steering head lubrication

[Odin]

How much grease do I have to push into the steering head? I've already pumped a couple of small tubes into it. There is a bit of grease coming out of the bottom of the neck but none from the top.

[BUBBIE]

It can take one and one half Big tubes.

Take a flat shoe string and wrap it around the bottom Twice. Hold or tie it tight to hold In the bottom grease .......THEN pump it full, until the top fills.

signed....BUBBIE

[sfmichael]

will it ooze out in hot summer months?

[phatbob]

 

[truck]

will it ooze out in hot summer months?

Sure it will unles you use Green Grease.

[Nebraskarider1]

It can take one and one half Big tubes.

Take a flat shoe string and wrap it around the bottom Twice. Hold or tie it tight to hold In the bottom grease .......THEN pump it full, until the top fills.

signed....BUBBIE

Works great and you KNOW the top bearing got some grease that way, a little messy but nothing worthwhile is ever easy.

[Tsani]

I use a large tye  wrapon the bottom after I see clean grease coming out at the bottom. Then I clean up and apply the tye wrap, pump more grease in till it is coming out of the top and it will also come out the fork lock as well. After the intial fill, it will take less grease to do it.

The green Grease doesn't drip. At least it hasn't for me.

[slothy]

I Use red n tacky from Lucas. Doesn't drip in hot like stock crap

[Templar2]

Damn, wish I had known about that "no drip" grease before.  Not hard to imagine why I am saying this!!!

Have heard that applying a good grease upon assembly will pretty much eliminate having to ever pump grease into the neck again. 

[BUBBIE]

I Go Opposite direction than the ones who say No Need to grease via Zerk.......

The head bearings take a Real Hammering...

Grease OFFERings needed to replace the hammered out grease.

CAREFUL Mixing grease with What is in there... Some will not lube or mix together unless fully changed out.
Redline is another Synthetic Grease that does Not mess out on my Filled Neck even here in Hot Az.   

signed....BUBBIE

Damn kindle,,,,,,, picks its own spelling. Gotta change that Right Now.........

[truck]

I seriously doubt that grease will protect the bearings from taking a beating, and for as little as they turn, a once and done greasing should last a lifetime.

[BUBBIE]

 

Don't want to Debate it... IMHO

Right after I grease my head (about every 3 months) IT Really feels that it is Fresh Greased... Much lighter turning and Softer feel on the ride.

Now I'm Older than a few here and have Lots of Miles on Many different bikes (Now 09 King has 94,000)..... I Can feel a Big Difference in the new Pumped-up head every time I refill it...

To Each their own, that is why we can do things Differently...

signed....BUBBIE

[Templar2]

Don't want to Debate it... IMHO

Right after I grease my head (about every 3 months) IT Really feels that it is Fresh Greased... Much lighter turning and Softer feel on the ride.

Now I'm Older than a few here and have Lots of Miles on Many different bikes (Now 09 King has 94,000)..... I Can feel a Big Difference in the new Pumped-up head every time I refill it...

To Each their own, that is why we can do things Differently...

signed....BUBBIE

No, no, we must disagree to agree, or something like that.  To each his own.  I still like that idea for keeping all the grease from squirting out the bottom, for all those doing the grease as a regular maintenance item that will help I lot.  I will be pulling mine apart soon to both hand pack the bearings and clean out the neck area, then adjusting it and ride it until the next go around, worked pretty good so far.  I will also be using that non dripping grease to.  Like that idea.

[rbabos]

All they really need is a good finger repacking, just like any auto bearing and they spin constantly under more load. That grease nipple in the head is a joke.
Ron

[rigidthumper]

John Deere uses grease nipples

[mr. pitts]

All they really need is a good finger repacking, just like any auto bearing and they spin constantly under more load. That grease nipple in the head is a joke.
Ron

I'm afraid that I would disagree with you there, Ron. It cost HD money to put that grease nipple on our bike's & they would not spend that money if the bike's didn't need them. In time, any grease will eventually get pushed out of a bearing & will harden up, no matter how soft the grease was. Pumping fresh grease in, will push the dirty, hardened grease out & replace it with good stuff, which will make the head bearings last longer. To me, it's a no-brainer.

[98fxstc]

Pumping fresh grease in, will push the dirty, hardened grease out & replace it with good stuff, which will make the head bearings last longer. To me, it's a no-brainer.

I agree , probably a good idea to top up occasionally .
Would be nice if the old, dirty , hardened grease was pushed out before the new stuff got past it .

[Karl H.]

My Dyna's steering head cann't be filled with grease because it's open to the frame tubes (and consequently has no nipple). I had to replace the bearings quite early (20,000 miles, 4 years). With that mileage and age the residual grease in the bearings was mixed with sand and other debris and the shells were stained. For me it's a good idea to frequently squeeze the old stuff out if any possible (Softail, Touring).

Karl

[BUBBIE]

On my 09 King.

The grease I pump into the neck,,,,,, I Allow to fill around the Top and Bottom like a 1/4 to 3/8 welded bead...
(IT Stays there until I clean it on the next Pumping) Always there until next time I grease it and allow the New Beads to keep that protection seal again...

I have not had mine apart to check but DOUBT if any contaminants made it past that little FULL wall of grease. I have done this since New...

I agree that HD would not have put that ZERK in IF.........

signed....BUBBIE

Karl,
It is an easy fix to add the Zerk on any Open tube bike... Cuttings from a Beer Can will work to keep the flow out of the frame tubes...
Might take several sample cans to make sure you get the Correct Tight fit...

I Know you Knew this Karl but I wanted to add the Beer Cans... My head Hurt right after I did my OLD bike...

[Karl H.]

Karl,
It is an easy fix to add the Zerk on any Open tube bike... Cuttings from a Beer Can will work to keep the flow out of the frame tubes...
Might take several sample cans to make sure you get the Correct Tight fit...

I Know you Knew this Karl but I wanted to add the Beer Cans... My head Hurt right after I did my OLD bike...

First time I hear about this trick! 

Karl

[rbabos]

All they really need is a good finger repacking, just like any auto bearing and they spin constantly under more load. That grease nipple in the head is a joke.
Ron

I'm afraid that I would disagree with you there, Ron. It cost HD money to put that grease nipple on our bike's & they would not spend that money if the bike's didn't need them. In time, any grease will eventually get pushed out of a bearing & will harden up, no matter how soft the grease was. Pumping fresh grease in, will push the dirty, hardened grease out & replace it with good stuff, which will make the head bearings last longer. To me, it's a no-brainer.

All I'm saying is you don't see grease nipples on metrics most of the time. MoCo would have been better off using seals rather then a grease nipple. Cars can go 100+k without ever repacking the bearings as an example but they have seals. Here's a funny one. My neighbours Honda quad has seals on the front wheels and a grease nipple. Pump in grease and the seals pop out, water and dirt enter. Even Honda screws up now and then.
Ron

[Templar2]

All they really need is a good finger repacking, just like any auto bearing and they spin constantly under more load. That grease nipple in the head is a joke.
Ron

I'm afraid that I would disagree with you there, Ron. It cost HD money to put that grease nipple on our bike's & they would not spend that money if the bike's didn't need them. In time, any grease will eventually get pushed out of a bearing & will harden up, no matter how soft the grease was. Pumping fresh grease in, will push the dirty, hardened grease out & replace it with good stuff, which will make the head bearings last longer. To me, it's a no-brainer.

All I'm saying is you don't see grease nipples on metrics most of the time. MoCo would have been better off using seals rather then a grease nipple. Cars can go 100+k without ever repacking the bearings as an example but they have seals. Here's a funny one. My neighbours Honda quad has seals on the front wheels and a grease nipple. Pump in grease and the seals pop out, water and dirt enter. Even Honda screws up now and then.
Ron

Good point!  Gold Wings don't use them, do they?  There was an offer for sealed Timken steering head bearings in one of the parts catalogs a while back, perhaps those would be worth putting in.  Anyone ever do that?

Edit:  Found it, All Balls makes a kit to make them sealed.

[fbn ent]

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[phatbob]

 

[JC 92FXRS]

Mine has a zerk on the head, which I use conveniently. Only grease about every three years though. The flat lace on the bottom of the neck is a good working tip. Learned that here a number of years ago. IMO steering heads don't take a whole lot of abuse in the riding most HD guys experience...I did bold "most".
Jeff