The head bearings needed replacing as water had got in through the bottom bearing seal and the steering had become "notchy".
All the various sites covering the Rebel (and other bikes) suggested replacing the original Honda Ball Bearings with Taper Roller Bearings. So I purchased some Taper Roller Bearings off one of the many aftermarket suppliers.
I received two bearings - But no seal to keep the water out. The supplier then sent me the seal for the lower bearing.
When I re-assemble the Steering Head with the new Taper Roller Bearings (and bottom seal) there is not enough thread above the top yoke (only a couple of turns) to secure the top nut.
The new bearings are each 12.5mm thick which is a little thicker than the Honda bearings they replace.
Has anyone else replaced their Steering Head bearings with Taper Rollers and did they have any problems ??
Please share your experience !!
Many thanks
All the best, James
Honda Rebel CA125 (Made by Montessa Honda in Spain in 1997)
Tapered roller bearing should be sealed. When you bought them were they specific for the Rebel? What year?
I was talking to Jack (Jack's Rebel Warehouse) about roller bearings and he said he could get them or at least give a source. Should be the same for all of them including the 125's. I will check with him and post back here what I find.
The seal for the lower Taper Roller bearing is seperate which means it adds to the thickness of the bearings - reducing the thread available for the top nut.
Taper Roller bearings typically do not include a seal within the bearing as they need to come apart to install in the Head / Stem.
My Rebel is a CA125 built in Spain in 1997 but all the Head bearings for the Ca125 and CMX250 models should be the same and are shared with many other Honda models.
I checked with three suppliers of the replacement bearings and they all supply the same specification (at least in size rather than quality) parts.
Did you replace the races before installing the bearings? The races for the stock ball bearings will not work for a tapered roller. You will need the races that match the bearings.
Yes, I have removed all the parts of the old bearings before inserting the new outer bearing shells in the Steering Head. They have been pressed right home so they sit on the inner flange of the Steering Head - ie in the same position as the original Honda bearings.
It would appear that to use the the Taper Roller bearings on the rebel you cannot use a seal below the bottom bearing as this adds too much thickness which therefore makes the bottom bearing very susceptible to getting wet !
The other modification you have to make is to machine the nut that sits directly on the top bearing as otherwise it fouls the bearing cage and stops it rotating. This nut has a pressed on cover and the excess bits that fix the cover stick down towards the bearing - these need to be removed. Good thing I have a friend with a lathe !!
I just find it very frustrating that the companies who sell these "upgrades" never appear to have installed them on a bike !!!! They are advertised as a drop in fit !!
So far I have also yet to find another Rebel owner who has installed Taper Roller Bearings - Maybe I should have stayed with the original Honda Ball Bearings !!
I have now decided to give up on the idea of fitting the aftermarket Taper Roller Bearings and have just ordered a genuine set of Honda Steering Head Ball Bearings to replace the originals.
I can't find anyone who has successfully installed the Taper Roller Bearings on a Honda Rebel Steering Head (Stem) so the warning to anyone on this forum is beware before going down this route !!!
As these Taper Roller Bearings seem so popular as a replacement and in my experience most bikes need them changed at some point as the water inevitably gets in the lower bearing and they go rusty I was really surprised that I could not find any articles on any of the Honda Rebel sites / forums covering this topic !!
If your steering feels notchy as you turn from side to side they probably need replacing.
Just a quick update having now fitted the Original Honda Bearings. The new bearings from Honda now include a caged set of balls so much easier to fit and they don't all fall on the floor every time you turn your back.
Funny that the main reson I wanted to change to taper rollers was because I wanted the balls to be caged - Now Honda supply this as standard !!!
So the front end is back together and we should be back on the road shortly.
James
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