Hmm, I think I mashed my headset bearings

B.B. said:

Headset came loose, I was away from home but near the school with
lots of tools. Tightened the headset with a big adjustable wrench, but
I figure I overdid it a little as it creaked a bit on the way home.
Anyway, I loosened it up, it still turns smoothly, but it still creaks a
little when I ride.
Could I have squished the balls a little without damaging the races?
When I pull it apart what do I need to look for?

If those bearing balls were soft enough for you to distort them in any
way, they would have failed long ago. If a headset creaks, there's
definitely something wrong. Dismantle the steerer, clean the parts
and carefully check for cracked or loose upper and lower bearing cups,
among other things. A crack on the shoulder of the lower cup's flange
may be difficult to spot, but can produce the result you describe.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Werehatrack said:

B.B. said:

Headset came loose, I was away from home but near the school with
lots of tools. Tightened the headset with a big adjustable wrench, but
I figure I overdid it a little as it creaked a bit on the way home.
Anyway, I loosened it up, it still turns smoothly, but it still creaks a
little when I ride.
Could I have squished the balls a little without damaging the races?
When I pull it apart what do I need to look for?

If those bearing balls were soft enough for you to distort them in any
way, they would have failed long ago. If a headset creaks, there's
definitely something wrong. Dismantle the steerer, clean the parts
and carefully check for cracked or loose upper and lower bearing cups,
among other things. A crack on the shoulder of the lower cup's flange
may be difficult to spot, but can produce the result you describe.

I got it apart today--no cracks or looseness.
However, it looks like the surface of the races was chromed and that
plating has flaked off where the bearings rode. Seems as if the
creaking and popping I heard after loosening it up was the sound of the
little flakes getting pulverized.
Can I clean it up and reassemble and expect it to last, or will it
just chew itself up in short order with that plating gone?

--
B.B. --I am not a goat! thegoat4 at airmail.net

B.B. said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Werehatrack said:

B.B. said:

Headset came loose, I was away from home but near the school with
lots of tools. Tightened the headset with a big adjustable wrench, but
I figure I overdid it a little as it creaked a bit on the way home.
Anyway, I loosened it up, it still turns smoothly, but it still creaks a
little when I ride.
Could I have squished the balls a little without damaging the races?
When I pull it apart what do I need to look for?

If those bearing balls were soft enough for you to distort them in any
way, they would have failed long ago. If a headset creaks, there's
definitely something wrong. Dismantle the steerer, clean the parts
and carefully check for cracked or loose upper and lower bearing cups,
among other things. A crack on the shoulder of the lower cup's flange
may be difficult to spot, but can produce the result you describe.

I got it apart today--no cracks or looseness.
However, it looks like the surface of the races was chromed and that
plating has flaked off where the bearings rode. Seems as if the
creaking and popping I heard after loosening it up was the sound of the
little flakes getting pulverized.
Can I clean it up and reassemble and expect it to last, or will it
just chew itself up in short order with that plating gone?

you don't say what type of headset, or bike. if it's a cheap beater,
just put it back together with plenty of grease and conduct an
experiment on how long it takes to become unridable. if it's a decent
bike deserving of tlc, replace. bearings with the issues you describe
will not last.

use loose bearings replacing a caged set
use a size larger metric if yawl had loose bearings
putbit back together with red locktite if there are no seals to burn
when next torching it apart.
or lotsa oem blue with a carefully cleaned thread surface.
the locktite method takes prep. tools and parts lined up, motions
rehearsed.
a thread space for last moment adjustments can be had by working the
nut back and forth through the prezoomed adjustment point
snowplowing the locktite to either side.
good luck!!

In article <[email hidden]>,
jim beam <[email hidden]> wrote:

[...]

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I got it apart today--no cracks or looseness.
However, it looks like the surface of the races was chromed and that
plating has flaked off where the bearings rode. Seems as if the
creaking and popping I heard after loosening it up was the sound of the
little flakes getting pulverized.
Can I clean it up and reassemble and expect it to last, or will it
just chew itself up in short order with that plating gone?

you don't say what type of headset, or bike. if it's a cheap beater,
just put it back together with plenty of grease and conduct an
experiment on how long it takes to become unridable. if it's a decent
bike deserving of tlc, replace. bearings with the issues you describe
will not last.

It's a beater, so I'll run it to destruction. Thanks!

--
B.B. --I am not a goat! thegoat4 at airmail.net