Steering head bearing set up

[Slymo]

I've messing about with the steering head bearings without much joy. Initially it all seemed to go well but I discovered there was a fair bit of slop that had developed in a very short space of time so decided to have another crack. Turned out I could tighten them up to rigid tight but the slop was between the lower bearing outer and the headstock. I applied some loctite new metal and seated the outer soundly in the headstock. Two weeks later there is play again but I can remove it by tightening. Trouble is as soon as I re tighted the pinch bolt the bearing gets too tight. I back it off and its too loose. Does anyone have a prefered method for setting these things up?

[muskrat]

G'day Slymo.
Are we talking original cup and cone ball race or tapered roller?
The outer cup is loose in the headstock? You have tried to seat it with loctite? I'd try Devcon metal putty.
Cheers

[JulianS]

Had a problem with poor quality new head bearings a few years back, could not adjust them properly. Got a different set from a different supplier and issue resolved.

[chaterlea25]

Hi All,
A common problem can be wear on the steering stem where the top inner bearing sits 
This can give weird symptoms when trying to adjust the bearings
I have built up a worn stem with tig weld and re machined it back to size

John

[Slymo]

Yes sorry its the oringinal setup with loose crowded row balls. There could be an issue with the stem and the top inner race, ill check that out on the inevitable next disassembly.

[Slymo]

Headstock comes apart again shortly. Its truely horrible to ride at the moment with over tight bearings and movement back and forth under braking that sets up a judder. My plan is to pull the whole shitfest apart and reassemble using shim steel to lock the cups into the frame and secure the whole thing with wicking loctite. Then I will build up the stem with easyflo solder and machine it to an appropriate fit with the bearing inner. Hopefully I can then set the whole deal up properly.

[mikeb]

i put down my cash for the srm tapered roller kit and felt instant improvement. if the bearings are old and have been overly tightened then they're not worth fighting against.

[morris]

i put down my cash for the srm tapered roller kit and felt instant improvement. if the bearings are old and have been overly tightened then they're not worth fighting against.

Back that up.
A set of taper bearings is not that expensive and if you have difficulties finding them, the bearing sets sold by SRM and others are actually modified standard bearings. I don’t have the correct type number at hand right now but on my plunger I have a couple of off the shelf standard SKF taper bearings machined down to fit.
It’s a fit, adjust and forget option.

[Greybeard]

I also fitted taper roller bearings. I probably bought them from Draganfly. No trouble since.

[Slymo]

Yes well nothing is off the table. Ill get it apart again and assess. Tapered rollers may be the answer.

[BSA_54A10]

IF the bearing race is loose, it is most likely the wrong race.
From memory the C series is just slightly smaller ( might be unit B ) but your problem is not new.
All BSA cups look the same so it is very easy to get them mixed up.
You can get up to .020" built up with copper and thicker with nickle

[Slymo]

Turns out that my eyesight is questionable because whilst I thought they all looked in good order when i put them in I pulled out the stem today and spotted that the bottom journal that sits on the bottom clamp is totally kaput! The Loctite New Metal was doing an excellent job as there was no movement and infact t took a reasonable effort to get the outer cups out. New ones on the way which will hopefully fit nicely.