Techs-Mechs: Headset Advice

by Peter Fontecchio on Jul 29, 2009 6:02 PM EDT

I have a 2005 Felt F1X cyclocross frame (w/ Chorus/Centaur/Protons/Ritchey Pro/Crank Bros, etc). The original headset (Aheadset by Cane Creek is all it said) with a Cane Creek IS2. For some reason when fully compressed I am getting a 1-2 mm space between the dust cover and the head tube exposing a bit of the top bearing. It is just a standard integrated headset, with drop in bearings, bottom race, centering sleeve, cover and cap. I have no idea why the cap wont sit flush. Am I overlooking something?. It seems to sit flush without the center sleeve, but then it's wobbly.

Any thoughts? thnx

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Bearings upside down?

(assuming a bearing carrier here)

by Sui Juris on Jul 29, 2009 6:28 PM EDT reply actions

just tossing out possibilities...

In addition to SJ’s suggestion:

Did you replace the cups in the head tube with the ones that came with the new headset? (Er, wait — or does it have one of those integrated head tubes that don’t take cups?)

Any chance that the top and bottom bearings are different, and you’ve swapped them?

by gregm on Jul 29, 2009 7:05 PM EDT reply actions

If it was assembled properly . . . .

. . . the problem you have identified is comonly known as “Tolerance Stack”

In all actuality, this is primarily an aesthetic issue whereas the overall function, and life expectancy of the product should not be impacted in any significant manner.

The plain truth is that the headset you have was engineered and manufactured in a manner to be produced extremely efficiently to keep costs down while functioning within the parameters required.
But, in order to achieve these two things aesthetics was sacrificed.
Ah, the brutal truth of OEM bicycle components.

by Ryan_Liles on Jul 29, 2009 11:14 PM EDT reply actions

There are no cups

and It’s right side up since the down side is easy to identify since it has the angle in it. I tend to think this was probably just designed to work with a number of head tubes, but the Felt may be a little more shallow than some. I suppose the gap is really just an asthetic thing since the dust covers really don’t seal off much even when snug, but does anyone know of a brand that may have a lower stack height?

by Peter Fontecchio on Jul 30, 2009 12:46 PM EDT reply actions

I have this same bike

Love it.

But more to the point, I do not have any problems with the headset. Do you still have the large conical cover as a spacer? I removed mine to get a lower bar height and had to get a new dust cover for the top.

by australopithecine on Jul 30, 2009 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Spacer

I have the same deal with my frame and a CC 110. My CC IS didn’t have the gap, but my 110 does have a slightly more than 1 mm gap. I had play in it until I put a spacer between the dustcap and the stem instead of running straight dustcap to stem. The IS should’ve come with a rubber gasket inside the top dustcap to cover any gaps outside the .5 mm gap usually needed during installation. If not contact CC.
On another note. Check the inside of the cup to ensure the bearing race didn’t pull off when you removed the old headset.

by spokejunky on Jul 30, 2009 1:50 PM EDT reply actions

I am running a 10mm

spacer above the cone as well as 5mm cantilever cable guide. I saved the original dust cap but that left a gap too. Picked up a cheap Ritchey Pro headset today. Maybe it will fit better…

by Peter Fontecchio on Jul 30, 2009 5:12 PM EDT reply actions