1940s clip headset

[mercianman]

Does anybody know if it is possible to get a ball race to fit one of these headsets, or do you have to use individual ball bearings?

[Brucey]

use loose balls, not clipped ones.

cheers

[mercianman]

Any idea of size and quantity needed?

[Brucey]

I am assuming that you have the sort that doesn't use a 45 degree contact angle in the bearing, but has approximately matching grooves in both halves of each ballrace.

size; the size that fits the curvature of the ball race accurately

quantity; the quantity that fills the raceway, less one.

In practice the bearings will most likely be 1/8" or 5/32". The correct size ball fits in the groove nicely. To small will look 'lost' in the groove and won't hold the raceways apart correctly in most cases. The next ball size up from 'correct' will 'sit on the sides' and won't reach the bottom of the groove. So if 3/16" doesn't go in but 5/32" does, it is 5/32". If 5/32" doesn't go in but 1/8" does, it is 1/8".

The 'sanity check' on the bearing is to assemble it with as much hand preload (no tools) as you can reasonably manage, and turn the bearing. It should feel like a bearing and not bind. If there are any big gaps between balls visible from the side when you do a few complete rotations in one direction, possibly you can add one or two more balls, but in general better one too few than one too many.

hth

cheers

[mercianman]

Thanks