Headset tinkering

Aux1 · June 2007

Hello!

I installed my new riser bars today, on my own. It was the first time I tinkered with the headset so I worry a bit if I did it all properly. First I took the stem cap off, then took the stem off so I can put it on upside-down. When I removed the stem cap and the stem, the headset became loose. I held the bike by the frame so the whole headset stack got a little play. I saw it's not good so I pressed the frame down so anything (bearings? spacers?) that might have gone loose in the headset stack compresses back in it's place, and then I screwed the stem cap moderately strong. Then I aligned the stem forward and tightened the stem bolts pretty strong. Now the headset rotates smoothly and doesn't seem to have any play. The only very slight play I get is between the fork lowers & uppers, but I guess that's normal.

But my worry is, when the parts in the headset got loose by unscrewing the stem and it's cap, and I pressed it just back on, that something may have gone off-center or out of it's proper seat in the headset. I say again, it does look okay but I simply don't know...

Or do I worry too much? [:)]

To clip or not to clip, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind of men to suffer the dings and contusions of unclipp'd riding, or to bind thy feet against a sea of gnarly singletrack and by these contraptions, ride o'er them with ease. To clip... to slip no more, and by clipping to end the buttache and the thousand natural shocks that ryders are heir to; tis a consummation devoutly to be honed. No clip - to slip perchance to be thrashed most heinously...

KTM Ultra Flite 2007

Unknown · June 2007

as long as the bearings were caged then they will have stayed where they need to be.

read the headset section in parktools for a good over view.

nick
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Aux1 · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by nicklouse

as long as the bearings were caged then they will have stayed where they need to be.

read the headset section in parktools for a good over view.

nick
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<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Yeah, gonna read that, but tomorrow, too tired now [;)] I took the bike for a quick evening spin around town, and it feels ok. So I guess if the bike feels alright it probably is? [:)]

Btw. caged bearings? When they installed the new fork, they had some hollow tube and they whacked it onto the steerer tube, perhaps to get sometginh in place (the little bearings in a ring?)
Is that it? If they whacked it that hard, maybe that stayed where it needed to be even when I loosened the stem...

To clip or not to clip, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind of men to suffer the dings and contusions of unclipp'd riding, or to bind thy feet against a sea of gnarly singletrack and by these contraptions, ride o'er them with ease. To clip... to slip no more, and by clipping to end the buttache and the thousand natural shocks that ryders are heir to; tis a consummation devoutly to be honed. No clip - to slip perchance to be thrashed most heinously...

KTM Ultra Flite 2007

Unknown · June 2007

tube and hammering will be explained under the headset section part of park tools.

basically crown race fitting.

nick
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Aux1 · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by nicklouse

tube and hammering will be explained under the headset section part of park tools.

basically crown race fitting.

nick
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"Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."

 Sheldon Brown Park Tools! Spoke Calculator
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<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Ok, I read all of it and understand it a bit more.

So, the crown race is hammered onto the crown and it should stay there? Then you put the bearing retainer onto the crown race. The retainer is squeezed from the top with the lower headtube cup?

On the headtube, you have to press on the headtube cups. I hope those were already pressed and they didn't move as I loosened the stem and stem cap.

So, now the headtube lies with it's lower cap on the fork crown, crown race and the retainer?

Now, it's time to assemble the upper part of the column. There is the top headtube cup, in it comes the bearing retainer, and on it comes the adjusting race? This race is held co-axially with the headtube by the race centering cone?

Ok, now come the spacers, stem and stem cap?

There are also some very thin plastic spacers, washers and stuff between all that somewhere if I remember correctly.

It all seems okay on my bike, I hope I got it...

To clip or not to clip, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind of men to suffer the dings and contusions of unclipp'd riding, or to bind thy feet against a sea of gnarly singletrack and by these contraptions, ride o'er them with ease. To clip... to slip no more, and by clipping to end the buttache and the thousand natural shocks that ryders are heir to; tis a consummation devoutly to be honed. No clip - to slip perchance to be thrashed most heinously...

KTM Ultra Flite 2007

Aux1 · June 2007

What do you say, nick? Have I mastered the headset? [:D]

To clip or not to clip, that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind of men to suffer the dings and contusions of unclipp'd riding, or to bind thy feet against a sea of gnarly singletrack and by these contraptions, ride o'er them with ease. To clip... to slip no more, and by clipping to end the buttache and the thousand natural shocks that ryders are heir to; tis a consummation devoutly to be honed. No clip - to slip perchance to be thrashed most heinously...

KTM Ultra Flite 2007

Headset tinkering

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