Hi,

Last week, I bought a frame from eBay that came with a headset. I was piecing it all together over the weekend, but something seems to be missing. When I hold it all in place and push the forks up as high as possible there's a gap between the cover on the lower cup and the bearings/lower cup itself.

Could one of you lovely people cast your eye over these pics please and tell me what you think is going on?

In the first 2 pics I'm holding the fork as high as it will go, the crown race is on the fork, then the plastic 'cap' then the bearings;

In the next pic I've lowered it slightly so you can see what's what;

Finally there's a pic showing the top of the headset and the remaining pieces that were supplied (an identical plastic cap to that used on the bottom, a metal cap with logo, and a thin plastic spacer to go between the forks and the metal cap);

Cheers,

Ian

Crown race and reducer ring (compression ring) the wrong way round?

Compression/reducer ring top :

Crown race:

Is the reducer ring what I'm calling a 'plastic cap'?

The crown race is installed in such a way that it is fatter at the bottom and thinner at the top, that's correct isn't it?

Or are you saying the 'plastic cap' should have been put on the steerer tube before the crown race?

Cheers,

Ian

In that case, I think I'm missing a compression ring…

Yes the reducer ring is usually a split alloy ring (but plastic in some cases) which fills in the gap bewteen the steerer and bearing race. The Crown race is usually hard steel and can be split or complete (usually complete on cheaper headsets) and has to be forced onto the bottom of the steerer using a tool or screwdriver and is what the bearings rotate on 🙂

Try this link:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=15356905

In the piccy above its called the centering sleeve 🙂

Did you fit the crown race you were given or was it on the forks already?

Well I've already 'forced' on what I believe is the (unsplit) Crown race, I guess I need to take more pics of what I have 😕

What about the bearing races – Sometime the load bearings are different fromt eh top bearings!!!

Thats it I reckon – swap the bearings around!! as the top cap is not going down either?

See int his piccy – the bearings are different sizes in some headsets:

Thanks for the info.

I'm pretty certain that both 'plastic caps' are identical and that both bearing races are identical (I did swap bits about on the off-chance it made a difference).

In this pic;

the centring sleeve is what I've called a "thin plastic spacer to go between the forks and the metal cap" in my 4th photo.

I'm now wondering if there isn't supposed to be a plastic cap at the bottom and that the bearings should sit directly on the crown race. If that is the case they'd seem woefully under-protected!

On cheap headsets there is often a seal which goes around the crown race (lays on the outside) – then the bearings sit directly on the crown race – the seal "sort of" closes a gap between the crown race and the bearing cup?

BTW in your second/third picture the bearings seem to be sitting too high – I wonder if you have the right bearings or the right crown race?

the bearings should sit directly on the crown race

Yes they should!! If not perhaps you have the seals on the wrong way round?

BTW – is there a model number on the Cancreek headset?

I assumed that as there were 2 plastic caps that one should be a dust-seal for the lower cup, perhaps this isn't the case and it's only spare.

Unless it is intended to go on the fork before the crown race???

There was a number on the metal cap which, like a goon, I didn't note down and managed not to capture in a photo. (ws17 rings a bell, but that doesn't seem to tally with any CC headsets so I maybe mis-remembered)

I think its similar to a CaneCreek SAS headset:

I think its Very Very Old design?

That does indeed look very much like it. As you say it's presumably an old one as I can't find much info on it on Google.

I had planned for this to be a cash-saving stop-gap (it wasn't a deciding factor in getting the frame) and then getting something decent further down the line. I might save myself some bother and just get a new one now.

Thanks very much for your help with this 🙂

It looks like a mix and match headset to me, the ballrace looks like its the wrong size. I'd ditch the headset and fit a new one.

I didn't like to say but I think its duff mix 🙂 I suspect someone has bought a new set of bearings to sell with the bike and they are the wrong ones 🙂 like above 🙁

I had had a suspicion that that might be the case. As I say, the fact the frame came with a headset wasn't a major factor in deciding to buy it so I'm happy to ditch it.

I'll grab a few more photos just in case though 🙂

A few more pics (excuse blurry mobile phone shots);

Crown Race with plastic cap then bearings (bearings don't appear to be sitting neatly in the CR);

All the other bits that I haven't used at the bottom;

Crown Race on the fork by itself;

Crown Race and bearings without plastic cap

Part Number on metal cap

The more I look at it all the more I'm convinced it is a bit pap and that I should bin it and get a new one.

Google finds this for Cane Creek VP-a71

http://www.vpcomponents.com/headset_show.asp?pcat=&pcat2=11&pid=31

I think you have the the lower bearings on upside down.

Aye, I tried them both ways up in this lunchtime's photoshoot "just in case". They sit just as poorly both ways.

i agree with bigyinn, looks like the bottom bearing is upside down to me

I was thinking that! Couldn't say for sure without looking at a headset though…

*edit* D'oh, too slow.

If you look at the bearing races on that link they are not the same, more bearings and much smaller – As I thought someone got new bearings and they are the wrong ones 🙂 / 🙁

I think people are suggesting you flip the bottom bearing over 180 degrees not swap top and bottom – but in your piccies they still look to big:

You need different sized bearings – the ones you got given are obviously new but are not for that headset 🙁

I meant that I had tried them up-side-down and down-side-up (as well as trying the tops at the bottom and the bottoms at the top) then forgot to switch them back for the piccies.

As I say, I think I'll just order a shiny new one. Thanks for all the input, glad to know it was the parts that were wrong and that it wasn't just me doing something stupid 🙂

Anyone want a VP-A71 headset with mismatching bearings? 😉

Get a Cane Creek S-3. Cheap & lasts for ages. Mine must have been on for close to 3 yrs now & it's still really smooth. I clean it once in a blue moon & even when I take it to bits, it's never grubby.

Funnily enough I have an S3 on my old bike and it's lasted well 🙂

Bin the cages and use loose bearings FTW!