The Hodaka Club Forum

OK so yesterday I removed the steering stem from the frame and managed to drop some of the ball bearings on the garage floor. I believe I found all of them, (hopefully 48), 22 are a bit larger than the other 26. Without having to do it by trial and error, which ones go in the top race and which in the bottom? Thanks, Jack

Off by 1. Its 25 small on top and 23 big on bottom.

Clean the steering head races and put the bearings back in with real sticky grease on the race surface.Slide the stem back up without hitting the sides.

Olddogs, I thought I might have miscounted them, but I did not, 26 small and 22 larger. Its good to know which ones go where though. Thanks, Jack

I checked the Model 98 specs on the fiche pics. The count is indeed 23 bottom & 25 top. Are you sure they are the correct size ball bearings? The top are 5/32" and the bottom are 3/16". Just suggesting you measure the sizes if you can! Victor

Vic, the sizes are correct. I won't be putting the stem back on until after I get the frame painted, which may be a while yet. When I do, I'll try putting them back the way they should be, with the small ones on top. The steering felt fine before I disassembled it, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Thanks guys, for your help.
Jack

One trick I learned is too late to help you, but may help others. When you get ready to pull the triple trees, place a large tote on the floor with a couple shop towels spread in the bottom under the stem area. Those bottom bearing are usually dry as popcorn and bounce just as high as soon as you loosen the top of the stem and it starts to drop down out of the steering head. The towels keep them from bouncing out of the tote and all over the shop. The tote acts like a catchers mitt and covers a large enough area.

Be sure to check inside the steering head as some of the top bearings can drop in and stick to any old grease inside. This set up was not Hodaka's finest hour, but it was functional.

That's a good idea! I should have known better because I've had it happen to me before. Sometimes little things like ball bearings, springs and such get hard to find, especially when you have a lot of clutter, like I do, in my garage. This is another subject, but how do you post pictures on this site? You'll have to forgive me. I'm getting old and not too computer savvy. lol.

My cell phone uses 4 AA batteries, Cant be of much help. Search the forum history. I have seen detailed instructions by those with the skills.

If you use the full editor & preview button at the bottom of your entry box, you'll get an Attachments tab and if you touch the tab, you'll get an add files button. When you press it select from Photo Library. For some reason, the Take Photo or Video Button doesn't work. Take your picture before you start typing your text. Then click thru this procedure and you can add photos from your phone. It will save it, and you'll get a green progress bar showing that it's uploading. Do not select Preview until the Green progress bar goes away or it will stop the upload. Victor

Now I see why some of the posted pictures are upside down. You guys are coping directly from your phone. Maybe I am just old school (using a computer instead of a phone) but thing would be easier if you would pick a folder on your computer to save your pictures from your phone, then you could add them to this forum from that folder. If they are upside down you can turn them on your computer before uploading them to the forum.

Just my 2 cents.

Or hold your phone upside down for fotos

Bill,

The upside down photo problem is Internet wide and stems from incompatibility between certain operating systems more than from mobile devices per se. The photos that appear upside down to you do not appear upside down to the person who posted them, nor necessarily to others who might have the same issue when posting photos. There is no clear indicator in the meta data on which side is up when the photo posts as a thumb print. Example: a photo that I post that posts upside down for you but not for me looks to me right side up. If I transfer my photo to a desktop computer, that photo likely will still look right side up to me. If I then post that photo to the forum without editing it first, it may appear upside down to you, even though it still looks right side up to me. It isn't as easy as simply transferring through a desktop. If, however, you transfer to a desktop, then enter the editor and rotate the photo 360* or whatever it takes to end up right side up (again), you will have also edited a position indicator that usually allows the photo to now (usually) post right side up to everyone.

That's a lot of action needed just to post a photo. Commonly the devices with the most trouble are OS systems like Apple because most servers and the phpBB are Microsoft based. If a photo posts upside down to a forum member they can always save the photo and flip it themselves, but I have found that sometimes just clicking on the photo to enlarge it also flips it right way around. I gather from this that it is less the source which creates the problem, and more the forum operating language when dealing with thumbnail photos.

WOW! That sounds complicated and something we are just going to have to put up with it.

Exactly, Jack. It's what I call "The Tower of Babble" phenom of the Disinformation CyberSuperhighway. Used to be worse 20 years ago when there were more proprietary operating systems, like Compaq, etc. And with the new smartphone OS's it's gotten quirkier. I recall.that Victor L has had endless probs.

Like you said, flip it. Flip it in the Bud...

I didn't have problems. The other folks who don't use iOS and have PC have the problem! The pics are ALWAYS right sidecup for me, and for other iOS folks! It's PC Compatible who are behind the curve! But, tell me how this appears to everyone else! I shot this "upside down" with my iPhone but it still was turned right side up by my iOS! Victor

It is turned 90 degrees on both my Windows 10 computer and my Samsung Android phone. It straightens up when I click on the picture on my phone but stays sideways on my computer when I click on it. When I save it to my computer and open it up in Microsoft Picture Manager it is still sideways. I can turn it there and save it and it is OK everywhere. Here it is back after turning it. How does that look to everyone?

It looks sideways to me with the bottom of the square picture to the right. My post it looks correct. Your post it looks incorrect.

Victor-- you are turned 90*clockwise, to of head to the right.
Bill-- your image is right side up.

"Whatever"

Victor's post has him laying on his left ear. Bill's has him upright in the world.

Ed

So now I am wondering if all of my uploaded pictures look incorrect to you Victor? I also wonder how iOS knows what is upright when you took it with your camera upside down?

Software determines what is the top of the picture. Uses horizon lines, head shapes & locations, not sure what else. When Billy turned the picture on his computer, it tagged what it believed to be the bottom of the picture AFTER the 90* rotation. So I see it now with me laying on my right ear on the bottom of the photo.

And yes, Bill, your photos always look rightcside up to me! Everyone's pictures look right side up to me, including mine. Mine just look upside down to a lot of you out there in PC land. Victor

Where can I buy new ball bearings for the front forks on my 1970 Hodaka Ace 100 ???

Check out http://hodaka-parts.com/

Available at any bearing store, cheap.
Bob

Vic, your photo appears correct on my PC and Bill's has him on his ear. Vic did you find any ball bearings while your head was turned?