I'm in the middle of doing a frame swap on my superhawks, and while doing it I'm going to install the 2007 CBR1000RR front end I got this winter...already have the all ***** tapered bearings...

I got the superhawks head tube bearing races out no problem...now I'm trying to figure out how to get the inner race off of the CBR steering stem..

Anyone have some useful hints? I've started by soaking it in PB Blaster..

Searching here I found some on removing the OEM Hawk stem race, but not much on CBR1000...

If I try a wedge type chisel, it's going to demolish the triple clamp. I'm saving the dremel cut method as a last resort.

Looks like the best way is to press the steering stem out, press the bearing race off of the stem, press the stem back into triple, then press new bearing race on...

I'm going to drive around with it today and try to find a press....or I might make a trip to Harbor Freight and buy one if I can't find one to use..

any tips or ideas would be greatly appreciated...thanks

 

Page 13-27 in the manual suggests a chisel.

 

If its not welded in place like the VTR's, press out the stem, thats all i did on my 08 CBR1000 triple. The bearing will come off with it because it hits the lower triple and stays there as the stem is pushed through the triple and the bearing. I just used my shop press, no heating required and it took all of 2 mins to do. This way you dont damage anything at all. Any automotive shop should be able to press it out no problem. A press is a nice thing to have though, they can be picked up for a couple hundred for a decent one.

 

So the steering stem presses down, pushing the entire stem down through the triple? I thought it was going to press up. good thing I asked. I was thinking about trying to make a press myself, reading online...

 

You bet. Just support the entire bottom of the triple on the press frame, leaving just enough room in the center for the stem to pass freely through the frame. It shouldnt take an extreme amount of pressure to get in apart, I have a 20 ton press and it didnt even break a sweat pushing it out.

 

Why make things difficult, when they are easy...?

Take a dremel, and cut a small slot in the bearing race... And by slot I mean you cut about 1/3 to ½ depth, not through it... Just enough to make the chisel stay and not slip away... This means it's easy to do without cutting into anything else... Then put the stem/triple on something solid, metal... make sure to put a rag underneath so you don't scratch the stem... Then take a chisel and hammer and give the slot two-three good whacks against solid material underneath... And slide the race of... The physics behind is simple... The slot and the chisel makes the race expand, since it cant go nowhere else...

This way, you don't need to remove the stem, and with a bit of sanding on the old race to make it slide easier, you have the perfect tool for pressing the new race in place...

 

Thanks for the explanation Tweety.


What dremel tool do you use to cut it? I only have a weak cordless dremel...I think I have some 1/2inch cut off wheels, it just seems like a tight corner to get any tool into to make the vertical cut into the race. It will obviously destroy the dust shield to get to the race right?

The bearings weren't bad on my bike, so my first instinct was to get the races off intact in case I came across a VTR with really bad head tube bearings...

There's a local shop I might ask to press it out today. If they are too busy I'll try the dremel cut method

 

Absolutely nothing wrong with Tweety's way of doing it. You have to be careful when cutting, as you said, it is a pretty tight area to cut in and try not to be too ham-fisted with the chisel. I just like pressing out the stem because its the least destructive method and you are still able to reuse the old bearing and seal if needed. Either way will get the job done for sure.

 

I wound up going down the street to a local shop, they let me use their press for nothing...I got the stem out/race off, and pressed the stem back into the triple.

Now I just need to find the appropriate sized piece of metal tubing to press the new inner race onto the stem, without damaging the attached bearing cage...my welder friend is looking around for the right pipe >1.18 inch I.D., and 1.425 O.D.

I was kinda looking forward to building my own press...now I'll have to find another reason to build it haha.

Thanks for the input guys.

 

Good to hear it worked out for you. To be honest, its easier and almost cheaper to buy one vs making it. After you get all your steel, cut it, drill it and weld it all up, then get a bottle jack for the hydraulic end of it, you probably wont be too far ahead. I paid 200 on sale for a 20 ton press frame and another 40 for the bottle jack, put it all together in 30 mins and thats it. Its nothing fancy, but it gets the job done quite nicely. This is what it looks like...
http://www.princessauto.com/workshop...op-press-frame
Its sturdy, and i've beat on it repeatedly and never had an issue. You dont get the satisfaction of building it yourself from scratch...but you also dont get the headaches of doing it yourself either!

 

Well, mine's corded, but yeah 1/2 inch disc is what I use... And no, the dustshield remains intact unless you are really hamfisted... The one I have on there has seen three bearings...

In fact, you have to be rather hamfisted all together to damage anything with either the chisel or dremel if you think and plan a little ahead... But yeah, the bearing race is a total loss...

And, well... With my method, you wouldn't need to look for that pipe... I just use the old race to protect the new, and any old pipe...

 

All you need to do is heat it up - it will slide right off. It doesn't even need to be much, just a simple propane torch will do the trick. Sometimes they are stubborn and require a bit of tapping with a hammer and screwdriver. If you do that don't forget to keep the heat going as once you remove the flame the race will shrink back down tight in just a moment or two.

Good luck!