I was about to do some maintenance after a trip on my bike I found out that the lower part is moving. Should I just take off the headset and try to put it back on again?
How screwed am I? My Chris King headset is no longer properly in place
byu/JoanFontcuberta inbikewrench
by JoanFontcuberta
4 Comments
Remove the headset and use callipers to determine is the head tube or headset is ovalized. Could be both.
Was a super common issue in mtbs in the 90s to around 2010 ish. Ovalized head tube from impact or riding with headset loose BUT possibly oversized/ distorted from the builder/ factory. I build frames and have been a developer for decades now. Often steel tubes come ‘On Size’ and ‘dont’ need reaming after fabricating. The fact is there is always some distortion from the heat cycles of either welding or brazing. I always choose a slightly heavier head tube that has about .5mm(.02″)undersized bore when building. This way I can ream the head tube to diameter and depth.
i would put some teflon tape between cup and tube and call it a day… the assembly pressure and gravity works in your favor here. also the bearings should move before the cup moves when assembled.
worst case the cup fails… in this case the fork doesnt fly off the bike mid-ride. the steering just becomes shitty.
You can get headsets with a deeper insertion / throat (ooohh er)
Pretty sure FSA pig was one example.
There is other methods I have seen people use on headsets to resolve this issue but they are really hacks and short term fixes.