Opinion on steering head bearing race

[RCinNC]

I pulled my steering head today, and I wanted to get an opinion from some others about the lower steering head race. This is what is looks like:

There's no pitting, spalling, or grooves on the race. The surface is smooth. Before I pulled the steering head, there weren't any spots in the steering arc where it got hung up. The lower steering head bearing looks fine.

Is this sort of discoloration any reason to change the lower race and bearing? I'd rather not, if I don't have to.

 

[WJBertrand]

Since you’re in there I’d change them. My races felt pretty smooth when I removed them but the bike had an obvious notch before disassembly. I could barely feel a notch with my fingernail.


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[RCinNC]

No notches on mine before disassembly.

 

[Madhatter]

lightly polish the race with a little emory cloth could be enough .

 

[Squibb]

Mileage on current set? Discolouration suggests poorly lubricated for a while, maybe dried out grease.

Anyway, change them while you are in there; they are low cost.

 

[gv550]

If there was no noticeable notch in the steering I would just clean and lube and reassemble it.

 

[thughes317]

As someone who has serviced thousands of trailer wheel bearing in a previous life, any discoloration and it goes in the scrap pile. Hell, you've already got it apart anyway......

 

[RCinNC]

Yeah, you're probably right. I looked up some stuff on line from Timken and NTN about how to evaluate a bearing and race, and this particular issue was a coin toss. They suggested the same thing as Madhatter, that I could try polishing the race with some emery cloth, but if that didn't remove the discoloration, the race should be replaced. The bearing and race have about 90,350 miles on them, so it's not like it's a premature failure. I was just letting my lazy side take over; I didn't want to mess with changing it, and was hoping for a consensus of "naaaah, it'll be fine".

It wasn't a lack of lubrication issue. Last time I did this service, I packed the upper and lower bearings with Belray waterproof bearing grease, and it's all still in there and looking good. That isn't to say that water didn't make an intrusion anyway; water is sneaky like that. But there was plenty of grease in there.

Fortunately I bought a set of OEM bearings and races for the steering head a couple years ago, so I have them on hand. This will be my first time changing bearing races.

 

[~TABASCO~]

Yeah, you're probably right. I looked up some stuff on line from Timken and NTN about how to evaluate a bearing and race, and this particular issue was a coin toss. They suggested the same thing as Madhatter, that I could try polishing the race with some emery cloth, but if that didn't remove the discoloration, the race should be replaced. The bearing and race have about 90,350 miles on them, so it's not like it's a premature failure. I was just letting my lazy side take over; I didn't want to mess with changing it, and was hoping for a consensus of "naaaah, it'll be fine".

It wasn't a lack of lubrication issue. Last time I did this service, I packed the upper and lower bearings with Belray waterproof bearing grease, and it's all still in there and looking good. That isn't to say that water didn't make an intrusion anyway; water is sneaky like that. But there was plenty of grease in there.

Fortunately I bought a set of OEM bearings and races for the steering head a couple years ago, so I have them on hand. This will be my first time changing bearing races.

Don't stress,,, knock out the races with a punch. Work them side to side and front to back. At the stage you are at currently, you can can have them out quickly.

 

[RCinNC]

OK. that project is finished. I ended up taking the steering stem and lower bracket down to the Yamaha shop to have them remove the bearing. I tired the chisel method of wedging the bearing up the steering stem, but I couldn't seem to get the chisel to create even a tiny gap to get the process started. And admittedly, having never done this before, I was a little hesitant about causing damage to the aluminum on the lower bracket with a steel chisel. I asked the shop how they got it off, and they said they just use a die grinder to cut the inner race (I'd already removed the outer cage and bearings). Maybe I'll try that method next time.

I knocked out the lower steering head race with a long piece of 1/2" steel rod and a hammer. I froze the new race in the freezer overnight. I didn't have a bearing race driver, so I cut a small slot in the old race and used it as a driver. It was kind of a confined working space under the steerer tube, but eventually I got the race seated.

On to the next task!