Can I please tap into the STW knowledge base again?

Where can I get bearings (and retainers) for an non-tapered one and one eighth inch FSA headset.

The headset is just the original cheapo FSA one that came with the bike.

In the past I’ve been reduced to ordering bearings with the wrong sized retainer and swapping the individual balls over or buying a cheap complete FSA headset from Halfords and just using the bearings and retainers.

I need new retainers as these are looking quite corroded, and I think this will speed up bearing wear (both abrasion and electrolytic)?

Any help much appreciated – the STW knowledge base has been good to me of late – hopefully this will be the case again!

You don’t need the retainer, just get a load of loose, correctly sized balls, and plemty of nice thick grease and you’re good to go

APF

OK – thanks for the tip – is the correct number the amount you can get in side by side with a gap one ball wide?

I seem to remember that from somewhere.

I haven’t actually even taken it apart yet, but it doesn’t sound good!

No worries about amount of grease, I pack about half a tub in each time I do this!

Yep, all the balls you can get in there, less one.

Balls are available at the LBS, or at a fraction of the price from a bearing supplier.

APF