Anyone ever press the stem out of lower triple?

Looking for someone who has actually done this, no guesses please. When changing lower triple clamp bearings on Japanese bikes, I usually dremel off the cage then cut the race as much as I can then break it with a chisel. But to avoid cutting the spacers that are under the bearing in this husky triple I would like to press it out.

I assume it presses out from the bottom, ie press on the area where the circlip seats? I will of course support the triple close to the stem and heat the aluminum first. Getting it back on seems the scarier part as thread damage comes into play but I think I can fit something to the top of the stem to press on.

Is it worth it or should I just break out the dremel?

I usually warm the aluminum very well and then I press from the TOP, taking care ast thread with something.
Its not difficult, just takes time...

Yup heat Ali up and press it out. I've done it once,
But make sure it's all level when you press the stem back in.

Press from the top down. The stem wants to fall out the bottom of the lower clamp. Very easy to do; as Juicy mentioned just take care of the threads and you will be fine. The circlip is the positive stop for reassembly. Press the stem from the bottom on re-assembly and stop when the circlip seats.

I reused my stock stem when I went to a KX250 Kawasaki front fork set up.

Glad I checked, push from the top. Would you trust the nut to take the load and protect the threads, or should I find something that barely covers the top of the stem and use that?

Wind the nut till it's just proud of the threads. Or better yet u use a hard wood like ash or oak to push through into the top of stem.

A block of wood as suggested by juicy works well. You won't push very far before the stem drops free.

I just cut the bearing off with an exhaust cutoff wheel. I see no reason to disturb the nesting of the stem in the lower clamp.I have done this on several lower bearing removals and I have yet to scarf the spacer or the steering stem. I just cut deep enough to use a cold chisel to split the race and they pop right off. You just need an idea of when to stop with the cutoff wheel.

When sparks stop and the cuts getting deeper you into Ali.

Yup dremeled off more than a few in the past. Well I pressed it out, but would agree it is more work then using the dremel/chisel method. Plus, you ultimately need to cut the bearing off as it gets stuck on the top of the stem where the tolerance gets very tight to accept the top bearing. I'll need to freeze the stem and heat the bearing upon reassembly. Thanks to all on here.

That does not work for me as I do a helix cut from top of bearing inner race to bottom cutting toward the stem. I have never cut toward the lower triple clamp. I know how thick the inner race is and never cut thru it. The air chisel then pops it and the stem and triple remains intact that way.

i think (hope) he was joking..

That is real Justintendo I am a rock star engineer and a former Class AA tool and die maker.
I make my cuts with the 1/16 cutoff wheel to within 1/32 wall thickness from the stem (Ø25mm) With the air hammer 3/4 wedge chisel the inner race is hardened enough it breaks after a couple jogs with the air hammer

im referring to the post you were referring to...about knowing when you are "through the steel"...
on my zrx its almost mandatory to cut the race and pop it off with a chisel.

Yes I was joking.
I usually drift the race off the stem as there is enough space under the washer an seal to get a small chisel in there.

Sometimes it is hard to tell my friend. Not enough satire to make it obvious.