Changing triple clamps

[evo550]

XT 250 2 valve,
Looking at doing a fork swap for something 42/43mm Yamaha. Trouble is the standard steering head bearings are the bicycle type (loose ball bearings), anything 42/43mm has tapered bearings.
Question is does anyone have experience with a swap of this description ? What triple clamps did you use?

[LWC82PE]

This would be possible for sure. You may just need a bit of custom machine work for a stem. Might be a drop in taper kit for them. All balls site has a section where it you and look up what bearings you need to adapt triples frok one bike to another. Usually the biggest issue you will have with triple clamp swaps is steering stop locations and you may need to figure something out.

The All balls taper kit for XT250 is 22-1008 - upper - 25x43x11.1 and lower 30x48x12

tell me what 43mm clamps/forks you are looking at using and i will look up the bearing sizes for that.


I just looked at all the big bore IT/YZ/TT600 etc from 81 onwards and it looks like all run the same bearings that aresame 25 and 30mm ID but different OD and heights.  You will need to research stem  lengths but so far looking at itd say you could use the XT taper kit. If needed there are alternate bearings that may even be more ideal height wise. It just will take some time  investigating and measuring parts to work out exactly whats needed.

Often if a donor stem is  a bit longer you can put a spacer on top of the adjuster nut before the top triple goes on. With bearings the same ID theres a good chance the XT stem may swap into larger 43mm triple clamps if stem lengths are different?, assuming the XT's are alloy and use same construction as the YZ/IT etc. I dont know exactly there. I know more about this stuff when it comes to Suzukis.

[evo550]

I've got a set of 42mm TT 250 clamps at the moment, but now I'm wondering if it's even possible to use tapered bearings. I'm wondering if the recess in the headstem that seats the cup for the ball bearings in there now will allow for a tapered bearing set up.
I'm not sure there will be enough depth in the recess to allow the tapered bearings to seat right down into the headstem.

[Momus]

They're listed for that model and they will fit. You will find they are a short bearing made to suit the available space; they are not proportioned like, say, a t r wheel bearing. Goodness knows what the load rating is.

[LWC82PE]

Some times some of the cups will poke up above the frame but thats normal.

What yr are the TT250  clamps?

86-93 uses All Balls # 22-1004 - upper 25-47-15  and lower 30-55-17

So stem same OD, if it was me, id be well on the way to doing the conversion. I cant really help much more without knowing things like stem lengths, frame heights etc.
 I am thinking that you may be able to just get the tapered kit for the XT and use the later TT clamps. It may be as simple as that??

Compare the length of bot stems from from the surface the bearing sits on. Are they different?


Is the threaded part for the adjusting nut at the same height?
If the XT taper bearings are not the right stack height, there possibly is other options with the ID and OD you need but different heights. I maybe  spacers can be used on the stem before the bearing goes on or a spacer on top of the top bearing/adjuster ring before the top clamp goes on.

Maybe putting the XT stem into the TT clamps is an option that makes it all work?