Go to motorcyclecruiser.com / tech site and it will help with pictures. I found it by doing a general search. The work takes about 3-4hours, because you have to take the front wheel and forks apart. I took the tank off to get to the steering head nut easier with an adjustable wrench, since I didn't have the right size socket. Everything comes apart pretty easily. I had to bend a long flathead screwdriver to remove the bottom bearing. The bearing cover that rests on the bottom of the stem didn't want to budge, so I took the stem to a local bike shop and they took it off in 5minutes. Charged me $20. Still better than breaking something without the proper tools. The tricky part is putting the bottom bearing on the stem. You have to put the stem in the freezer for 5-6 hours, and heat the new bearing to expand it a little. Yes, it is that tight! I used a pvc pipe to drive the bearing onto the stem. I think it was a 1inch diameter. I also used a pvc pipe to drive the fork seals. That was easy. So, now that I've done it, I could do it again easier. It was a good learing experience. At another shop they quoted me $350 just to replace the fork seals. I probably saved $600 by doing everything myself! Basically it's just nuts and bolts and a lot of grease. Date: Sat, 10 Sep 2011 09:15:52 -0400 Subject: Re: [Nighthawk Lovers] Steering bearings From: jajgar...@gmail.com To: nighthawk_lovers@googlegroups.com
Greg, thanks for the tip, could you comment a bit more on how difficult was to replace the bearings?Javier. On Sat, Sep 10, 2011 at 9:11 AM, Greg Holuban <gman...@msn.com> wrote: So, I just got done replacing the fork seals and dust covers. I also installed new springs from Racetech. And while I was at it, I painted the lower forks so the marks from rocks and disc lock mishaps won't show as bad. I needed to replace the steering bearings too, so this was the perfect time! I was suprised to find how "dry" the bearings were. I have 34000miles on the bike which I don't think is too much for the grease to disappear. I'm glad I did it though because the new bearings were much better. If your steering still feels fine, but are getting on in miles, it might be a good idea to open the top and squeeze some grease in the steering stem. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to nighthawk_lovers@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to nighthawk_lovers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to nighthawk_lovers@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to nighthawk_lovers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to nighthawk_lovers@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to nighthawk_lovers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en.
