stem bearing kits?

[wicked600jockey]

Im about to order a stem bearing kit an was wondering if i will need any sort of press or puller to install... im assuming it is pretty basic like on a BMX. thanks

[bigtooth]

What bike? I just did one on my 650r and it was kind of a pain but not to bad. The inner races can be pounded out with a long punch. But there kind of tricky to get the new ones in straight without the handy press shown in the manual, I just used the old bearings and the stearing stem and tightened the stem to press in the new races. After you have the new races in the frame you have to get the old bearing off the bottom part of the stem, its pressed on, I cut it off with a dremal. This is when your supposed to have a press to get the new one on. Freeze the stem, heat the new bearing, then I used the old bearing on top of the new one (the old one is cut w/ the dremal so you can get it back off) and a long pipe that fits over the steam and rests on the top of the old bearing, then pound the crap out of it till the new bearins is seated and pry the old one off, oh yeah don't forget the new seal that goes under the new bearing..... hope this helps.

[Beyond The Pale]

I just pound the bearing off and tap the new one on. The freeze and heat method usually works, but sometimes it doesn't. To finish up tap on the top of the inner race only. A drift, punch, or a square edged metal rod will work. Just be careful not to damage the bearing when putting it on. No worries on the removal. Hammer away or use a dremel.

I use the old outer races to put the new one in. Usually you can't put the new races in all the way since the old ones that you are using to drive them will get interference fitted as well. I either use the drift/punch/rod method very carefully, or just seat it all the way using the old races. If I use the races then you have to get them out. It's pretty easy if you have them in the same orientation as the new ones. That way you have something to pound on to remove them.

[tjmiller]

FYI in case you have any issues removing the races, there is some info on this in the Tech Tips section. https://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=531298

[wicked600jockey]

so basically some persision hammering will do the trick. Thanks for the imput

[IMNXNYR]

Freeze the stem, heat the new bearing,

Isn't that backwards? I always thought that freezing caused contraction resulting in shrinking and heating caused expansion resulting in growth. And in this scenerio the stems inside diameter would get smaller and the bearing race would be larger making it more difficult to seat the bearing.

Maybe I'm the one who's bassackwards though.

[bigtooth]

Isn't that backwards? I always thought that freezing caused contraction resulting in shrinking and heating caused expansion resulting in growth. And in this scenerio the stems inside diameter would get smaller and the bearing race would be larger making it more difficult to seat the bearing.

Maybe I'm the one who's bassackwards though.

Yeah the beaing gets pressed onto the outer part of the stem, not inside it. ?

[porterdog]

then I used the old bearing on top of the new one (the old one is cut w/ the dremal so you can get it back off)

This is the critical bit IMO- makes the removal of the old race you used as a tool total cake.

[asf]

Heating makes ALL metals expand. The reason you heat is that ONE expands more than the other. Heating or freezing totally depends on the two metals you are using, and how much metal is on there (a 1" bearing has a lot less metal to cool than a 12" solid stem).

In other words you are trying to exploit the differences in the two materials, so it's not always that you heat if you need to get a piece off the outside vs freezing to get a piece off the inside:thumbsup: