Headset Help - Bearing Sizes

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Jupestar
Posts: 920
Joined: 29 Feb 2020, 3:03pm

Headset Help - Bearing Sizes

Post by Jupestar »

I'm on a build with a mate from work, just a bit of fun. Bike is likely to end up being little more than a pop to the shop type of thing. the victim bike is a Specalized Centrum.

Cost £50, and really he just wanted to play around with a bike a bit, while maybe adding a bit of custom bling.

Anyway i said i'd help to get it back to health, before he started spending any money on it. Its all good, (when i finally got the BB out).

In fact it hardly been used, i think just put together 1) badly, 2) with no grease... The headset being the only issue, very grabby and rough. I needed some effort to undo the top cap and the stem was barely finger tight...

No grease and the bearings and cages were shot and incomplete. Integrated Headset, 1 1/8 steerer, i was expecting a seal bearing unit, but it wasn't. bearings in a cage.

I picked up replacement bearing race, slightly suspicous that it would be the wrong size, but for £1.50 little to lose. It fits on the ID but not on the OD. Its a bit big.

The one i brought was 5/32 with 22 bearings. On more detailed examination of the one which came out. It appears to be 23 bearings size 1/8. which i can't seem to buy as a unit.

My thoughts are to buy some 1/8 bearings and try and fit them loose or clean up and bend the original cage back into shape . Won't cost much if it doesn't work.

Buying a new headset is an option i'm trying to avoid.

Any advice, the bearings seem pretty small and are measuring in around 2.9-3.1mm on my calipers.
rogerzilla
Posts: 2887
Joined: 9 Jun 2008, 8:06pm

Re: Headset Help - Bearing Sizes

Post by rogerzilla »

You don't need the cage. It is only there to make things easier and because fewer balls can be used (saves the maker 5p per bike).

Balls could be 1/8", although it's not a common size on bikes - used in freewheels and some pedals, usually. A good pair of calipers will tell you.

Put enough balls in to fill the race, then take one out.
Jupestar
Posts: 920
Joined: 29 Feb 2020, 3:03pm

Re: Headset Help - Bearing Sizes

Post by Jupestar »

They seem to be 1/8 in size. measured on my calipers they are averaging around 3mm, they do look a bit smaller than i would expect. but i don't think they were ever 5/32. the 5/32 in the race does not fit.

In general i think my concern is that
1) i was not expecting this in a integrated headset.
2) they are small.
mattsccm
Posts: 5101
Joined: 28 Nov 2009, 9:44pm

Re: Headset Help - Bearing Sizes

Post by mattsccm »

I had similar in a Spec. Not the highest spec bike and things like this are cost cutting. Titchy bearings. :roll:
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