Triple clamp

[Maximus83]

Does anyone know if the stock lower triple clamp is permantly connected to the steering stem on a 05 yz450 ? I'm having a hell of a time getting the lower bearing off and now that I have it a centimeter up the stem (cant move it any further) I'm getting the impression that the stem isnt going to come off once I get the bearing off. The reason I want to get the lower clamp off is because I have an applied lower clamp I'd like to use. Does this mean I need an aftermarket steering stem too?

[grayracer513]

Press the stem downward out of the lower clamp and bearing at once, using a hydraulic press. You should have someone experienced with press work do this for you. The stem is then pressed up into the new clamp, and the bearing pressed on afterward.

[Maximus83]

A hydraulic press?.Where the heck am I going to be able to use one of those? Do local shops usually have them?

[Maximus83]

Ok so I figured it out. A local shop said they could do it real quick. Good thing there is a no-name shop in town where its a little more laxed and I'm able to just stop in and get stuff done real quick. The local Yamaha and Honda shops are not the best at customer service.

I cant get a new bearing in time for the weekend but the old one still rolls smoothly. The only part I kind of messed up was the metal with black rubber ring around the bottom of the lower bearing. I think I might be able to flatten it out and make it work for the weekend. Any thoughts?

[FLjoyride]

Ok so I figured it out. A local shop said they could do it real quick. Good thing there is a no-name shop in town where its a little more laxed and I'm able to just stop in and get stuff done real quick. The local Yamaha and Honda shops are not the best at customer service.

I cant get a new bearing in time for the weekend but the old one still rolls smoothly. The only part I kind of messed up was the metal with black rubber ring around the bottom of the lower bearing. I think I might be able to flatten it out and make it work for the weekend. Any thoughts?

pack some grease in there and tape the seal back in.. might want to use a roll or two of duck tape to prevent dirt from getting in there.

Guess it depends on how badly you want to ride this weekend

[Maximus83]

Didnt work out quite as easy as I expected. I went to the 'no-name' shop and those guys didnt do anything but **** up the stock triple clamp a little more. They were trying to press the stem out with a bearing pump press thingy. didnt budge the stem. Ended up going out to the Yamaha shop and they are charging me $50 to press the old stem out and put it in my Applied clamp. The bearing they say is fine but the seal is bent to crap. They are just going to hammer out the seal and make it work. Supposedly it will work but wont last as long. Good enough for me, I WANT TO RIDE this weekend.

[Maximus83]

UPDATE! The Yamaha shop collapsed the stem. New one plus install I'm looking at around $80 (dont know how only 80, because a new one is like $300 bucks, maybe he found a used one. Shop is closed so will find out tomorrow). Maybe I should have stuck with stock...

So much for riding this weekend. Mother FuSJSI)#@)K#F+{<+P{ #IIT+)@KF!!!!!!!!!

[grayracer513]

If the Yamaha shop collapsed it, they should buy you a new one, simple as that. There is no reason whatever for the stem to become damaged during that operation unless you cut it with a chisel or something while getting the bearing raised up.

[tnl]

Don't ever mess around with presses unless your experienced with it! let the shop do those kinds of things.

[teedubya46]

Thats a sign of things to come dude. the shop collapsed your stem and won't pay for it? unless you are friends with them or they are the only shop around flying the tuning fork and blue flag I say get the work finished or get the parts back and walk.

[Maximus83]

Don't ever mess around with presses unless your experienced with it! let the shop do those kinds of things.

The shop is the one that collapsed the stem, not me. I didnt mess with a press.

Also, the stem wasnt cut or damaged when it went in there. The mechanic who called me back said, "we ran into a problem, I was affraid of this, that stem is aluminum and hollow so under that pressure it folder in on itself. I already looked into it and can get you one installed for $80."

Thing is he never expressed any concern to me before hand, otherwise I might not have gone through with it. Grey, you say they should buy me a new one, but I dont think it should be free, right? $80 seems cheap for a new stem installed being that they were going to charge me $50 to do the initial work.

[BergArabia]

80 bucks is kind of cheap..

I wouldn't sweat on that.

I would just make sure it was perfect afterward.

Before paying.

But that is just me. I would rather have the bike out and be riding it than have it sit in their shop while we argue about it..

However, like Gray says, they broke it, they should fix it.

But 80 bucks is not a lot..

did you say that includes the 50 for the initial work or will it be in addition to it?

[CaptainKnobby]

Yea but they probally got the stem for $50.00 and making it look like your getting a real deal. Imo they are covering up their tracks from their mishap and are sucking up to you because they knew they messed up your stem. What you should do is take a law suit out on them and make them get you a brand new one and put it in.

[grayracer513]

Also, the stem wasnt cut or damaged when it went in there. The mechanic who called me back said, "we ran into a problem, I was affraid of this, that stem is aluminum and hollow so under that pressure it folder in on itself. I already looked into it and can get you one installed for $80."

Thing is he never expressed any concern to me before hand, otherwise I might not have gone through with it. Grey, you say they should buy me a new one, but I dont think it should be free, right? $80 seems cheap for a new stem installed being that they were going to charge me $50 to do the initial work.

If it's the stock stem, it's titanium, not aluminum. If it was the stock stem, tell him you want a Genuine Yamaha stem, and you want the part for nothing. You already agreed to pay the labor. I've done that same job a number of times and never had a problem. If he felt there was a risk of the stem being damaged in the process, he needed to tell you that up front.

It's the same as if you were mowing someone's lawn and cut off a sprinkler head. You were did it, you pay for it. It's just the way it's done when you're in business. Bolts occasionally break, but that's considered normal; bolts re expendable parts. But axle shafts, swing arm pivots, and steering stems are not, and are not expected to be damaged in normal service. Pressing the stem out is a normal method of removing the lower bearing.

Any small claims court would agree.

[Maximus83]

So I went into the shop this morning. I didnt realize he meant the base of the stem, where you press it through to the top side, was crushed. I thought he meant the tube itself folded but instead it was the base of the stem that basically smashed.

He said he talked to Applied and is going to order me a new aftermarket stem from them for $50 and then charge me $30 to install it. He said, "since we only spent ten minutes on this other one, I wont charge you for that." HEY THANKS GUY!!!! Your the one who broke it, or more specifically one of his tech's broke it. He said that was the first time they've gotten a request to have a stem pressed. He said he cant get just a OEM stem, that it comes with the lower clamp included and is over $330 for it. I know it's their fault but I cant see any shop buying me a new OEM stem. Maybe I just dont understand bussiness well enough.

Anyway, I just got back and read your post gray. So what your saying is, maybe I need to talk to the shop manager and tell him the situation? Honestly I wasn't being an ass to the mechanic about it because the way he's talking is it's not their fault and isn't apologetic at all. Maybe I need to grow some ballz and let loose on those guys because from what people are saying on here and my buddy who owns a shop, they should be paying for it 100%.

[grayracer513]

That's how I see it, and that's how a judge will see it. It's real simple:

When you offer your services to the public as a professional in the field of motorcycle repair, that carries the presumption that you can perform such services correctly and safely for an amount agreed to in advance. If there is anything that might be at risk in the course on any repair, you must be informed ahead of time, or it's their responsibility.

The shop failed on both counts; they failed to properly do an easy job, and in the event that they considered there was a normal risk of damaging the stem during this operation, they failed to alert you to it beforehand. You are not the one assuming risk when you take work to a professional, the person doing business for a fee is, and that is all there is to it.

BTW, to verify that the stem is Ti, it should feel as light as aluminum, but it will resist scratching nearly as well as steel.