Its been a while since I fitted a couple of tapered rollers to my bike.I think from the factory the 3C had a tapered bearing in the bottom and a roller in the top,is this right.My bike has the bearing set into the frame cups without any spacer tube between them,like wheel bearings have.A spacer tube would be helpful I can see,but mandatory or overkill or just added weight.Getting it the right length would be not so easy.Be interested in some comments on this.It did take multipal adjustments to get mine set when I did it 15 years ago and maybe 2 or 3 nips since then to take up knock.
Steering head Bearings
- Thread starter Vince
- Start date
Dellortoman
Hero member
- Location
- Tasmania, Australia
Spacer tube not necessary Vince. It would prevent the adjuster nut from doing its job. Just nip the top adjuster nut up until there's no play in the bottom taper roller. You may need to gently over-tighten the nut at first and tap the top and bottom of the steering stem just to make sure the bearings are seated, then back it off so the steering will turn freely but with no slack.
Cheers,
Cam
Cheers,
Cam
mcnicol
Hero member
- Location
- Safety Harbor, Florida, USA
Vince, as per multiple threads on this same topic, you really need to put a sealing cap above the top bearing if you put an unsealed tapered roller bearing in place of the original sealed caged ball bearing. Or the grease all gets washed out, and it gets all full of grit. Doesn't need to be much, if you can spin one on a lathe you just need a thin spun metal cap sitting above the top of the bearing, below the bearing adjusting nut. Wolfgang does sell them, just a couple of bucks. Norton-Villiers in the UK also had a lot but I don't know if they're still selling off their unneeded parts inventory.
You may need to space the headlight bracket tubes on the forks between the yokes with an O-ring underneath, or they'll rattle, too. And don't forget to replace the dished spacer washer that should be in the bottom of the bearing tube in the frame, above the bottom race, it usually gets distorted when you pound the old bearing out. I've always just pounded them back to sort of flattish and just reinstalled them. People often don't replace them, makes bearing adjustment difficult if they're not there.
Ken
You may need to space the headlight bracket tubes on the forks between the yokes with an O-ring underneath, or they'll rattle, too. And don't forget to replace the dished spacer washer that should be in the bottom of the bearing tube in the frame, above the bottom race, it usually gets distorted when you pound the old bearing out. I've always just pounded them back to sort of flattish and just reinstalled them. People often don't replace them, makes bearing adjustment difficult if they're not there.
Ken
M
morison
Guest
Ken,
What's this dished spacer washer look like or is this only for Ceriani front ends? Mine didn't have it, but then again mine didn't have half the things it should have had. I've just bought another stem to finally fix the incessant problems I've had with the steering head bearings. I'm going 26mm I.D., al la Ducati this time.
Chris
What's this dished spacer washer look like or is this only for Ceriani front ends? Mine didn't have it, but then again mine didn't have half the things it should have had. I've just bought another stem to finally fix the incessant problems I've had with the steering head bearings. I'm going 26mm I.D., al la Ducati this time.
Chris
mcnicol
Hero member
- Location
- Safety Harbor, Florida, USA
Chris, no, it's listed on the parts diagram as a frame part, lookit Andy Waqner's catalogue http://www.laverda-paradies.de/shop/catalog.php?lng=en&cat=1000&chp=52, item 52-21, "Washer under steering head". He does also show 52-25 as "Spacer lower fork yoke" but I don't remember a spacer there on either of my triples. Definitely a curved washer above the top race of the lower bearing, handy to pound the race out with but does get damaged in the process.
Ken
Ken
M
morison
Guest
Thanks Ken
What's the purpose of the washer? Is it just a 55 x 25 x ? washer of some description or is it something special. I know the dished type washers are critical in the rear master cylinder piston assembly but for the life of me I can't see a reason for this one.
Chris
What's the purpose of the washer? Is it just a 55 x 25 x ? washer of some description or is it something special. I know the dished type washers are critical in the rear master cylinder piston assembly but for the life of me I can't see a reason for this one.
Chris
Chris,
The washer provides a positive stop for the outer bearing race to bear against. The abutment in the steering head is quite small and the chamfer of the bearing race would allow the bearing to be fitted too far up/down in the steering head.
No need for the washer to be curved, Laverda apparently just stamped them from steel plate, hence the curvature. Similar washers are avaialble from bearing suppliers, they are used for packing/spacing behind bearings and available in a range of thicknesses.
Should have a washer under BOTH bearings!
piet
The washer provides a positive stop for the outer bearing race to bear against. The abutment in the steering head is quite small and the chamfer of the bearing race would allow the bearing to be fitted too far up/down in the steering head.
No need for the washer to be curved, Laverda apparently just stamped them from steel plate, hence the curvature. Similar washers are avaialble from bearing suppliers, they are used for packing/spacing behind bearings and available in a range of thicknesses.
Should have a washer under BOTH bearings!
piet
M
morison
Guest
Thanks for that Piet. I've been having trouble with mine for years. I'll look for them when I go buying some new bearings.
Cheers
Chris
Cheers
Chris