Ease of fitting threaded headset without tools?

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Racingt
Posts: 142
Joined: 23 Oct 2015, 6:45am

Re: Ease of fitting threaded headset without tools?

Post by Racingt »

Hmm, I removed the stem easily enough, but the top headset nut isn’t budging, even with a 32 mill socket and 3 foot extension on it. Soaking it in PlusGas at the moment, will try again later...
Racingt
Posts: 142
Joined: 23 Oct 2015, 6:45am

Re: Ease of fitting threaded headset without tools?

Post by Racingt »

All apart now. It’s needle roller with removable races. No rust, but pitting evident on the lower race, all around, where the rollers are. The new design headset uses cartridge bearings, so, and I feel bad about this, I’ve bought some NOS roller bearings and removable races from the USA for more than an alloy headset cost, simply because I know they will fit easily. Yes a bearing factor might help, but I need the races also, and it all takes time!
I doubt I will need to do the job again, cos in another 20 years I’ll be 82....
Thanks all for your help, and assistance, regards
Phil
Brucey
Posts: 44521
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Ease of fitting threaded headset without tools?

Post by Brucey »

sounds like you are sorted. Headsets of this sort are not very well sealed, so on bikes without mudguards they get water in quite easily. It isn't a bad idea to regrease such headsets on a regular basis. Probably more often than once every twenty years..... :wink:

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
rjb
Posts: 7200
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 10:25am
Location: Somerset (originally 60/70's Plymouth)

Re: Ease of fitting threaded headset without tools?

Post by rjb »

These same roller bearings are used in other makes of headsets. It makes you wonder if an industrial bearing supplier has them available? I've never found one. :roll:
You could also swap the bearings and races top to bottom as the bottom one probably takes more load than the top. It could keep you going a bit longer before you need to replace it. Sounds like you are sorted though.
I've got a strong light delta headset with rollers. I only used the lower race with a ball race in the top. so still have a spare set of rollers in reserve. :wink:
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
gregoryoftours
Posts: 2234
Joined: 22 May 2011, 7:14pm

Re: Ease of fitting threaded headset without tools?

Post by gregoryoftours »

whoof wrote:If it's a Stronglight A9 headset these are still available. From memory I always thought that these were aluminium. It appears that they are now available in aluminium £28 (also from Planet X just couldn't cut and paste from that browser) or steel £8.


By the way, the aluminium and the steel A9 are completely different headsets that are always sold as 2 options under the same listing. The steel A9 is a bad quality abomination, caged balls with no sealing (not that caged balls in and of itself is bad). Avoid it like the plague.
Racingt
Posts: 142
Joined: 23 Oct 2015, 6:45am

Re: Ease of fitting threaded headset without tools?

Post by Racingt »

To be clear, the bearings look fine. No rust despite years of non lubrication. The issue lies with pitting of the lower races, and I’m not sure a bearing factor would help here.
Mick and rob have good ideas, and regular lubrication, moving the rollers around and swapping faces between highe and lower positions would probably have extended the life. I’ll take this tip on board with my ‘best’ bike, a Mason Definition2.
Cheers guys, you all helped!
Brucey
Posts: 44521
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Ease of fitting threaded headset without tools?

Post by Brucey »

FWIW these headsets often wear in an unusual way; the rollers at the front and back of the headset tend to slide back and forth lengthwise as the fork moves about. On bikes with short head tubes especially the movement is practically impossible to stop, even with excessive preload applied to the bearings. I recommend a high quality grease which is meant for low speed applications, and is loaded up with solid lubricants etc. It won't stop the wear but it will slow it down.

If you re-use slightly worn parts you can stop the worst of the 'self-centring' tendency by installing the races such that (in each bearing) any wear marks in the upper race don't line up with the similar marks in the lower race when the steering is straight ahead. Since these headsets wear worse front and back, simply turning the races ninety degrees helps too.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David9694
Posts: 908
Joined: 10 Feb 2018, 8:42am

Re: Ease of fitting threaded headset without tools?

Post by David9694 »

You can remove the cups with the right drift, if you have them. The cups will soon let you know either way if you try.
A “proper” drift is about £12, but make sure you get the right size. I’ve not used them, but there are cheap and even improvised presses.
A proper crown race remover isn’t that expensive, nor is a proper installer if you shop around - both are worth having if you want to avoid taking chunks out of your hands and paintwork.
Not surprised your mobile mechanic couldn’t do these jobs.
Spa Audax Ti Ultegra; Genesis Equilibrium 853; Raleigh Record Ace 1983; “Raleigh Competition”, “Raleigh Gran Sport 1982”; “Allegro Special”, Bob Jackson tourer, Ridley alu step-through with Swytch front wheel; gravel bike from an MB Dronfield 531 frame.
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Gattonero
Posts: 3730
Joined: 31 Jan 2016, 1:35pm
Location: London

Re: Ease of fitting threaded headset without tools?

Post by Gattonero »

FWIW, I'd remove the bottom cup from the frame to check the conditions of the frame: old frames do stretch with time, some headsets will come off just by hand and will need a frame repair, or some other thing done to get the headset properly in place.
To remove the cups from the frame all you need is an old steel seatpost onto you cut 3 or 4 long slots along, spread it and voilà! You now have a good tool.
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
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