Removing MY Steering Stem Races

[hammer]

This spring I removed the front of the bike including the wheel and fork tubes. My plan included replacing steering races and bearings, wheel bearings and fork tube oil. Many posts show what a pain it is remove the steering stem races But there are ways and some have been posted in this forum and others. There are many posts about this topic and the Gadget pages and manual will show how to get to the stage of getting the races out.

The top and bottom races are the same. You will notice the very thin gap below the races that makes it almost impossible to get a punch, sharpened or shaped socket drive extension or nearly anything else to knock these races out. Thin gap, long tube, tough angle.

This would not be a problem if Kawasaki had thought to have detents (small depressions or grooves) under the races in 2 places opposite to each other to get a punch into. Doh!!! I can't use my 11" punch with 1/4" head that should work perfectly. Here are the tools I used during the process. They include my homemade bearing press, my 11" long steel punch, my Dremel and a small grinding wheel, and both a modified socket and a Pit Posse PP2649. The last tool I highly recommend as you can use your 3/8" torque wrench to accurately set your stem nut.

I also bought a Park Tool RT2 online for $28. The legs are straight so they did not snap into the grooves under the race. Ok, Hammer what to do? I marked off 3/16" from each tip and put the tips in the edge of my beat up old vice to mod the tool until it looked like this.

The tool has excellent steel so I had to pull pretty hard to bend the tips to a 45 degree angle. The tool is similar to and works like this, http://vulcanbagger.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33726
For the top race, the tool is pulled through the neck like this.

Pull harder and the ears snapped into place like this.

Once it's firmly in place, Hammer on the business end hanging out the other end like this.

Does it work? Yes, after 2 hits the bottom race came right out. I had to work the ears of the tool a bit so they fit solidly under the top race. I put a baggy of ice in the top for 30 minutes to help shrink the race first.
Before pressing in new races, I used my rotary tool (Dremel) and a small grinding stone to put the small grooves under each race that Kawasaki should have put there. I placed 2 grooves about 3/32" deep or less at 180 degrees from each other in spots I could easily access with my punch. It was so easy.

That was back in April. In July a light bulb went off in my head. Why not grind the grooves under the old races while they are still in? Will that work? Yes indeed!


The pics show you can get the small grinding stone at about the same angle as the race. The stem of the grinding stone actually prevents you from going too deep. Then the punch works. Why didn't I think of that before?

I have not posted other details about installing the new races although AllBalls makes a good kit. I did take the triple tree to a local mechanic to remove the old bearing and press on the new one. That was worth the $25.
I did use the PitPosse 2649 to torque the steering stem nut to 15 foot pounds. The manual in my opinion is totally off for the 1600s at less than 5 foot pounds.

[vulcanscott]

Good Job . Very nice write up ! I like the Grind first idea.

[hammer]

Yup, very simple, low cost and not much work.

[tonik]

Genius. TYVM.

[hammer]

Thanks, I wish I had thought of the grind idea first.

The 1st pic of the small grinding stone is shown against the bottom race. You can actually see how bad it is notched up. Combined with 15W fork oil and new wheel bearings, the bike handles so much better now.

[a340driver]

Do you still have that awesome tool for rent Dave?

[hammer]

Rent? Nope you are good to use them and I will give you a hand one day if I am around. Cup of coffee or a beer would not be turned down if offered though

[sonny4jesus]

my 1600 has that notch E feel to it and feels shaky in turns , sounds like same problem. I have been riding for 60 years and never had problems with triple tree bearings until now.
I am 75 now my hands do not work well with tools now days , any idea what it would cost at a Kawasaki dealer?
Thanks for your post.
sonny

[Navigator]

Originally Posted by sonny4jesus

my 1600 has that notch E feel to it and feels shaky in turns , sounds like same problem. I have been riding for 60 years and never had problems with triple tree bearings until now.
I am 75 now my hands do not work well with tools now days , any idea what it would cost at a Kawasaki dealer?
Thanks for your post.
sonny

I'm glad you're still riding at 75 Sonny and I know how it feels to have the old hands not work so well as time marches on. I'm 68 and feeling the pain. I was trying, without success yet, to string my recurve bow this morning. It used to take me 10 seconds.

It's probably about a 4 hour drill to have it done at a shop so whatever the rates are will tell you. I always call my local dealership because they charge by flat rate and can just look in the book. They'll also tell you that the rate quoted is if you don't have any add on options such as brake rotor covers.

Hammer, and this is no kidding, when I read your first post with pics I wondered if one could cut some detentes into the races or the wall while they are in place. I generally find that out after I've turned a 3 hour job into a 5 hour ordeal.

Thanks for the excellent thread. Motion Pro makes an excellent steering head bearing and race puller. I'm going to order one.

[Vulcan Bill]

Some good ideas here for those of us who like to do it ourselves. Thanks for taking the time to post with all the pictures.

[Snake Ranch]

In your pictures of the tools you have a spanner type socket and an adjustable spanner wrench with a square drive for a ratchet or torque wrench.

My question is which did you use to torque the stem nut with?

Meby I read it wrong, but I understood you used the adjustable spanner wrench, the Pit Posse PP2649, to do the final torque of the stem nut.

How did you calculate the torque value with the adjustable length on the spanner?

The different lengths will result in different torque values and I am not finding anything in my service manual to give a specified length to achieve a specific torque using this type of wrench.

[DragonLady58]

SR, you can use the pitte posse tool, has a square drive in it, just turn the pp wrench 90 degrees to your torque wrench, that way your still just the length of the wrench off centerline. Set your torque, torque it down! Done deal. Now, Ride On!


For all other wierdness....
https://www.google.com/search?q=torq...wtBrK7RUtjM%3A

And for the ones not into math, heres a plug-in calculator for ya, just put in the #'s, only needs 3....length of your torque wrench, length of your adaptor or add-on wrench, and the torque you wish to reach....it automatically calculates it for ya!
http://www.rv7.us/a_u-torquewrenchsetting.htm

[NCGus]

Another trick would be to weld a bead (arc weld) on the races and they shrink right up and are easily removed

[Snake Ranch]

Originally Posted by DragonLady58

SR, you can use the pitte posse tool, has a square drive in it, just turn the pp wrench 90 degrees to your torque wrench, that way your still just the length of the wrench off centerline. Set your torque, torque it down! Done deal. Now, Ride On!


For all other wierdness....
https://www.google.com/search?q=torq...wtBrK7RUtjM%3A

And for the ones not into math, heres a plug-in calculator for ya, just put in the #'s, only needs 3....length of your torque wrench, length of your adaptor or add-on wrench, and the torque you wish to reach....it automatically calculates it for ya!
http://www.rv7.us/a_u-torquewrenchsetting.htm

DL, learn something every day. Thank you for the enlightenment.

I worked a lot with the straight setup, 600 ft pd 3/4 in snap-on clicker torque wrench plus the adaptor, but never a 90 degree set up.

[hammer]

OK so I don't remember where the formula came from but I haved used it many times before:

I measured from center of the nut to the square hole in the Pit Posse. I then divided the length of the 3/8" torgue wrench to mid grip. So, 4"+13"=17"/13" X 13ft. lbs. = 16.8ft. lbs. The 13ft. lbs. is the torque for the 1500 Nomad which, in my opinion, should be the same for the 1600 Nomad.

I settled on 15 foot pounds because the wrenches don't entirely line up in a straight line. It's not scientific but it worked just fine.

I have never seen the 90 degree calculation before but the math makes sense to me too.