Lower steering head bearing removal

[Tahitian_Red]

I want to remove the lower steering head on my KX250 A5 triples.  Normally I would take it to some place with a puller and a press, but it is Sunday here and I would like to get going on this thing (waited two weeks for bearing and cables).  I was told I might be able to get a chisel under the base (wedge it) and get it moving up the stem.  What methods do you guys use to get steering stem bearing off?  Thanks!

[TM BILL]

Run a bead of weld around the bearing face Jay , as it cool it will cotract the bearing shell and th bearing will fall out .

[JohnnyO]

You can try using a cold chisel and knocking it up off the stem or use an angle grinder and carefully grind a flat section thru the inner shell and it will crack open just before you hit the steering stem, then it will slide off.

[PEZBerq]

Yes you can grind through the inner race carefully using a small grinder or power file and then cold chisel to crack it. It's a pain for sure!

[John Orchard]

I've tried running around the face with a bead of arc weld but it didn't fall out, so I just built up a mound on each side big enough so I could get a long drift onto it from above.

Many bike that I have worked on have had a notch in the frame above the bearing allowing access to the bearing with a punch but this didn't, I should have ground one in when chamging the bearings but I didn't want to weaken it if I'm not going to use the bikes enough to ever need to change them again.

[CRTAD313]

Used arc and tig recently, both work well. doesn't fall off but requires very light chisel help. Won't bother with other methods again.

[PEZBerq]

I think Red was talking about the lower cone bearing on the steering stem. Not the cup in the frame. Could be wrong though .....

[grouty]

When I did the KLX bearings a while ago, I didn't even bother with finding a puller. I just used the trusty Dremel with a cutting blade and ground a groove as deep as I dare without marking anything. Just one tap with a small chisel cracked it open and it fell off.
The longest job was getting the Dremel out of the box and putting it back again. I have used this method for years and, so far, it has worked in minutes.

[Big Bird]

Yep, I'm with grouty.  Dremel with a cutting tool works fine.  I'm assuming we are talking the bearing pressed down over the steering tube onto the lower triple clamp. 

[KTM47]

I just did it on my RM 370. The steering stem also has a bolt and nut holding it in the alloy clamps. I just put everything over the vice jaws and tapped the stem out with a big hammer. Normally you would just press it out. With it also being retained by the bolt and nut the interference fit was probably not as much as one without that. As for the bearing cones you should be able to get them out with a long drift.

I reversed the process to get the stem back in.

[80-85 husky]

just had a sticker with the upper race stuck tight to the stem. took some bashing to get it out. the lower bearing was serviceable so I left it. on the husky, the angle grinder got a run. a piece of gal pipe made a perfect drift to tap the new bearing on.

[dalesween]

Whatever it is for i removed the lower race of my IT250 by tack welding a piece of scrap steel across the lower race so i could tap it out from the top, i gave it one slight tap with a piece of key steel and it fell out,the heat had done the job.

cheers Dale.

[Tahitian_Red]

Thanks guys!  Looks like I need to invest in a welder. 

[KTM47]

Hare & Forbes Machinery House www.machineryhouse.com.au have 10 tonne hydraulic press on sale from 14 to 16 Nov for $319.00.

[Tahitian_Red]

The shipping would kill me.