1981 GPz550 Steering Stem Tapered Needle Bearings Source 2025?

asphalt900 wrote:

I've never used them on a 550, only the Z1/KZ. Note the photo print of application on the SSK package. But all the aftermarket tapered bearings resulted in a slightly taller stacked height resulting in sloppy headlight ears, have to shim them Not removal of any material. But don't think your 550 has such arrangement? You might have a bracket, don't know would have to look that one up. 

Understood. Since the SSK bearing stack height is > OEM ball bearing stack height, the distance between upper and lower clamp increases and the headlight ears will not be firmly squeezed in a stationary position.

The 550 headlight ears use an odd combination of a cosmetic chrome ring on the bottom, followed by a flat washers and then a fairly thick rubber cylindrical tube 13169 shown in the fiche. If 13169 is still available I could use that to compensate for the slightly taller stack height.  

srsupertrap wrote:

asphalt900 wrote:

I've never used them on a 550, only the Z1/KZ. Note the photo print of application on the SSK package. But all the aftermarket tapered bearings resulted in a slightly taller stacked height resulting in sloppy headlight ears, have to shim them Not removal of any material. But don't think your 550 has such arrangement? You might have a bracket, don't know would have to look that one up. 

Understood. Since the SSK bearing stack height is > OEM ball bearing stack height, the distance between upper and lower clamp increases and the headlight ears will not be firmly squeezed in a stationary position.

The 550 headlight ears use an odd combination of a cosmetic chrome ring on the bottom, followed by a flat washers and then a fairly thick rubber cylindrical tube 13169 shown in the fiche. If 13169 is still available I could use that to compensate for the slightly taller stack height. 

Are your ears loose now with the bearings adjusted ? - if so you could use "O" rings as packers

As Wookie suggested, you can shim with an oring. You i believe have 35mm fork tubes so something like that. You can source those at your local hardware plumbing or oring selection store. But First have to establish if they will be required. And that is after final adjustment of bearings. I always loft the front wheel off the ground when adjusting, my personal preference. Easy enough to do if you still retain your centerstand? Use the spanner tool to tighten lock ring till turning begins to get stiff feeling then back-off till it "feels" right. A lot of times tightening the Center bolt will effect what you thought was correct so a few tries may be needed to get the results you desire. Look underneath the top bridge or triple and see if it's pressing down on adjustment bolt. If not then it Would be possible that it's backing out resulting in a progressively loose scenario. Anyway while it's where you want it, THEN check for loose headlight ears and modify accordingly.  

I did one of my 1981s in the exalted by every forum expert tapered needles. After that 100% bunch of malarkey, for nothing, I did the second one in OEM steel bearings and new races.

 

 

I don't know how you guys are having issues with tapered roller bearings, but... dang. 

So far I've done four of them - recently with All Balls bearings on a KZ440B - and they've been good.