Does anybody know how to remove the bearings in the steering head of a BETA? I have got as far as the picture attached and can't seem to get any further.
I have soaked everything with WD-40 and belted it with a hammer and block of wood as hard as I dare, but it doesn't want to budge.
Is there some secret to getting these bearings out to replace them?
Removing Bearings from steering - '04 BETA
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There is no trick. There is nothing except the corrosion you can see preventing the aluminium stem from moving downwards through the upper bearing inner race.
Stage 1 Tapping the upper inner race downwards while holding a heavy dolly under the bottom end of the stem may help loosen things up enough to get things moving back and forth. You can do much better than WD40 - Silkolene product Silkopen is much better. So is Yield.
Stage 2 Heat it up and cool it down repeatedly to also get things moving.
Stage 3 Drill out the stem through the inner race and buy a new stem.
Your problem is quite normal on Rev 3s that didn't get greased properly when new.
If you do get that stem out of the upper bearing successfully your next problem will be getting the inner race of the lower bearing off the bottom of the stem. I can recommend careful use of a Dremel tool, porting tool or angle grinder for that job. It would be very likely that the aluminium stem would be damaged by pushing the lower bearing off without cutting through the bearing inner first.
Beta is not the only manufacturer to assemble bikes without greasing bearings properly and without using an antisieze product.
Stage 1 Tapping the upper inner race downwards while holding a heavy dolly under the bottom end of the stem may help loosen things up enough to get things moving back and forth. You can do much better than WD40 - Silkolene product Silkopen is much better. So is Yield.
Stage 2 Heat it up and cool it down repeatedly to also get things moving.
Stage 3 Drill out the stem through the inner race and buy a new stem.
Your problem is quite normal on Rev 3s that didn't get greased properly when new.
If you do get that stem out of the upper bearing successfully your next problem will be getting the inner race of the lower bearing off the bottom of the stem. I can recommend careful use of a Dremel tool, porting tool or angle grinder for that job. It would be very likely that the aluminium stem would be damaged by pushing the lower bearing off without cutting through the bearing inner first.
Beta is not the only manufacturer to assemble bikes without greasing bearings properly and without using an antisieze product.
- richardr
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- Bike: Gas gas TXT 250
- Location: Drouin, Victoria
Got It Off!
Thanks David . . . After I sent off the post asking how to remove the steering bearings, I called a friend from work (a Fitter) He said "Just use a bigger hammer!" Which I did, and now it's off.
I will take the parts to work to get the bottom bearing off the shaft,.
Thanks for that tip.
I will take the parts to work to get the bottom bearing off the shaft,.
Thanks for that tip.
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