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Steering Head Bearings

Steering Head Bearings

Steering Head Bearings for IOE & V Models →1936
Steering Head Bearings for IOE & V Models →1936
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Steering Head Bearings for Singles and 45
Steering Head Bearings for Singles and 45"/750cc 1930-1939
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Steering Head Ball Bearings 1936-1977
Steering Head Ball Bearings 1936-1977
Complete kits for the restoration of ball bearing type head bearings.
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Steering Head Bearing Races and Cups for Ball Bearings →1977
Steering Head Bearing Races and Cups for Ball Bearings →1977
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Conversion Kit 45
Conversion Kit 45" Springer Fork
Professional solution for the problem of mounting a 45” rigid fork with 7/8” neckpost to a Big Twin frame neck. Kit includes all necessary components.
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Tapered Steering Head Bearings
Tapered Steering Head Bearings
Steering heads of 1949-up Big Twins and 1978-up Sportsters are equipped with tapered roller bearings. On older models with cast frame necks they rest in separate, pressed-in bearing cups.
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Steering Head Cups for Tapered roller bearings
Steering Head Cups for Tapered roller bearings
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Steering Head Cups 3° Rake
Steering Head Cups 3° Rake
Longer fork tubes inevitably result in the bike's front end going up. These special neck cups offer a simple way to reduce this problem. Their sophisticated design adds 3 additional degrees to your frame neck and your bike sits much better levelled to the ground again in no time.
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Tolle Cups with Integrated Stops
Tolle Cups with Integrated Stops
Custom frames and triple trees often come without fork stops which usually requires to modifications to the beautiful trees and/or to weld fork stops to the frame. Our frame cups with integrated stops make this a problem of the past. An ingenious system of stopping plates and lock pins hides the complete action inside the frame cups.
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CPV Cups with Integrated Stops
CPV Cups with Integrated Stops
Custom frames and triple trees often come without fork stops which usually requires to modifications to the beautiful trees and/or to weld fork stops to the frame. Our frame cups with integrated stops make this a problem of the past. An ingenious stopping plate system hides the complete action inside the frame cups. Requires drilling and tapping of 4 holes into the lower triple tree.
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Tapered Steering Head Bearings Kit for Sportster →1977
Tapered Steering Head Bearings Kit for Sportster →1977
Complete kit to convert Sportster models thru 1977 with ball bearing to tapered Timken style bearings.
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Adapter Kit Big Twin Front End → Early Sportster
Adapter Kit Big Twin Front End → Early Sportster
This kit allows to install Big Twin front ends with 1” neck posts, including Springer forks, on Early Sportster 7/8” neck frames. It includes two cups, covers and bearings. Precisely machined from billet.
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Bearing Adjuster Nuts for Classic Springer Forks
Bearing Adjuster Nuts for Classic Springer Forks
Accurate reproductions of the bearing adjuster nuts with pressed-on dust shields for Classic Springer forks. The versions for Timken bearings feature bottom faces which are machined flat.
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Paughco Bearing Adjuster Nuts
Paughco Bearing Adjuster Nuts
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Adjusting Nuts for Head Bearings
Adjusting Nuts for Head Bearings
Stock replacement adjuster nut for the steering head bearings of your Wide Glide fork.
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Fork Stem Bolt and Cover Kits XL
Fork Stem Bolt and Cover Kits XL
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Dust Covers for Steering Head Bearing
Dust Covers for Steering Head Bearing
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Replacement Parts
Replacement Parts

Related Topics

Steering head bearings for Harley-Davidson

A Sportster, Softail or Dyna would not even go straight without a steering head bearing. Every motorcycle needs this "joint" in the chassis so that the rider can control and influence the gyroscopic forces of the front wheel. Otherwise, the bike will simply fall over at the first turn.

Adjusting the steering head bearing

To avoid unnecessary friction in the steering head bearing, adjust the ball or tapered roller bearings so that no more play can be felt. The bearing must neither be "squeezed" nor be too loose. Bearings that are too tight hinder movement, and those that are too loose do not allow precise control. Sounds logical, but steering head bearings are one of the most underestimated and neglected components on a Harley.

To prevent the bearing from tightening or loosening itself, the bearing adjusting nut is clamped over the upper triple clamp and the end nut after tightening.

Of course, you jack up the Harley beforehand, the front wheel is unloaded, and the clamp bolts of the lower triple clamp are loosened.

There is a lot more

Along with the actual bearings go the bearing cups and races in the frame. The older frames with cast steering heads had pressed-in bearing cups for this purpose. And of course, the steering head bearing also includes the adjusting and corresponding lock nuts and dust caps.

The steering head bearings are available as ball bearings for the older models or tapered roller bearings for contemporary models, which, by the way, Harley-Davidson introduced as early as 1960 for the 1200 FL and FLH models. The Sportster didn't get the benefit of tapered roller bearings not before 1978. Many are also converting Springer forks to modern bearings. With our Cannonball forks this is no problem at all, the steering axle with 1" Ø is equipped for this bearing type.

Smart accessories

Fork stops on the triple tree are not every mechanics taste and therefore they wrap rubber or foam around the legs – holy cow! that's not possible! For this purpose, there are bearing cups with integrated travel limiters, often from Tolle or CPV.

The steering head angle - i.e. the angle at which the steering axis is positioned in relation to the frame neck - can be changed without sawing and welding work with bearing cups that have an integrated rake.

Have any questions?

Our service team will be glad to help out: Mondays - Thursdays 08:00-17:00 CET, Fridays 08:00-16:00 CET, Phone: +49 / 931 250 61 16, eMail: service@wwag.com