This is my brother in law’s bike –

It’s a mid 90’s Lava Dome and it’s had very little use – all original parts. Mostly it’s fully working but the headset is way loose – seemingly cup moving in head tube which is odd.

It’s in France and I didn’t have tools to strip it down (needs a long allen key to get into the steerer) but it looks like 1″ steerer, Quill stem but some sort of weird headset that’s not Ahead and not traditional “two spanners” job.

So, I could just araldite the current headset back in but, given it’s in France, if there is a problem with the headset (which seems likely), I’d need to fit something else and would probably want to take it out with me. I’m assuming i’d be able to swap in a standard threaded headset with locknuts?

It’s probably one of the Kona Impact headsets that is basically threaded type but uses a locking bolt to hold it in place instead of a lock nut.

(can’t see your pics at work)

(this pic is upside down)

It does look like a std Kona Impact headset as above.

IIRC these were 1 1/8” so any 1 1/8” threaded headset should fit providing the overall height is the same/very similar.

Cup moving it HT is a bit strange – Any front end damage?

Definitely seems to be the cup moving in the frame rather than the headset (i could see it moving at the lower cup).

Clubber – that’s it – but what will swap in?

If the cup is moving in the headtube then the tube may have become ovalised and as such fitting a new headset will not resolve the problem. Aralditing it in, if this is the case, won’t help as the amount of vibration that goes through the lower cup will shake the glue loose in no time.

simon – I think I’ve got a spare one in my box of bits at home.
Any use to you?

http://www.bikepro.com/arch_products/headsets/ajoemurray_hset.html

Gives the weight for a 1″ version which suggests might not be 1 1/8th

B-I-L has had it from new and I suspect it’s never been off road let alone had a major stack.

It might actually be a 1 1/8″ headset, as I think Kona were one of the first companies to move to the new standard. regardless, a ‘standard’ threaded headset will work on it fine. Have a look for older Shimano threaded headsets, as they were very good quality.

If the cup is moving in the headtube, then it could well be that the headtube has flared outwards. This could possibly be remedied by bunging the top of the tube in a vice or something and GENTLY squeezing it back into shape (steel frame so not a big deal), but it would be a bit tricky and has the potential to go horribly wrong.

I have successfully used Araldite Rapid Steel to ‘glue’ a headset cup into a frame. A bit too successfully, as the frame is now dead and I can’t get the headset out…. 😳

Loose lower cup might be symptomatic of repeated heavy landings on the front end. Best to check the steerer tube where it meets the rest of the fork, for any signs of damage.

If it is the Kona type I used to really like them!

Could be:

1. That the allen key bolt at the bottom of clubbers pic has become loose. If it has, just screw the whole of the cup down with your hand until the slack is taken up, but not too tight that the bearings start to stick when moving the bars side to side. Then tighten the allen key. Careful though dont over tighten it though as it will strip the thread on the headset cup.

2. The bearing race/s have disintegrated. Just take the stem out, fully unscrew the top cup and see what mess is left of the bearings. Bearings can be easily replace and dont need to be in a race. Depends if its knakered the cups the bearings sit in though.

Try 1 first though

Possibly 1 1/8″

Anyway, replacement would be a matching size threaded headset.

As others have said, that vintage of Kona (I had a cinder cone from the same year which had the same frame) are 1 1/8 and any 1 1/8 threaded headset should fit though from recollection the impact headset had a reasonably short stack height.

At the risk of insulting intelligence – they came with a big old rubber shield over the bottom race which looks like it is in place still on the first photo, I presume its not that which is moving?

+1 for the rubber shield moving, not the cup itself.

I can’t remember if it was the top cup or bottom cup moving (it’s been a few weeks) but it wasn’t just the rubber cover.

Loose lower cup might be symptomatic of repeated heavy landings on the front end.

Honestly – I’d be amazed if this had been off anything bigger than a kerb and BIL is not a heavyweight.

from recollection the impact headset had a reasonably short stack height.

From the top photo there seems to be a bit of space under the “stem”. Also, couldn’t I just raise the quill stem (or is the headset clamped around the steerer)? I’ve never stripped down a non-Ahead headset/steerer 🙂 All new to me.

I have successfully used Araldite Rapid Steel to ‘glue’ a headset cup into a frame. A bit too successfully, as the frame is now dead and I can’t get the headset out…

That’s what I’d heard. I reckon a £25 headset will last the life of the rest of the frame glued in now.

From the top photo there seems to be a bit of space under the “stem”. Also, couldn’t I just raise the quill stem (or is the headset clamped around the steerer)? I’ve never stripped down a non-Ahead headset/steerer All new to me.

Its not the stem thats the issue, as you say, that could just be moved up a bit. The top cap on the headset threads onto the steerer – so if the replacement adds too much height in the cups you the cap might not thread on to the top of the steerer sufficiently to stay in place.

A normal threaded headset will have a threaded cap, and a separate lock nut, which is why its likely to be a bit taller than the one piece Kona one.

If its the bottom cup thats hosed, and the top one isn’t worn out, then if the height is an issue you could use a new bottom cup and reuse the Kona top half.

A normal threaded headset will have a threaded cap, and a separate lock nut, which is why its likely to be a bit taller than the one piece Kona one.

Not necessarily. The kona one is actually fairly tall. I replaced one directly with an XT one years ago and it was very similar.

if the height is an issue you could use a new bottom cup and reuse the Kona top half.

Which would also be easy because you could use any 1 1/8″ headset – eh an aheadset which will give more choice.

Which would also be easy because you could use any 1 1/8″ headset – eh an aheadset which will give

and I might well have half an old headset around anyway…will get BIL to check. bound to be the top.,.

Good luck with the the bike and the headset.
For information, the bike is a 1993 model, I still have a Cindercone of the same year, and it still rides great (on the original 1/8″ Impact headset).
The allen key adjustable lockring was a very good idea, if the rest of the headset is beyond repair, it should be possible to retain that on a new heaset, just swap a lockring.