Anyone know how to service a headset?

Kieran_Burns
Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
edited November 2014 in Commuting chat
Got home tonight and mine sounds like there is sand and gravel in there. Really horrible noise...

The bit between the bars and the forks is a black zone to me... I have NO idea where to start sorting things in there.
Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
2011 Trek Madone 4.5
2012 Felt F65X
Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
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Comments

  • NeXXus
    NeXXus Posts: 854
    Clean/degrease/regrease(lithium)/reassemble

    If still gritty or notchy replace headset
    And the people bowed and prayed, to the neon god they made.
  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    NeXXus wrote:
    Clean/degrease/regrease(lithium)/reassemble

    If still gritty or notchy replace headset
    Wot e sed.
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
    FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
    FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees

    I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!
  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    Well, yes but how do I even get in there?
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • leeefm
    leeefm Posts: 260
    Slacken off stem bolts
    Undo steerer tube top cap and remove
    Make sure stem bolts are slackened off completely now, so that the stem can be removed
    Remove any washers that lie beneath the stem spacers
    Slide out fork carefully, so that no bits fall out ;)

    Best to do this in a stand.
    Shand Skinnymalinky
    Argon 18 Radon
  • leeefm
    leeefm Posts: 260
    When I say "stem bolts" I mean the ones that lock the stem to the steerer tube, just to be precise. No Need to remove the stem from the bars.
    Shand Skinnymalinky
    Argon 18 Radon
  • NeXXus
    NeXXus Posts: 854
    Well, yes but how do I even get in there?
    Loosen brake caliper mount bolt and retain washers

    Remove stem top cap and loosen stem bolts - slide stem/bars off

    Fork should come out with gentle persuasion or use of a BFH :lol:
    And the people bowed and prayed, to the neon god they made.
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    Read the info in my sig. Both have all the info you could ever need including how to ID what type of headset you have.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    Got home tonight and mine sounds like there is sand and gravel in there. Really horrible noise...

    The bit between the bars and the forks is a black zone to me... I have NO idea where to start sorting things in there.

    N+1 is much easier.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • graham.
    graham. Posts: 862
    Helpful tip.
    Take a picture at each stage of dis-assembly.
  • And be careful all those spacers and washers don't fall on the floor in a random order, leaving you scrathing your head about re-assembly.
  • fatsmoker wrote:
    And be careful all those spacers and washers don't fall on the floor in a random order, leaving you scrathing your head about re-assembly.

    This is the bit that has me most worried
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • leeefm
    leeefm Posts: 260
    Graham. wrote:
    Helpful tip.
    Take a picture at each stage of dis-assembly.

    Excellent idea. Used it myself a few times with other non bike-related stuff
    Shand Skinnymalinky
    Argon 18 Radon
  • DrLex
    DrLex Posts: 2,142
    leeefm wrote:
    Graham. wrote:
    Helpful tip.
    Take a picture at each stage of dis-assembly.

    Excellent idea. Used it myself a few times with other non bike-related stuff

    Yup- wiring on ceiling roses last month; dissembling cassette & axle to swap a bearing a few weeks prior.
    Location: ciderspace
  • fatsmoker wrote:
    And be careful all those spacers and washers don't fall on the floor in a random order, leaving you scrathing your head about re-assembly.

    This is the bit that has me most worried

    Which is why you really should skip straight to the "replace headset" stage.

    Stuff breaking is God's way of telling us to replace it.
    Swim. Bike. Run. Yeah. That's what I used to do.

    Bike 1
    Bike 2-A
  • The smartass answer to your title (which I think you often like) is yes.

    Good advice above, but the details depend on what type of headset you have. I'd suggest starting here:

    http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/headset-standards

    The Park Tool vids are generally pretty good. Also those by shyflirt1, especially for older bikes.

    Headsets are like bb's in that they seem more scary than they actually are, given some reasonable confidence, but on the other hand may be one of the few jobs to take to the LBS.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Tricross is easy... As said - remove the stem from the steerer and drop the forks out. You'll get a bb race out of the top and the bottom, clean, grease and reassemble.

    Trick is to remember what came out in what order and which way round, but it's not that tricky ...
    Take the top lot off first, don't clean them, just put a cable tie through them to keep them in order and put to one side. Now go onto the bottom lot, one that's replaced you can do the top lot knowing they're still in the right order.... :)
  • vorsprung
    vorsprung Posts: 1,953
    The difficult bit isn't disassembly or reassembly
    It's finding the correct type and size of bearings for the seemingly random non standard systems that headsets use
    For example, the Specialized Roubaix headset is about the only thing from all my bikes that I don't even bother to try and service. I just book it in to the shop and let them order the parts

    All the bikes I've built up myself have Hope headsets to mitigate this problem
  • It's the Felt that's got the problem (although at some point the Tricross will need doing as it is slightly notchy)
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • Well, the bearings are completely shot. The top ones were basically a rusted pile of poo and fell apart the moment I tried to move them.

    They're the cage and bearings type.

    The Felt site says this:
    By using a ControlTaper head tube with 1-1/8” upper bearings

    and 1-1/2” lower bearings, Felt is able to significantly improve front-end

    stiffness and steering precision without adding weight to the frameset.

    from: http://www.bikeroar.com/products/felt/f65x-2012/specs

    Everything needs replacing so any advice would be very much appreciated
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,052
    Damn you too hell, I just walked into the garage to get more beer and thought oh crap I meant to service the commuter this weekend, sure enough the bloody headset has seized solid

    I'm blaming you.

    Anyway I've bodged it with a thick layer of Phil woods bearing grease.

    You owe me a headset or something, git
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • Everything needs replacing so any advice would be very much appreciated

    You'll need a tool to knock out the old one, another to press in the new one and a new headset. Plus a tool to remove the crown race and a piece of plastic pipe to pop on the new one. For the headset (of which you'll have to work out which of the many versions you need) I highly recommend the Cane Creek 40 series. For the rest, I think I recommend your LBS.
  • I did just get one of these the other day... a few frames needing build-up and decided my shonky blocks of wood and threaded rod were a bit, er, amateur.. :mrgreen:

    98a71045dd2589c27449a3e9c523d575e88b184f_800x700.jpg

    That's not helping, is it? :D
    Open One+ BMC TE29 Seven 622SL On One Scandal Cervelo RS
  • don't think the crown race needs doing, it's 'just' the bearings that are shot, so I need something to replace them.

    Wiggle have recommended:

    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/token-tk070-sem ... d-heggset/

    and they do a 1 1/8" - 1 1/2" taper set in black which is what I think I need
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • don't think the crown race needs doing, it's 'just' the bearings that are shot, so I need something to replace them.

    Wiggle have recommended:

    http://www.wiggle.co.uk/token-tk070-sem ... d-heggset/

    and they do a 1 1/8" - 1 1/2" taper set in black which is what I think I need

    Crown race is specific to the headset. I wouldn't buy that one due to the unpalatable use off the word egg.
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    If its just the bearings, get to your LBS and get a handful the same size, personally I don't like cages (weak point but reduces cost), plenty of grease, insert as many balls as you can round inside the bottom cup, insert forks, repeats with top, fit top race and wedge and rebuild, easy 10 mins job. Halfords sell perfectly good bearings if you are stuck for time to get to an open LBS.
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • I have the replacement HEGGset here. Looks pretty simple to do, but removing the old cups in the frame may involve some careful hitting with a bloodybigyommer
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 14,498
    KB you have committed a serious Karma crime.

    My headset is seized.
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,252
    That's 2 headsets KB has done for by remote. Should we gather a lynch mob?
  • Veronese68 wrote:
    That's 2 headsets KB has done for by remote. Should we gather a lynch mob?


    LynchMob1990.jpg

    Is that you on the left?
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter