Headset question

J said:

I've just taken the headset apart on my 2003 Specialized Rockhopper.
It's a cane creek headset.

The plastic ring that is on top of the fork, so below the bottom set of
bearings has cracked through - I don't know what it's supposed to be
called (it might be the fork crown race -
http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/howfix_headthreadless.shtml )

Can these things be bought separately? Will the crack even matter - I
can't tell in the disassembled state whether or not it will be forced to
gether when reassembled.

That's the "centre seal", I think. The headset may work OK without it.

If it really *is* the fork crown race - in which case at least some of
it will be steel - modern ones often have a split in them to allow
fitting by hand. Therefore it's not broken.

in message <[email hidden]>, J

(') said:

I've just taken the headset apart on my 2003 Specialized Rockhopper.
It's a cane creek headset.

The plastic ring that is on top of the fork, so below the bottom set
of bearings has cracked through - I don't know what it's supposed to
be called (it might be the fork crown race -
http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/howfix_headthreadless.shtml )

Can these things be bought separately? Will the crack even matter - I
can't tell in the disassembled state whether or not it will be forced
to gether when reassembled.

Are you sure it's plastic?

The ring which gets driven down the fork aligns the bottom bearing and
is quite critical. It also requires a fair bit of force to put it on -
it's a light interference fit and needs a special tool. I'd be
surprised if it's plastic.

If it were my bike I'd be inclined to replace it, but you'd probably get
away with not. I'd be extremely surprised if you could easily get one
as a spare part.

If it's an 'integrated' headset, beware - they aren't standard and
you'll have to replace it with an identical one. The non 'integrated'
threadless headsets are standard and pretty much interchangeable.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Want to know what SCO stands for?
;; http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=20030605

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>, J

(') said:

I've just taken the headset apart on my 2003 Specialized Rockhopper.
It's a cane creek headset.

The plastic ring that is on top of the fork, so below the bottom set
of bearings has cracked through - I don't know what it's supposed to
be called (it might be the fork crown race -
http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/howfix_headthreadless.shtml )

Can these things be bought separately? Will the crack even matter - I
can't tell in the disassembled state whether or not it will be forced
to gether when reassembled.

Are you sure it's plastic?

The ring which gets driven down the fork aligns the bottom bearing and
is quite critical. It also requires a fair bit of force to put it on -
it's a light interference fit and needs a special tool. I'd be
surprised if it's plastic.

If it were my bike I'd be inclined to replace it, but you'd probably get
away with not. I'd be extremely surprised if you could easily get one
as a spare part.

If it's an 'integrated' headset, beware - they aren't standard and
you'll have to replace it with an identical one. The non 'integrated'
threadless headsets are standard and pretty much interchangeable.

Having re-assembled I'd think I'd call it 'some kind of seal', it's not
the race in that it's not what the bearings run on, it sort of fits
round the race. I should have taken a picture when it was all in pieces,
but I didn't 🙂

John