Seals for Timken or other tapered roller steering head bearings?

[rPGoatBoy]

I've decided to replace my OEM steering head ball bearings with the tapered rollers I'd bought (TIMKEN 32006X) to fix my decel wobble and I have been scouring these threads looking for information on what seals I can use, having read that I can't or at least shouldn't use the OEM seals because they're designed for the OEM ball bearings which are dimensionally different. I'd like to get the bearing stack-up right the first time and avoid some frustration.

So far the best advice I'd found was to buy the All Balls kit just for the seals, OR to buy the upper OEM Yamaha seal and use it on the bottom, but I haven't read any confirmation that has worked.

Has anyone found a decent source for tapered roller head bearing seals?

 

[dcarver]

I've replaced upper and lower on the 06 and 13 with Timken.. I'm kinda busy now, but here are some links that might help..

Installing All Balls Racing Tapered Steering Head Bearings
Jewlery for Naomi - Steering head bearing swap
Steering Head Bearing Swap
2015-04-04 Steering Head Bearings

I seem to recall some issue with the seal, but can't recall now... Good luck, keep us posted.

 

[Oldjeep]

Likely not much help, but the all balls kit comes withe the proper bearings and seals. Everything fit perfectly. Nothing wrong with the kit bearings.

 

[dcarver]

Especially given the application...

 

[Panman]

126,000 and wondering why people have to change the bearings?

 

[Oldjeep]

126,000 and wondering why people have to change the bearings?

Tapered bearing fix shimmy issues that some people have with the stock caged roller bearings. Caged roller bearings are a weird application for a headset bearing anyways.

 

[rPGoatBoy]

Tapered bearing fix shimmy issues that some people have with the stock caged roller bearings. Caged roller bearings are a weird application for a headset bearing anyways.

I'd also like to add that I'm not satisfied with Yamaha's solution to my decel wobble, "Don't take your hands off the handlebars".

 

[Panman]

Anyone checking the torque settings or tire pressures?

 

[rPGoatBoy]

Anyone checking the torque settings or tire pressures?

I went down that route first, had a Yammy dealership check the torque for me. Tire pressures are also correct, PR4GTs. It's worse with the top box on, but IMHO shouldn't be shimmying at all. Hoping this fixes that.

 

[rbentnail]

Anyone checking the torque settings or tire pressures?

Many of us had little to no relief with tire pressures, different tires, suspension settings, bearing repack & retorque, torque sequence, fork service or upgrade, yada, yada, yada. Nothing permanently solved the problem until a tapered bearing install. For me this is on 2 different gen bikes as well. Be happy you didn't deal with it, but that doesn't mean others of us didn't either.

 

[Panman]

I get it, just a wondering mind. My Super Tenere had to have new head bearing at 55,000 but I put that on to being tossed around on the back of the M/H.
My FJR will shake a little going down hill at 25 -35 a bit on older tires if I take my hands off.

 

[rbentnail]

I get it, just a wondering mind. My Super Tenere had to have new head bearing at 55,000 but I put that on to being tossed around on the back of the M/H.
My FJR will shake a little going down hill at 25 -35 a bit on older tires if I take my hands off.

My '07 shook from day one with brand new tires. I tried everything everyone posted, nothing solved it until I replaced the bearings. I bet if you replaced yours, you wouldn't get any shimmy regardless of tire age. I've run both front and rear to the cords and never a hint of a shimmy. It shouldn't do it at all IMHO.

 

[Old Guy]

126,000 and wondering why people have to change the bearings?

110,000 here and so far, so good. I still have no play fore and aft and no roughness whatsoever in the headstock. Many of my bikes with rollers up front have developed a detent straight ahead, but there's not a sign of it on the FJR. I would expect the detent to form in states with very rough roads. I've also wondered if running the high pressures some run up front doesn't contribute.

 

[Panman]

110,000 here and so far, so good. I still have no play fore and aft and no roughness whatsoever in the headstock. Many of my bikes with rollers up front have developed a detent straight ahead, but there's not a sign of it on the FJR. I would expect the detent to form in states with very rough roads. I've also wondered if running the high pressures some run up front doesn't contribute.

My Tenere what comes with TIMKEN's had the detent, Top of the World Hwy the Dalton as far as North side of Atigun Pass and bouncing on the lift on the back of the M/H.

 

[rPGoatBoy]

I called up All Balls to see if they'd be willing to sell me just the dust seals, and unfortunately they can't. Ah well.

 

[Oldjeep]

I called up All Balls to see if they'd be willing to sell me just the dust seals, and unfortunately they can't. Ah well.

They are just a standard taper bearing seal. You should be able to look them up by your timken bearing

 

[rPGoatBoy]

They are just a standard taper bearing seal. You should be able to look them up by your timken bearing

I'm starting to think the dust seals could be application specific, and since the FJR didn't come with tapered bearings to start with there's no guarantee there exists a commercially available seal with the proper OD to match the steering head bore in the frame. I might spring for the All Balls kit just for the seals, we'll see after I measure the existing seals and bearings.

 

[Klikoo]

Shimmy is a complicated phenomenon that can have several causes. Frequency is around 10Hz and usually occurs at about 75Km/hr. Nose wheels on aircraft during landing can also suffer from it, and every effort is made to prevent it. The most obvious cause in motorcycles is dynamic imbalance in the front wheel or a top box. You should always balance wheels dynamically and not statically on a balancer. Shimmy can even be seen on a shopping cart swivel wheel. The advantage of a tapered roller bearing is that it has a little more friction to prevent shimmy starting up. I myself have also installed tapered roller bearings, but it is almost never the cause of shimmy. But if it helps prevent shimmy's startup, why not?