broken stearing head bearings xb9sx lightning

[snrusnak]

No offense meant to anyone, but...I think you guys having issues are doing something wrong.

I used the all balls tapered roller bearings and they are much better than stock. I measured them(inner diameter, outer diameter, and height) with a caliper and they are identical dimensions to the stock bearings. You should use the factory torque spec. I don't remember off hand what it is, but it is what I used(from the service manual) and is perfect.

Some of this may seem stupid but just to be sure you all are doing it correctly:

Seat the bearing race into the steering neck. I put some grease on it to help it slide in easy. I used the old stock one as an install tool(exact same diameter) and a a rubber mallet to gently hammer it in(evenly...side to side). Make sure it is seated ALL the way in. You can freeze the races also to make them shrink to get in easier. Mine went in easy though.

Assemble the triple trees with the new bearings. Torque the steering stem nut just a little past the factory spec. Untorque it and retorque it just a little past spec several times then loosen it. Install the forks and torque to spec. This ensures that you won't get a false torque reading.

The all balls tapered roller bearings are NOT the problem.

 

[konarider94]

I backed it off and its much better. At 40 ft lbs on the stem the bars were quire stiff. I just snugged it up and locked down the pinch bolt and it feels way better. I can assure you i installed the bearings correctly. Maybe you have your suspension setup a little different so it isn't as responsive that masks the issue from over tightening the tapered bearings.

 

[snrusnak]

The bearings should require the same amount of torque, they are the same thickness. The tapered roller bearings should actually be EASIER to turn than the stock ball bearings at the same torque(since they spread the load out over a larger surface area). Just be careful not to get too much slop in there, they will wear out fast and could be dangerous. Stupid question but you did pack the bearings with grease properly, yes?

 

[Rhino1]

Here's a good read for bearing install/adjustment:

http://www.dansmc.com/steering_bearings.htm

Basically the same idea I noted above. Remove all slop, but do not over tighten. As SRusnak mentions, you want to tighten a bit more than necessary, then back off until your triples move absolutely freely. There should be no resistance--your front end should feel like it's, well, rotating on bearings... [smirk]