Head bearings clicking

[mavar1ck]

Stripped it down and isolated the problem. The problem is with the head bearings removed forks pulled up on the brace clicks push down clicks. The problem I have is these are new bearings. Stripped the whole front down checked the bearings they are fine, seats are fine and in correctly. So now I am looking at if i have been sold incorrect bearings. I brought them off ebay I think can't remember but they are All Balls but on their website they don't list a 1997 VTR1000f.

Wemoto list the bearing size as 26x47x15 and 30x55x18 from All balls and the same for another company but if you hover over buying individually they are a slightly different size with the lower being 30x55x17, 1mm difference.

Is there a difference between the 97 and 98 models?
I assume I have to change the bearing as I cannot adjust the click out so where do I buy some taper bearings from that I can trust?

Thanks
Bri

[AMCQ46]

All models are the same size bearings so that is not your problem.

Have you got the lower seal fitted correctly?, are the races hammered all the way home till he hammer makes a different noise when you strike the drift ( obviously you don't hit the new bearings directly)

[VTRDark]

I wonder if the new bearing got damaged when hammering it into place, especially if not using a suitable drift and/or directly hitting the bearing.

Give the bearing a good look over and make sure the outer cage bit that holds the rollers in place is not damaged and they all spin freely. There may even be a bit of dirt or old metal shaving caught in them. Did you clean out the old grease when installing the new ones. Maybe a good clean out, re-grease and put it all back together will sort it out.

(:-})

[mattycoops43]

Whatever it is, if you take the yokes off you should be able to see what the problem is. If it is a size issue, it can only be on the stem, they will either fit or have play. is the inner race a nice tight fit on the stem?

[mavar1ck]

Yes all a tight fit and seated properly. I think the bearing is at fault and will order a new one although I cannot see anything. I may just be unlucky and got a bad bearing?

I know the bottom dust seal goes on but should the top dust seal also be fitted?

Where do you guys buy bearings from?

Thanks

[VTRDark]

I bought All balls from eBay when I did mine. No issues apart from getting the adjustment right as it took a couple of hundred miles for them to bed in and seat fully, so ended up tweaking them a few times until I was happy. And yes use the top dust seal.

(:-})

[lloydie]

Yes top seal too .
Did you grease the rollers before fitting ?

[mattycoops43]

Yes all a tight fit and seated properly. I think the bearing is at fault and will order a new one although I cannot see anything. I may just be unlucky and got a bad bearing?

I know the bottom dust seal goes on but should the top dust seal also be fitted?

Where do you guys buy bearings from?

Thanks

I don't really see how it could be the bearing duff as it's not a sealed unit, so surely it would have been obvious when it was in bits. I just mean that as it's a pair of tapers with rollers in between, its a loose system until you tighten it up and take the slop out of the system, it's not like a sealed unit that has play in it.

Hope that makes sense.

[mavar1ck]

I bought All balls from eBay when I did mine. No issues apart from getting the adjustment right as it took a couple of hundred miles for them to bed in and seat fully, so ended up tweaking them a few times until I was happy. And yes use the top dust seal.

(:-})

How tight did you set them to begin with? What was the part number were they 99-3519-1?

I am sure I am missing something, I have changed head bearings at some point or other on most of my bikes and never had a problem. This is the first time I have changed balls for tapers though.

Bri

[VTRDark]

You really only need to do them up hand tight and then like anther 1/8th of a turn roughly. Don't go torquing them up like the originals. I then had to tighten them a few more times, just a little, as things loosened as they bedded in with riding around. Sorry I have no idea what part number they where as it was so long ago.

(:-})

[mavar1ck]

Hi guys, stripped the front end down and replaced the head bearings again. Took my time and followed instructions in the workshop thread. Still clicks!! If I don't have the forks in place so just the bottom and top clamps I can pull up hard and it clicks push down and clicks but there is no play in the bearing what so ever. I am totally baffled. It is due an MOT in june so will book it in to let the garage have a look.

Will let you know when I find out what it is just in case someone else gets the same problem.

On another note has anyone used a windjammer 2 on their helmet to reduce noise? Thinking of getting a Scala G9 for a france trip in a couple of weeks but my helmet is a bit noisy at higher speeds without earplugs.

[sirch345]

The amount of torque you need on the taper roller bearings is best tested with the front of the bike raised off the ground with the forks refitted and front wheel back in. The top yoke nut (steering stem nut) needs to be torqued up to the correct value which is 103Nm.
What you need is a slight resistance as you encourage the forks to turn from the centre position (front wheel facing straight ahead), either right or left. You don't want the steering to flop over to either the left or right, if that happens the bearings are set too loose.

Just an idea, someone not that long ago on here managed to fit new steering head bearings without removing both the bottom and top out race of the old bearings first. I doubt that you have done that seeing as you have done this type of work before, but thought it might be worth mentioning,

Chris.

[mavar1ck]

Took some time to find the fault but believe it or not stumbled upon it. It has crash bobbins fitted and apparently one had come slightly loose letting the engine move very slightly thus causing a click.

Tightened up click gone but everyone who heard it said it was coming from the front.

Weird

[sirch345]

That's a new one on me. Glad you found it in the end.
Cheers for letting us know,

Chris.