stock races at the top.  I understood that less friction translated into faster steering/faster feedback to the rider.

-A

[Yoshi823]

A coworker mentioned this to me the other day, says it's a great improvement.
Anyone tried it on a vintage bike?
Would there be much use on a stock streetbike, or is it only beneficial if you ride hard or race?
-A

Don't the more recent top of the range Honda Sportsbikes like the newer Fireblades have this setup now?

[Old Scrambler]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....so one set would do two bikes (with appropriate bottom spacer) and the top space would be correct to hold the stock ears.........Hmmmmmmmmm?

[Alan F.]

No, the top bearing and the bottom bearing are usually different sizes.  I'd call up All-Balls and try to just buy the bottom bearing and maybe the spacer, they're known for making odd matched kits for triple tree swaps, maybe they'd play ball. oops...