How do i change steering bearings - 1998 kawasaki ER-5

no idea here .is this the model with the electric motor on the steering coloumn or the model with a motor behind the inner wing ? check them big fuses ? bearing tool ? you having a laugh i use a big hammer and a bigger one to hit the big one then i use the onld bearing to knock the new one in ... But then again i am a back street cowboy ex heavy truck mechanic .

Most likely a worn out steering rack

Also the front strut top bearing plates could be worn

Not the struts,the bearing on top of struts under the hood,
you can see with the nut holding the top of the struts

If you fail to change your power steering fluid every 3
years then you loose the steering rack in about 6 years or so

Its needs steering system overhaul.The rack (Rod) & pinion & change of steering bush required pls.

There's a lot of things that I'd check before I started tearing into the steering head of the bike. Have you had your front wheel balanced and the bearings checked in it? Is the tire seated properly on the wheel? There's more to a front suspension system than merely changing the bearings out. Unless you've been using a pressure washer on the bike, odds are nothing is wrong with the bearings. I've restored many bikes built in the 60's and never found a bad set of steering head bearings and they didn't have grease fittings on them. The tension of the steering head bearings have a particular setting on them. Called the "Fall-Away" setting, it is how far the front end will turn before it "falls" all the way to the fork stops. At least the earlier bikes had this. Since I've never had to mess with the steering head of a bike as new as yours I can't tell you how to change the bearings. But, you can got to http://www.bikebandit.com and look up the suspension system on your bike to get an exploded view.

Good Luck
Steve

Pilot bearing or a throw bearing is what makes the noise while shifting gears and as for the steering noise, you either have low steering fluid or the steering pump belt is loose.

Yes. the whole axle assembly has to come apart. This is the way it is with front wheel drive. The bearing assembly simply bolts to the steering knuckle on your vehicle. This at least makes it do-able (it can be done without a press). However, you will have to press (or knock) the hub assembly out of the bearing. This can be done with a hub puller adapter and a large slide hammer. Pull the hub out of the bearing before removing the steering knuckle. It makes life a whole lot easier. Then remove the steering knuckle so you can remove the bolts securing the bearing assembly. Then you will have to beat the bearing assembly out of the steering knuckle. (They can get pretty stuck!)

It sounds like the shift tube bushings are worn out. There are usually 2 u shaped clamps that have nylon bushings that hold the shift tube to the steering clumn. If loose, that throws off the shift position, could be btween 2 gears at once, and throws off the park - neutral safety switch. Fix that first.


Item Part Number Description 1 14A664 Air Bag Sliding Contact 2 3530 Upper Steering Column Shroud 3 3518 Steering Column Bearing Sleeve 4 3517 Steering Column Bearing 5 3511 Steering Column Lock Cylinder Housing 6 13K359 Multi-Function Switch 7 N808114 Pin 8 N805857 Steering Column Release Lever Pin 9 3D544 Steering Column Release Lever 10 3F609 Tilt Wheel Handle and Shank 11 7361 Column Shift Selector Lever Plunger 12 7210 Gearshift Lever 13 3D657 Steering Column Shaft 14 7B071 Transmission Control Selector Lever Plunger Spring 15 7G357 Gearshift Lever Pin 16 7212 Transmission Column Shift Selector Tube 17 N806582 Tilt Column Pivot Screw 18 7C464 Transmission Control Selector Lever Spring Clip 19 7E400 Gearshift Tube Bushing Clamp 20 - Spacer (Fixed Column) 21 3E729 Steering Shaft (Fixed Column) 22 3F527 Lever Assembly (Manual Transmission) 23 3F530 Pin (Manual Transmission) 24 3F752 Brake Shift Interlock Solenoid 25 7335 Gearshift Lever Socket Bushing 26 7A216 Transmission Shift Selector Position Insert 27 7302 Transmission Selector Lever Arm and Support 28 7E395 Shift Cable and Bracket 29 7210 Gearshift Lever 30 3E691 Steering Column Shift Lock Pawl 31 7W441 Gearshift Lever Pin 32 3676 Steering Column Instrument Panel Bracket 33 3D681 Steering Column Lower Bearing Retainer 34 3517 Steering Column Bearing Sleeve 35 3L539 Steering Column Bearing Tolerance Ring 36 3C674 Steering Column Lower Bearing Spring 37 3C131 Sensor Ring 38 3518 Steering Column Bearing 39 N806423-S56 Steering Column Retaining Nuts 40 14A163 Wiring Harness Retainer 41 3F723 Steering Actuator Housing 42 3B663 Steering Column Lock Lever Pin 43 11572 Ignition Switch 44 3D655 Steering Column Position Spring 45 3D653 Steering Column Locking Lever (LH) 46 3B768 Steering Column Position Lock Spring 47 3B662 Steering Column Locking Lever (RH) 48 3E715 Lower Steering Column Lock Actuator 49 3E696 Steering Column Lock Spring 50 3E691 Steering Column Shaft Lock Pawl 51 3E723 Upper Steering Column Lock Lever Actuator 52 3E695 Steering Column Lock Cam 53 3D656 Steering Column Tilt Flange Bumper 54 14A163 Wiring Harness Retainer 55 391727-S304 Shroud Screws 56 3530 Steering Column Shroud 57 3E717 Steering Column Lock Gear 58 3E700 Steering Column Lock Housing Bearing 59 3C610 Bearing Retainer 60 11582 Ignition Switch Lock Cylinder 61 3L539 Steering Column Tolerance Ring 62 3520 Steering Column Upper Bearing Spring 63 3C610 Snap Ring

Hub and Bearing Removal & Installation NOTE: The removal and installation of the wheel bearing and hub from the steering knuckle is only to be done with the steering knuckle removed from the vehicle
To Remove:

1. Remove the steering knuckle and hub and bearing assembly.
2. Remove a wheel lug stud from the hub flange using a C-clamp and Adapter Tool 4150A or equivalent.
3. Rotate the hub to align the removed lug stud with the notch in the bearing retainer plate. Use a proper C-clamp and adapter tool to press out one of the lug studs
   
   Rotate the hub in order to remove the lug stud
   
   
4. Rotate the hub so the stud hole is facing away from the brake caliper's lower rail on the steering knuckle.
5. Install ½ of a Bearing Splitter Tool 1130 or equivalent between the hub and the bearing retainer plate. The threaded hole in this ½ is to be aligned with the caliper rail on the steering knuckle.
6. Install the remaining pieces of the bearing splitter on the steering knuckle. Hand-tighten the nuts to hold the splitter in place on the knuckle. Proper installation of the bearing splitter
   
   
7. When the bearing splitter is installed, be sure the 3 bolts attaching the bearing retainer plate to the knuckle are contacting the bearing splitter. The bearing retainer plate should not support the knuckle or contact the splitter.
8. Place the steering knuckle in a hydraulic press, supported by the bearing splitter. Properly support the steering knuckle for hub and bearing removal
   
   
9. Position a driver on the small end of the hub. Using the press, remove the hub from the wheel bearing. The outer bearing race will come out of the wheel bearing when the hub is pressed out of the bearing.
10. Remove the bearing splitter tool from the knuckle.
11. Place the knuckle in a press supported by the press block. The blocks must not obstruct the bore in the steering knuckle so the wheel bearing can be pressed out of the knuckle. Place a driver on the outer race of the wheel bearing, and then press the bearing out of the knuckle.
12. Install the bearing splitter on the hub. The splitter is to be installed on the hub so it is between the flange of the hub and the bearing race on the hub. Place the hub, bearing race and splitter in a press. Use a driver to press the hub out of the bearing race.

To Install:

1. Use clean, dry cloth to wipe and grease or dirt from the bore of the steering knuckle.
2. Clean the rust preventative from the replacement wheel bearing using a clean, dry towel.
3. Place the new wheel bearing into the bore of the steering knuckle. Be sure the bearing is placed squarely into the bore. Place the knuckle in a press with a receiver tool, C-4698-2 or equivalent supporting the steering knuckle. Place a driver tool on the outer race of the wheel bearing. Press the wheel bearing into the steering knuckle until it is fully bottomed in the bore of the steering knuckle. NOTE: Only the original or original equipment replacement bolts should be used to mounting the bearing retainer to the knuckle. If a bolt requires replacement when installing the bearing retainer plate, be sure to get the proper type of replacement.
   
4. Install the bearing retainer plate on the steering knuckle. Install the 3 bearing retainer mounting bolts. Torque the bolts to 21 ft-lbs (28 Nm).
5. Install the removed wheel lug stud into the hub flange.
6. Place the hub with the lug stud installed, in a press supported by Adapter Tool C-4698-1 or equivalent. Press the wheel lug stud into the hub flange until it is fully seated against the back side on the hub flange.
7. Place the steering knuckle with the wheel bearing installed, in a press with special Receiver Tool MB-990799 or equivalent supporting the inner race of the wheel bearing. Place the hub in the wheel bearing, making sure it is square with the bearing. Press the hub into the wheel bearing until it is fully bottomed in the wheel bearing.
8. Install the steering knuckle and the wheel.
9. Check and/or adjust the front alignment.

To change the bearings on the front of the prizm, you will need to remove the steering knuckle unless you have the means of an on car bearing press, such as a "tomcat". You will have to remove the wheel, caliper, rotor, outer tie rod end nut, axle nut, lower ball joint mounting bolts, steering knuckle to strut mount bolts. press the hub from the knuckle assembly, remove internal snap ring that retains bearing and press the bearing out the other side of the knuckle. Reverse proceedure to install. You will need an alignment once you are done.
Good luck

You may have failed hub bearings on the right side.When you steer ,you change the load on the bearings which makes the noise change or dis-appear.These bearings support the outside axle shaft.