Stopping headset creak!?
lodgey_3
Posts: 29
Hey all,
A few months back i had a very annoying clicking/creaky noise that got worse over the week, i was stationary with the bike and just turn the handlebars so to side and could hear grit scraping away inside
I looked at youtube and it was a dirty headset bearing so i took the bike apart for the first time and low and behold alot of grit in the bearing (non cartridge bearings at that which i was not happy about) so i clean it all out, re-greased and put it back together and the creaking had stopped.
Few months on and the creaking is back again, turning the handle bars while stationary i can hear the grit scraping away inside again so i will have to strip it.
My questions are, would a cartridge style bearing stop the grit getting in there and causing the creak? also does anyone have any ideas on how to stop the dirt getting into the headset bearing? I found a website that sells a neoprene sleeve that fits on the bottom of the steering tube? I think thats what its called but it was for bmx bikes so i was looking for something similar to that for a MTB.
Any help would be great as i dont want to have to keep taking it apart every other month to stop a creak.
This link is for the product i was talking about https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/lizard-skins-headset-cover/rp-prod4773
A few months back i had a very annoying clicking/creaky noise that got worse over the week, i was stationary with the bike and just turn the handlebars so to side and could hear grit scraping away inside
I looked at youtube and it was a dirty headset bearing so i took the bike apart for the first time and low and behold alot of grit in the bearing (non cartridge bearings at that which i was not happy about) so i clean it all out, re-greased and put it back together and the creaking had stopped.
Few months on and the creaking is back again, turning the handle bars while stationary i can hear the grit scraping away inside again so i will have to strip it.
My questions are, would a cartridge style bearing stop the grit getting in there and causing the creak? also does anyone have any ideas on how to stop the dirt getting into the headset bearing? I found a website that sells a neoprene sleeve that fits on the bottom of the steering tube? I think thats what its called but it was for bmx bikes so i was looking for something similar to that for a MTB.
Any help would be great as i dont want to have to keep taking it apart every other month to stop a creak.
This link is for the product i was talking about https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/lizard-skins-headset-cover/rp-prod4773
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Comments
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On one of my bikes I ride in any weather and the lower headset bearing lasts about 2 years with occasional maintenance. Fitting some kind of front mudguard in the wet and mud tends to reduce this problem a lot as then nothing can get from the tyre to the lower headset bearing.0
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Yeah one of them mucky nuts style fork guards will help.
Otherwise you’ll need to fit a better style headset with sealed cartridge bearings.0
