Lower Steering Bearing (help)

First off I've looked at this thread and don't quite know the outcome:
http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/getting-lower-steering-stem-bearing-on.16777/#post-147159

taking it off was not a problem as if fell apart.. but there is NO way the Lower bearing or the associated gasket will slide down the stearing stem shaft. I don't see how cooling it would help.. Is the lower bearing supposed to be larger .. HELP!

Kevin..

I've never replaced these but the thread makes it sound like the bearing seats on both ends of the stem meaning it will need to be driven off (and on) each end end of the stem ...

Are you sure it is the right bearing?

Cooling the stem will contract the metal inward from the bearing and heating the bearing expands it away from the metal stem ...

Got the old top bearing to slide to the bottom (the wrong way of course) but don't see how the washer which goes first will make it down there...

Sounds like progress of some sort ...

Maybe hold that bearing in place somehow and drive the stem back down and out the bearing but do not batter the threads on the top side of the stem..

No pics?

Did you remove the inner race of the old lower bearing? If the old bearing fell apart, then the inner race should still be on the stem. You'll need to bang it off with a hammer and drift.

Once you have the old inner race off the stem, use an angle grinder to cut a slot all the way through one side. You now have the perfect tool to drive the new lower bearing onto the stem. It's the exact right size to engage the inner race of the new bearing without putting stress on the rollers or cage. The slot makes it just flexible enough to easily slide over the stem. I usually put the lower seal on, then the new bearing, then the slotted race/bearing driver. I then position the jaws of my workbench vice wide enough to clear the stem, but narrow enough that the slotted race hits the top of the jaws. Then out comes the big hammer to hit the bottom the stem and drive the new bearing home.

The hardest part with replacing the bearings on my 2008 CR 125 was getting the top outer race out of the frame. There was almost no purchase on the edge. Once I finally got it out of the frame, all else went smoothly.

Yeah... No pics yet... with life these days.. no time... barely have time to screw around with the bike in the garage to do this... But it's 15 degrees out so no riding anyway...

Dangit!! I think there is an inner race the old bearing was very elastic so thats part of my issue (among others..)

Maybe that old race (that is under the bearing you drive downward) can be used to drive the bearing off the stem in some manner ... It's no good other than making that driver tool dfeckel is talking about so a few bang marks on it are probably ok...

Water freezes at 32 ... You got water freezing out there?

Yup.... I thought the old race belonge there and was trying to get the gasket under the race out... cut it out etc... make a mess of it... so now that I Know the race does not belong it's game on... I may just take it to the Husky shop... My time these days isn't my own it seems...

But on the Plus side I do feel like an idiot was trying to treat that inner race with kid gloves..

You're saying to press the triple clamp off the stem and then put the bearings on the stem and then press the triple clamp back on the stem bottom?

Took it to Loyal at MotoTech... they have a press.... Thanks to Dfeckel for pointing out the obvious...

i made a driver out of the old race like Dfeckel describes, great addition to the tool box... along with this bad boy below. also have a section of pipe that matches the diameter of the slotted race to smack the new assembly on. makes the whole process a snap.

http://www.motosport.com/dirtbike/PARK-TOOL-STEERING-RACE-REMOVER

Next issue will be getting all that stuff (triple clamps, front axle) lined back up correctly ...

And tightening the stem its' self back down over the bearings ...