Hello hello,

I’m riding a voodoo Bizango and have been having a blast for the past year. Whipped it out the garage to take it to the local trails and “crunchcrunchcrunch”… oh dear, sounds like the headset bearings need a clean.

Decided to whip the forks out tonight so I can clean and re-fit OR replace the bearings over the weekend aaaaaaaand I can’t get ‘em out. Top cap off, stem removed, spacers off, front brake off… it should just drop out, right?

Am I missing something? Do I need to coat the thing in WD40 to free it up?

Thanks in Advance

Depends on the headset.  there is usually a circular taper wedge at the top to lock it all together often split.  See if you can find the split and pick it out or tap ( not belt) the fork down a bit until it moves a few mm then tap it back up and the taper wedgey thingy will come loose

They do vary a bit but you can see it here just above the top bearing  its usually under a top cover but not always

That’s a cracking diagram @tjagain @explorerboy – sometimes those wedges are made of aluminium so they “weld” themselves to the steerer, sometimes plastic which can be as bad. Rust on the steerer tube is quite often a problem. The advice above is good, after using lubricant/penetrating fluid tapping the top of the steerer with a block of wood between hammer and the top of the steerer tube works (and prevents damage) or as I use, a rawhide hammer. Sometimes you have to really belt it! Have an assistant ready to catch the forks as you use your spare hand under the top of the down tube to support the frame. Good luck, hope this helps.

Yep, should just drop out.

Bike maintainance 101… just because it should doesn’t mean it will. I have a handy rubber mallet for just such times, in the absence of one of those a piece of wood and a normal hammer should suffice. You could even smack it with the wood, straight down.

Can you get the top cover of the upper bearing off? I mean the part which the top arrow is pointing to in TJs diagram. This should come away independently of the bearing.

I cannot get the top FSA-branded cover off…

The cover should have a small rubber seal around the inside. Sometimes they bond themselves to the steerer and sometimes it’s the aluminium/steel electrolytic reaction, however, I suspect it’s probably rust on the steerer so trickle/spray penetrating fluid around it (protecting fork legs and seals), and leave for a few hours, spray again and follow the above advice – tapping or belting!
Screwfix do good penetrating fluid. Don’t rush the job as you may damage something, as it’s your own bike you’re not under time/profit pressures.

I cannot get the top FSA-branded cover off…

How’re you doing with this OP? Have you managed to get the fork out yet?

Hi Nickc, not yet… work dragged me into the office today so I’ll have a look this evening and slather in WD40 to help loosen things off

https://www.halfords.com/bikes/mountain-bikes/voodoo-bizango-pro-mountain-bike—s-m-l-xl-frames-453094.html

looking at the (zoomed in) pic, thats what’s know as a integrated headset (or Secure Headset Integrated Token (SHIT for short)) and the bearings are pressed (ha!) into the frame.
There’s only one good thing about them – and that’s that the bearings are easy to change. Arf.
Might need a screwdriver to lever out the bottom one, but they usually just fall out with the fork steerer. Top cover sometimes needs a bit of prising, but usually its the bottom one that gets rusty and crappy first cos it doesn’t have much protection from the elements.

ITS FREE! THE FORKS ARE LOOSE AND ROAMING FREE IN THE GARAGE!

Now to find a replacement headset as the whole thing is KNACKERED…

ITS FREE! THE FORKS ARE LOOSE AND ROAMING FREE IN THE GARAGE!

That’s because forks have legs

Now to find a replacement headset as the whole thing is KNACKERED…

I really wish people would look after their headsets a bit better. I had to try and remove this outer bearing race from a carbon frame yesterday :-/

It came out but it’s quite scary using a dremmel on a carbon frame. I don’t want to have to do it again in a hurry!

My SHIT headset (see above) (Cane Creek, supposed to be decent), lasted 2 moist, not wet – moist, rides, before the lower race went all crunchy. It’s not the rider’s fault, its just another garbage piece of compromised design we have to put up with.

What grease should be used to prevent headset and carbon frame becoming stuck as above?

On the assumption that some grease could have squidged out of the headset at some point and the frame designers have obviously taken that into account I just use whatever waterproof grease is in the grease gun at the time. Will I die?

@oldnick Carbon assembly paste, but pick all the gritty bits out first 😉

sorry

@igm 🙂