Integrated Headset Gap Woes (pic heavy) !!!!

Avoneer
Avoneer Posts: 525
edited August 2010 in Workshop
Hi All,

Pretty sure this will be an "oh not another integrated headset thread" but here we go anyway.

Just trying to put together my Planet X frame and forks with the headset that came with the forks and having a few problems.

I think the pics tell the story pretty well.

Does this look right to you guys or should everything be very flush like the last three pics which are of my Giant Defy.

Or could this merely be manafacturing tolerances and I need the bottom race reaming out another 1mm and the top race another 2mm?

The bottom bearing is a nice push in fit, but the top one requiring a tap with a rubber mallet and a block of wood (OD is 40.9mm where as bottom OD is 41.1mm).

Cheers,

Pat...

1%20fork%20(Small).JPG

2%20crown%20race%20(Small).JPG

3%20fork%20crown%20race%20(Small).JPG

4%20bearings%20(Small).JPG

5%20bearing%20on%20fork%20(Small).JPG

6%20lower%20race%20(Small).JPG

7%20upper%20race%20(Small).JPG

8%20upper%20bearing%20(Small).JPG
"Campagnolo has soul, Shimano has ruthless efficiency and SRAM has yet to acquire mystique. Differentiating between them is a matter of taste"

Comments

  • Avoneer
    Avoneer Posts: 525
    9%20retaining%20collar%20(Small).JPG

    10%20retaining%20collar%20fitted%20(Small).JPG

    11%20dust%20cover%20(Small).JPG

    12%20top%20gap%20(Small).JPG

    13%20bottom%20gap%20(Small).JPG

    16%20giant%20(Small).JPG

    18%20giant%20bottom%20(Small).JPG

    17%20giant%20bottom%20(Small).JPG
    "Campagnolo has soul, Shimano has ruthless efficiency and SRAM has yet to acquire mystique. Differentiating between them is a matter of taste"
  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,716
    Looks fine to me.
  • rake
    rake Posts: 3,204
    if the bearings fit properly it looks ok. there needs to be a slight gap to allow the forks flexing to clear the frame. i dont know about the top, it could be ok but i cant see how you should have to use a hammer, mine has quite a clearance around the sides of the bearing, its held centre by the angled face.
  • Avoneer
    Avoneer Posts: 525
    Cheers guys.

    The top race is tight because the bearing is 41mm across and the hole is 40.9mm.

    Doesn't sound a lot, but it won't push in by hand and didn't deform/ovelate once tapped in with hammer (one tap).

    Pat...
    "Campagnolo has soul, Shimano has ruthless efficiency and SRAM has yet to acquire mystique. Differentiating between them is a matter of taste"
  • rake
    rake Posts: 3,204
    its worth finding out. there may be different types but my top race has maybe 1-2mm clearance around the sides, its all stock equipment. i think they are meant to flex with the steerer etc. it could put load on the head tube. may be wotrth taking your other stem off and having a look.
    http://chrisking.com/files/pdfs/Int20He ... lained.pdf
    see here how it doesnt actually touch the sides. notice gap A .
    http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=68
    some are slip fit and some interferance fit .
  • Avoneer
    Avoneer Posts: 525
    Hi,

    Thanks for the links - but found them before posting on here - good info though.

    I took my Giant headset apart - bearings are identical, only the top race is sunken a lot deeper into the Giant frame.

    I could get an LBS to ream out the top race on my Planet X frame both slightly wider and a couple of mm deeper and this would solve the problems, but this seems like an extreme solution and I need to find an LBS with the right reamer and would prefer to do it myself.

    Pat..
    "Campagnolo has soul, Shimano has ruthless efficiency and SRAM has yet to acquire mystique. Differentiating between them is a matter of taste"
  • andyrr
    andyrr Posts: 1,823
    Tried contacting P-X ?
    Sure they'll be able to help or at the least offer helpful advice.
  • Avoneer
    Avoneer Posts: 525
    Hi,

    Tried that - PX stopped making my frame over 4 years ago and can't remember.

    A few folk are saying a lot of internal headsets are like that - beginning to agree.

    Pat...
    "Campagnolo has soul, Shimano has ruthless efficiency and SRAM has yet to acquire mystique. Differentiating between them is a matter of taste"
  • anto164
    anto164 Posts: 3,500
    I'd say that that's fine. As long as there's no play, it's all ok.
  • bazbadger
    bazbadger Posts: 553
    Avoneer wrote:
    Hi,

    ...PX stopped making my frame over 4 years ago and can't remember.

    Classic, I can just imagine them saying that !

    It looks ok to me, I have pro SL and where the fork meets the headtube is similar to yours. As long as there is no play and you can move the handle bars freely - would have thought it would be fine.
    Mens agitat molem
  • Hugh A
    Hugh A Posts: 1,189
    I'm sure you will have checked this - but is it the correct angled heatset? I understand there are two different standards with different seat angles which might affect this if it is the wrong one. I can't tell from the pics.

    Mind you the it may just be the frame and fork in which case maybe best to live with it as reaming as much as 2mm out of the head tube might weaken the bearing seat.
    I\'m sure I had one of those here somewhere
  • Avoneer
    Avoneer Posts: 525
    Hi All,

    Yep - angle is correct - that was my 1st thought.

    There's plenty of meat in the head tube to accommodate a 2mm ream, but think I'm gonna leave it for now unless the gap really annoys me.

    Might make a thin rubber or neoprene washer to go at the top to fill the gap.

    Pat...
    "Campagnolo has soul, Shimano has ruthless efficiency and SRAM has yet to acquire mystique. Differentiating between them is a matter of taste"
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Download the headset technical guide from the FSA website:
    http://www.fullspeedahead.com/fly.aspx? ... h&taxid=74 - it has all the key dimensions.

    I would strongly advise against using a reamer too.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • bikeav8or
    bikeav8or Posts: 77
    Had same problem on my cervelo RS.

    I recommend a new head set the cane creek IS8 or IS8i(italian/campag standard). Intsall all new parts including the fork race. The volcano has a nice overlap seal and will cover any gaps and there are some shims supplied to get it just right.

    http://www.canecreek.com/component-headsets?browse=name&name=S-Series&cat=Integrated&product=IS-8

    my problem was the old fork face angle did not match the internal angle of a replacement bearing. one was 30 deg and one was 45 deg

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