From: David Dry <david.dry@...>
Subject: RE: [vespa-sports] Re: Bottom steering column bearings
To: vespa-sports@yahoogroups.com
Date: Friday, 3 July, 2009, 9:26 AM

Hi,

 

Bike shops, as in: push bikes with pedals, sell loose ball bearings.

 

I thought, but it’s a while since I’ve built  GS 150, that these bearings are the same as all large frame Vespas?  If that’s the case, the caged variety will fit.

 

Failing that being the case, just assemble the race with as many balls as will fit, using grease as an adhesive.  This is the reason why the actual number of balls per bearing is not well known no one ever counted them.  This is standard bicycle workshop practice.

 

Incidently, it was a little known tip used by racing scooterists to dispense with the caged variety of races to allow more balls to be fitted and to improve the level of contact of the balls in their tracks.  The cage just makes fitting a bit quicker, as it happens.

 

Dave

 

From: vespa-sports@ yahoogroups. com [mailto:vespa- sports@yahoogrou ps.com] On Behalf Of bryno1966
Sent: 02 July 2009 16:39
To: vespa-sports@ yahoogroups. com
Subject: [vespa-sports] Re: Bottom steering column bearings

 

I believe there should be 19, it's an 8mm diam ball. If you are in the UK Allstyles do a set in a cage to make it easier to fit, Bill Drake supplies them loose, got to tackle mine before long..

--- In vespa-sports@ yahoogroups. com, "Alex" <a.azam@...> wrote:
>
> I can't seem to find out how many ball bearings sit in the bottom race of my Vs4 front steering column. I took out my steering column to replace my column lock, being careful to tape off the hole leading to the inside legshield. I counted 17 ball bearings, and it looked like three more could fit in there, as I'm sure the previous owner must have lost a few (this bike has been a apart a few times it seems). Where would be a good place to source a new set?
>
> Cheers
> Alex
>