sandornothing Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 Let me start by saying im a newby here at HQ. I been following it for a while but never signed up, so ithought i'd try it out because i see alot of things get resolved here. I cant seem to figure out why the steering stem isnt snug where it meets the frame. I pulled the bearing assembly out and it all appears to be in great condition. Here is what happens...with the bearing assembly installed and the shaft is tightened down to Clymer specs, you can pull up on the bars and the stem lifts up about a quarter of an inch. So pulled it all apart again and i can stick my finger in there and jiggle the bearing up and down that quater of an inch i was talking about. WTF? The shafts isnt bent or anything like that. Like i said WTF? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superchicken Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 (edited) possibly the wrong bearing?i never had to replace one buy it dosent sound right being able to pull the bars up that much btw welcome to the hq Edited September 27, 2004 by superchicken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandornothing Posted September 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 I wish i could say it might be the wrong bearing causing this to happen, but that is the same assembly Yamaha installed back in 99 when it was new. It shouldnt have anything to do with these new A-arms i just installed, the factory tie rods came off nice and easy. I swear that is the only thing i touched that had anything to do with the steering stem. Everything with the A-arms installed nice and easy, hell even the alignment and camber/caster setting went smooth. Do the longer +2 tie rods have anything to do with this, maybe causing the steering to bind up? What gives, i dont want to have to take this thing to Alba for something this simple but im running out of ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felonious_Monk Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 Where the steerig stem meets teh upper part of the frame...............there are these rubber "washers" that are more like bushings..........those might be toasted. I can't imagine that you tore through your lower bearing........it isnt really a high stress area....unless you hit somethign real big.......and then you would know that taht is why it broke. Check out the upper mount......Thats proabably your problem... later Monk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racer Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 damn thats one of them High speed bearings. better take it easy in the slalom. j/k felon is probably right, seems like a good spot for a bushing to go bad. go to yamahas website and look into the parts fische and see if a part number for some type of bushing or something is listed there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cotton eyed Joe Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 Theres also a little spacer on there isn't there?? I'll check tomorrow but for some reason I'm thinking there is either a spacer or a bushing that goes in that assembly somewhere. If there is, and its missing, that might be the problem. 1/4" is a long ways to be moving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandornothing Posted September 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 Man i wish it might be that too, but i checked it out with the radiator off. Here is a better idea of what is going on....everything is all assembled correctly, and i crawl underneath it. Keep in mind the stem doesnt shake side to side, but when someone pulls up on the bars the whole bearing assembly and shaft move up and down about a quarter of an inch. I used that OEM parts fiche on Albas website and there is a top and bottom oil seal, the bearing itself, and a shim, and the washer and nut that fasten the stem into the frame and its all there on my bike and in good shape, but for what ever reason since i installed those arms this bearing assembly now moves up and down. Im stumped, ive never even heard of shit like this. I think im just gonna take out a second morgage and take it in to Alba. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felonious_Monk Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 I am dealing with a total rebuild of my shee once again.....and am waiting on those exact bearings as we speak. I thought about your problem a little more, and come to think taht it might not be those little bushings in the top after all. At the bottom of the stem there are a few parts. from the top down it goes........Seal, screw down retainer, bearing, seal........the stem goes through it all...and then you put this metal "collar" or "washer" in through the bottom, around the stem and inbetween the seal.....(I hope that made sense) After the collar, you put your washer and nut on the end of the stem and tighten. Is it possible that you had this apart not to long before you had troubles......I dropped the "collar" that goes in through the bottom once before, I tried to tighten down the nut on the bottom, but it didnt work........I found the "collar" the next day. Go back and check again......the collar is what holds the stem "down".......The washer and nut tighten against the collar which in turn tightens "up" to the bottom of the bearing -on the inner race. If the collar was gone, it would seem possible to pull the steering stem up some. Good Luck Monk ps...that has to be the most confusing thing i have ever written 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandornothing Posted September 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 Monk Believe it or not, i followed that perfectly. Ive spent about 10 hours on this the last 2 days, so im with you. You said from top to bottom it should look like this: Seal, screw down retainer, bearing, collar (brass right?), seal, and then a washer and nut fasten the stem into it right? Well this is the first time ive ever had this apart. Like is said, when putting on the A-arms the closest i got to the steering was unscrewing the tie rods off of the ball joints on the steering stem. After finishing the arms and alignment, I put it all back togather and now this this! But here is how mine goes: seal, bearing (this is the part tht moves up and down and i dont think it should), collar, seal, washer and nut. You said something about a screw down retainer. That sounds like what should be holding my bearing in place but both the fische or the service manual doesnt show a screw down retainer in this assembly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noob Banshee Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 Hey im doing the same.... im looking to get my frame back from the powder coating place today ....where did you get the bearing for the steering stem I need one.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandornothing Posted September 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 noob, you can get the whole assembly from your local dealer, or order it from albaaction.com, or ebay. Either way you do it, when it is all put back togather let me know how it went, and if youre getting the same problem as me. You seem to be my only hope since youre in the same boat as im in. Thanks bro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felonious_Monk Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 Sand......I just looked at my shee again, and then opened up the clymers to see what is "RIGHT"....... It should go....from top to bottom.....seal, screw down retainer, bearing, seal/collar (collar sits inside of seal), and then washer and nut from the bottom. I scanned the page from the clymers.....but I don't have a pic host......I can email it to you if you want....pm me or leavfe your address here Later man Monk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandornothing Posted September 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 Thanks Monk, here is my email: penglish@caci.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandornothing Posted September 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 I just looked at the part diagram fische again from the alba website and i was looking at the wrong diagram. I was looking at the "steering" diagram and the "frame" diagram shows an holder bearing (#22 in the diagram) and that is what im missing. The thing that gets me is that this holder bearing has been missing all this time i guess, and ive never had this problem because this is the first time ive opened it all up in trying to figure out what is wrong. Now i just need to get this bearing and figure out how and the hell im gonna get my hands down in there to thread it in. Thanks all that helped Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebelbanshee2 Posted September 27, 2004 Report Share Posted September 27, 2004 theres a brass bushing that goes in there...the same exact thing happened to me yesterday after switching a frame...i was looking everywhere for that thing only to find it in the old frame Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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