Steering Stem Bearing Race Removal - Tool?

Styler · Mar 2, 2020

Is there a specific Ducati tool to remove the bearing race from the upper and lower headstock?
Its a frustrating design, the alloy headstock is actually wider than the bearing race so it appears that a standard bearing removal tool would not work.

endodoc · Mar 2, 2020

I have replaced the stock ball races on 3 frames with the tapered roller setup and have used new frame cups on all 3. I was told some time ago by a forum member that applying heat to the race/cup will allow you to somehow remove the bearing race. I have never tried it and am a bit skeptical that it would work but you might want to give it a shot. As far as replacement goes, I use a Park bearing press. It fits the cup and race perfectly and allows for a quick, precision installation. The frame cups need to go in square (don’t use a hammer and 2x4) or you will cause damage to the machined surface of the frame.

Styler · Mar 2, 2020

endodoc said:
I have replaced the stock ball races on 3 frames with the tapered roller setup and have used new frame cups on all 3. I was told some time ago by a forum member that applying heat to the race/cup will allow you to somehow remove the bearing race. I have never tried it and am a bit skeptical that it would work but you might want to give it a shot. As far as replacement goes, I use a Park bearing press. It fits the cup and race perfectly and allows for a quick, precision installation. The frame cups need to go in square (don’t use a hammer and 2x4) or you will cause damage to the machined surface of the frame.

Thank you very much.
I'm going to try and deposit a bid of weld bead along the race. I'm told the contraction of the cooling bead will cause the race to constrict and come out quite easily.
Thanks for the tip on the bearing press.

endodoc · Mar 2, 2020

Cool, LMK if that works. A bit less expensive than replacing the cups for sure.

chris16 · Mar 2, 2020

@endodoc, that was me, please give it a try, it will work.
I've done the welding Method often on cars and argro stuff..... puh.
Sometimes this is the only solution.
it's not that easy/failsave as just heat the aluminium up.

endodoc · Mar 2, 2020

Well there you have it. Good to know. Thanks For the tip.

Styler · Mar 3, 2020

Thanks again for your advice.
I spoke to a Ducati dealer, who recommended the Motion Pro Steering stem bearing tool,

Styler · Mar 5, 2020

Tools are supposed to come by the weekend; however, as a back-up I will be prepared to lay down a welding bead along the race, which is supposed to shrink it as it cools, making removal easy.
Question: If I do have to do this, has anybody on the forum done it before and what precautions do you recommend? Specifically, this would require running a lot of electricity through the metal airbox/frame and I don't want to fry the ECUs, battery or any other stuff. Thoughts?

chris16 · Mar 5, 2020

what? Ok, you wanna go the hard way, its your choice.
remove the Battery and every single ground point from the bike.
cover everything on the bike (welding spots).
burn deep enough to shrink the bearing, but not too deep (you may fix the bearing in the seat forever if you burn thru).
check the seat for... don't know the word,...if current flows from the bearing to the seat it can make burned spots.
is that understandable?sorry my english is not the best, hopefully funny at least.
i don't think anybody on the forum has done this before.
please make a video, especially from the lower bearing.

or
let @endodoc explain how easy it is to tap the cups out of the frame
----------------------------------------------------
the construction design of the panigale has it's pitfalls,
but the steering head, imho, is well done, i like it.

endodoc · Mar 5, 2020

LOL that was pretty good Chris. Chris was just smarter and a bit more patient than I was. Ducati NB actually had 3 sets of 1299 cups in stock the first time I did this so I said f#%k it. Cups are coming out. I think they were a hundred bucks and change or something like that and I was happy to buy all of them. I used a solid piece of Delrin tube and uniformly taped out the cups. They came out easy and zero marks on the cups or frame so I guess I could give the “chris16” method a shot as I still have the cups. All the cups I removed showed pitting on the lower race from the stock bearings. I definitely like the tapered replacements.

chris16 · Mar 6, 2020

that would be great. use a torch or cooking plate, i used a heatgun( propane was empty

), that's too slow.

Styler · Mar 6, 2020

We'll see how it goes. Running a bead is not my first choice by any means; merely a last resort.
I've got the tools recommended by my Ducati shop (Motion Pro bearing remover and setting tool); it's scheduled to arrive today. Hopefully, that works.
If not, I'll try running a bead using a soldering iron, which when cooled, may shrink the bearing race enough to loosen it.
Thanks.

Styler · Mar 7, 2020

endodoc said:
LOL that was pretty good Chris. Chris was just smarter and a bit more patient than I was. Ducati NB actually had 3 sets of 1299 cups in stock the first time I did this so I said f#%k it. Cups are coming out. I think they were a hundred bucks and change or something like that and I was happy to buy all of them. I used a solid piece of Delrin tube and uniformly taped out the cups. They came out easy and zero marks on the cups or frame so I guess I could give the “chris16” method a shot as I still have the cups. All the cups I removed showed pitting on the lower race from the stock bearings. I definitely like the tapered replacements.

Please clarify as to what you are referring to when you note "the cups are coming out". Are you referring to the unfinished alloy inserts in the top and bottom of the steering head? It looks like these can be removed; however, I want to be sure before I "tap them out". I've uploaded a picture of the OEM bearing race in the top of the steering head. Is the "cup" you are referring to the entire alloy insert surrounding it? (Which looks to be removable.)

chris16 · Mar 7, 2020

yes, exactly.

endodoc · Mar 7, 2020

Those OEM bearing races as suspected look like Hilary Clinton in a bikini. Never seen a Duc that didn't have this issue. Highly recommended.

Styler · Mar 9, 2020

So, once I realized the steering cups are designed to pop out and be replaced, using the welder was the way to go.
It took about 5 minutes for each cup/race. Once the bead cooled, the race shrunk and it came out using a screw driver with minimal effort.
So, perhaps the best thing to do is buck up for the MotionPro Steering Race Puller, but I didn't have one on hand.
Anyway, this is a lot better than buying new cups at $100 a pop.
Here are the tools I used, with the exception of the Rae Puller, which if I had it would not have required laying down a weld bead:
Steering Head Bearing Race Driver: Steering Head Bearing Race Driver - Motion Pro
Steering Head Race Puller: Steering Head Race Puller - Motion Pro
Steering Stem Bearing Tool: Steering Stem Bearing Tool - Motion Pro

Steering Stem Bearing Race Removal - Tool?

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