Loose bearings in integrated headsets

in message <[email hidden]>, Mark

(') said:

Hi

Removing the play from the integrated headset on my Focus Cayo is
proving difficult because the sealed bearings are quite loose in the
head tube. Is this normal? Both top and bottom are visibly loose
(though not by much) but as I've never had a bike with an integrated
headset I've no idea if this is to be expected.

There is no standard for 'integrated' headsets; each headset-makers variant
is different. Nevertheless, the recess in the frame and the outer shell of
each bearing is normally conical; pressure on the headset maintained by
the clamping of the stem should keep the bearings tight in the conical
recesses.

Try: loosen your stem clamp bolts, and tighten down the top cap bolt. Does
this reduce play? If so, tighten the stem clamp bolts, sorted.

If not, you need a new frame.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; Drivers in the UK kill more people every single year than
;; Al Qaeda have ever killed worldwide in any single year.

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Mark

Quoted message said:

Removing the play from the integrated headset on my Focus Cayo is
proving difficult because the sealed bearings are quite loose in the
head tube. Is this normal? Both top and bottom are visibly loose
(though not by much) but as I've never had a bike with an integrated
headset I've no idea if this is to be expected.

There is no standard for 'integrated' headsets; each headset-makers variant
is different. Nevertheless, the recess in the frame and the outer shell of
each bearing is normally conical; pressure on the headset maintained by
the clamping of the stem should keep the bearings tight in the conical
recesses.

Try: loosen your stem clamp bolts, and tighten down the top cap bolt. Does
this reduce play? If so, tighten the stem clamp bolts, sorted.

It does but it needs to be quite tight. With 'normal' aheadsets I find
I only need to nip the cap up enough to take up slack; this one
requires quite a lot of additional nipping to hold the bearings in the
right place. Perhaps that's normal.

Quoted message said:

If not, you need a new frame.

I hope not; it's 6 weeks old.

Mark

Take a look at http://www.chrisking.com/tech/int_headsets_explained/int_hds_explain_1.html
for how they work (and why they may not be such a good idea).

squeaker said:

Take a look athttp://www.chrisking.com/tech/int_headsets_explained/int_hds_explain_...
for how they work (and why they may not be such a good idea).

Okay, thanks. That explains what I'm seeing. And yes, they do seem to
be a bit of a [censored] idea 🙁

Mark

in message <[email hidden]>, Mark

(') said:

squeaker said:

Take a look

athttp://www.chrisking.com/tech/int_headsets_explained/int_hds_explain_...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

for how they work (and why they may not be such a good idea).

Okay, thanks. That explains what I'm seeing. And yes, they do seem to
be a bit of a [censored] idea 🙁

I'm not defending them, because I don't know enough about the
technicalities of headsets to argue the toss. But mine, which is a Cane
Creek IS2, works fine - for me, anyway.

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

There are no messages. The above is just a random stream of
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