Top / bottom yoke race advice

[Davelu88]

Hi No just captive ones

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

This firm are pretty good for steering bearing kits - they supply good quality makes in my experience.

https://pyramid-parts.com/pages/steering-head-bearings-1

Post probably a bit late in the day as you have replacements.

[Oddjob]

You sure you've not forgotten to put in the top race after the bearings go in? If it's moving up and down something is clearly missing. Most times it's people complaining about not enough room not too much.

[Davelu88]

race in frame then bearings in that then race over stem then dust cover , if I put thick washer on the bottom I did not have enough thread at the top so left washer out so then I had plenty of thread but when tightening dust cover up to its max I still had up and down play . I wonder if I need a thin washer at the bottom ?

[Bryanj]

Sounds like it, how thick is the thick washer?

[Davelu88]

I would say about 3 mill

[Bryanj]

Think i used 1mm on the last set of tapers i fitted, if you go too thin the bottom yoke binds on the frame

[Oddjob]

I would tighten the dust cover down, pull the yoke up and sort of guess or measure, if you can, just how much it's coming up. It's clear you need a spacer underneath the bottom race, tapers normally need 3mm but as yours are not taper I couldn't say what you'd need but do the above and see if that helps. The internal diameter of the washer should be 30mm or if a washer came with the kit measure that and just order a thinner one. Maybe get a 1mm and a 2mm just in case.

[Sesman]

Think i used 1mm on the last set of tapers i fitted, if you go too thin the bottom yoke binds on the frame

Yes I found that. But at 3mm I had very few threads on the stem and the original headlamp ears didn’t fit correctly….too much space. A 2mm spacer would not have cured it. Trigger has a solution,  it it involves machining work. I reverted to the original ball solution. A bit dear from DS, but they work.

[Davelu88]

I think I naively thought that when I bought something that said 550F it would be plug & play & not generic , anyways have had to dig deep and purchase the genuine kit from DS.  Lesson learnt and thx for all the advice:)

[Laverda Dave]

I've learnt the hard way on a few occasions the term 'Universal fit actually means it fits nothing at all without serious fettling!

[Sesman]

When I explained to DS that the taper kit they advertise is not a suitable replacement for the OE ball arrangement, they very kindly supplied a ball race kit at no charge.

[Davelu88]

Finally got it all sorted with a genuine kit from DS , the top and bottom races tapped in fine although I did freeze them for an hour or so but it all fitted great , expensive but worth it me thinks 🤔