How bad / good are Crank Brothers Headsets

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How bad / good are Crank Brothers Headsets

26 posts & 20 voices | Started 11 months ago by voodoochris | Latest reply from simons_nicolai-uk

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voodoochris - Member

Hi,

I'm moving a fork from a frame with an intergrated headset on to a frame that takes a traditional headset. Problem is there's not enough steerer tube to run the headset I had planned so I'm hunting for one with a stack height of less than 24mm (real stack height, not "documented" stack height - I've been in shops with a ruler today, there can be up to 4mm difference!).

The only one I've been able to find is the Crank Brothers Directset, but I've seen more bad comments about these than good comments.

So, what do / did you make of them? If you had problems with them, did Crank Brothers honour the warrenty or did they play the wear and tear card (I have no experience of dealling with CB).

One thing I might look at; running a normal lower race and a Crank Brothers top race. This should give me the height I need and keep a traditional lower race. Can anyone think of a reason why this wouldn't work?

Cheers

VC

Posted 11 months ago #
sambob - Member

AFAIK, 2pure(distributors) are very god with warranty items, so that shouldn't an issue but as my pedals died within 6 months, i wouldn't go near any of their kit again.

Posted 11 months ago #
jontydewolfe - Member

They rust if you look at them with moist eyeballs

Posted 11 months ago #
Rorschach - Member

They are'nt the most robust under british conditions tbh.If you treat them as you would a loose bearing headset (which they basically are) and regrease them regularly they should keep going o.k.Mixing top and bottom cups sounds like a winner to me.

Posted 11 months ago #
nuke - Member

Mines rusty

Posted 11 months ago #
Rorschach - Member

But how's your headset.....badda boom!!!

Posted 11 months ago #
nixon_fiend - Member

The finish rusts up v.quickly

Posted 11 months ago #
voodoochris - Member

A few people have mentioned rust. Surely this doesn't apply to the stainless ones too?

VC

Posted 11 months ago #
mamadirt - Member

Not if you look after it, it doesn't. Quick wipe over the outside of the cups with a little GT85 after a wet/muddy ride (don't spray it ) and they stay looking good.

Posted 11 months ago #
jontydewolfe - Member

Iodine sl started showing signs of rust after a couple of rides. I'm not going to towel dry my bike after every ride ffs

Posted 11 months ago #
angryratio - Member

what are your forks?
no way you can flog and swap?

Posted 11 months ago #
FLV - Member

Alternatively some stems have low stack heights

http://spank-ind.com/index.php?a=info&do=pro&id=33&tid=1

Funn do one too.

There are others too.

Normal is about 40mm, you should be able to get 30 or 32mm or something.

Posted 11 months ago #
richmtb - Member

I had a CB Cobalt headset. Bought for exactly the same reason I needed a lower stack height

The outside of the cups rusted after a couple of months. It doesn't affect the performance of the headset but its not particularly nice to look at.

More seriously the grease kept getting washed out of the bearings after a year the bearings were totally shot. Don't get me wrong I ride in some pretty shitty conditions but a sixty quid headset shouldn't be that badly sealed. In the end I switched back to a Hope headset (the new ones are a bit lower stack than the previous one I had)

Posted 11 months ago #
amedias - Member

bottom cup on mine split on the 2nd ride

removed and replaced with bottom of another headset, left the top in there and it's still there 2 years later with no appreciable wear/issues.

make of that what you will, but I wouldn't buy another one.

Posted 11 months ago #
anto164 - Member

guy i know had one on commencal supreme DH and snapped the bottom cup. it was in pieces.

Something i'v never seen with any other headset.

Posted 11 months ago #
mightymarmite - Member

Identical to richmtb. Checked after a month as was feeling grindy and FULL of crud and rust. Theres basically zero sealing bar the rubber ring that sits around the Crown race (which is pants anyway).

Given that our other bike has a Hope which has been going for 12 months under identical conditions doesn't bode well.

Regards stems, FSA do a 35mm version, or the NC17 Slick Stick

Slickstick

offers a similarr stack height, but a single bolt clamp design so can run the stem slightly short (a hope hed doctor allows for more clamping force). Bit heavy though.

Lastly if you can live with a very short stem the Spank Spike is the lowest stem I've found
Spike

I eventually gave up and replaced the CSU so have both the above stems if your interested in buying ?

Posted 11 months ago #
stuboy2uk - Member

AFAIK, 2pure(distributors) are very god with warranty items, so that shouldn't an issue but as my pedals died within 6 months, i wouldn't go near any of their kit again.

Not in my case they're not. They've had my Joplin 4 for 9 weeks now despite telling me 3 times that I'd have it back within a couple of days after it broke on the very 1st ride. I wouldn't touch any Crank Bros kit with a bargepole after the experience I've had with this, the products are badly built and the warranty is pathetic.

Posted 11 months ago #
clubber - Member

I have an Iodine SL which seems ok - needed it for the stack height advantages too - it's still smooth - about 6 months use - it's certainly done a few muddy wet rides too and it lives in my garage which is cold and damp when the weather is the same.

Posted 11 months ago #
uplink - Member

How bad / good are Crank Brothers Headsets

Anything [with the possible exception of their multi-tools] with the CB name on it is a big red light for me
They constantly produce fragile/badly designed kit

2Pure are good guys though

Posted 11 months ago #
Turnerfan1 - Member

Hi,
Mines a Cobolt SL.Been fine with no rusting or roughness after a year or so of use.Mind you this is my summer race bike so didn't get used through the winter.Looked after and cleaned regurlarly too!
Thanx Max

Posted 11 months ago #
voodoochris - Member

Thanks for all your comments.

I've decicded to go for an Opium (due to it having bigger bearings than the Cobalt) and run a Hope lower bearing on the bottom and the Directset bearing on top. This should give me good seals where it really counts and the low stack height I really need. Also, with the bearings being identical, if it doesn't last that long, I can always install the other one while the other is away getting replaced under warranty. :o)

Selling the old forks and buying new ones is too expensive an option at the moment.

On another note, I simply won't buy second hand suspension forks as you never know what sort of life they've had. I've seen the results (twice) of a failed fork and it's not something i am willing to risk. Only exception would be if someone i knew was selling some and I know what sort of life they'd had.

Thanks again

VC

Posted 11 months ago #
simons_nicolai-uk - Member

VooDooChris - how is this going after a couple of months? Thinking about the same thing for one of our fleet to keep the front end low.

I'm assuming the low stack height of the CB headset is split across both cups so you gain 5mm overall by just using the top cup?

Posted 9 months ago #
jumpupanddown - Member

like all there stuff its junk

Posted 9 months ago #
postierich - Member

Have all the Crank Bro lovers gone into hiding?

Posted 9 months ago #
clubber - Member

Well I can say that my Iodine Directset is still going strong...

I don't think much of their other stuff.

Posted 9 months ago #
simons_nicolai-uk - Member

Acros AH01 looks another option - 23.4mm stack height vs 20.56 CB and 31.1mm Hope.

Posted 9 months ago #

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