# Integrated head set woes



## Marc (Mar 28, 2006)

Does anyone else have integrated headsets on their bike?

I have one on my mountain bike and my road bike.  And cannot get either of them to feel tight.  They always feel loose when I'm riding them, yet when I tighten them up, I encouter steering resistance before they actually feel tight.

Wierd, eh?


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## nek_crumudgeon (Mar 29, 2006)

Marc

I'm not sure, exactly, but I know it could be one of two things:

1) One of the bearings is upside down (this is very common in other style headsets, either too tight or too loose)

2) It's the wrong size. I think there's IS1 and IS2 for headsets. They're both 1 1/8" but somehow slightly different. 

crumudgeon


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## Marc (Mar 29, 2006)

They're definitely not upside down and both headsets came with the frames.  If they're the wrong size that would be very strange...


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## Charlie Schuessler (Mar 29, 2006)

I replaced the headset on my 2002 road bike last summer with about 4,000 miles on it.  It seemed fine and then I noticed a "Notch Feeling."  I was prepping for a long event in VT and I did not want to a mechanical failure going downhill on Route 30 at 50 MPH.  My 2005 Mountain Bike with front suspension has no play in the headset, yet.  My 1987 mountain bike is the old style headset, not a problem.


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## Marc (Mar 29, 2006)

Both headsets are relatively new.  The road set might have a few miles on it, but probably not 4000.

I don't want to replace either because they're like $50 a whack.

And nek, I have never heard of the sizes you're talking about but maybe you're confusing that with the model names?

I think Cane Creek has nearly a monopoly on integrated head sets and some of their model numbers are in the format "IS-#" but they have to do with cost, materials, and presumably build quality and not size.  I'm fairly certain a 1 1/8" integrated headset is a standardized size.


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## Marc (Mar 29, 2006)

Also Charlie, true enough the old quill style threaded headsets were more durable, at least from my experience.  They just happen to weigh about five pounds is all.


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## trailertrash (Apr 4, 2006)

*article*

interesting read:
http://www.chrisking.com/pdfs/Int Headsets Explained.pdf


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## Marc (Apr 4, 2006)

Yeah, well most of that is common sense.  I saw no advantages over the setup as soon as I laid eyes on it, but certainly it wasn't enough to prevent me from buying the whole frame.

I mean, it's different.  I think more time they'd be able to standardize fit better and become more consistent in manufacturing, and then the advantage is it is just easy to take out, clean, inspect, replace if you happen to get a defective bearing, etc. etc.

Well anyway, I'm going to take mine apart a soon as I finsh my little workspace in my garage.

I'll report back then.


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## Marc (Apr 19, 2006)

Well, I took apart my road headset, cleaned it, greased the races and cartidges and slapped it back together.

I think I may be missing a shim on the fork, but it doesn't seem to matter.  The frame flange on the top was definitely flared a little oblong, not perfectly round, which I think maybe why I can't get it perfectly tight.

With the grease on everything, though, I was able to get it close.  It doesn't rattle at all and I haven't noticed any issues.  Next up is to do the same to my mountain bike.


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## FunkE (Apr 26, 2006)

Marc, I've been running integrated headsets for a few years now, never with a problem. My old Iron Horse hardtail frame had a Cane Creek unit and my Azure has an FSA and to be honest I prefer the feel of the Cane Creek but both are still nice. I've read the Chris King article previously and to be honest I don't really take everything he has to say as fact.


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## Marc (Apr 27, 2006)

FunkE said:
			
		

> Marc, I've been running integrated headsets for a few years now, never with a problem. My old Iron Horse hardtail frame had a Cane Creek unit and my Azure has an FSA and to be honest I prefer the feel of the Cane Creek but both are still nice. I've read the Chris King article previously and to be honest I don't really take everything he has to say as fact.



Well, I mean, of course the article isn't coming from an unbiased observer.

I took apart my IS headseat on my roadbike, cleaned out the steerer tube, cleaned the cartidges and greased everything with poly lube so it torqued together smoothly and I acutally haven't had a problem since.

I've had a couple rattles since then which have made me suspicious of it, but the first one turned out to by my mini pump and the second was my saddle bag.  I guess I'm just paranoid.

I'll do the same with my mountain bike headset I guess.  That probably should be part of my end-of-the-season maintenance list.  That and wheel bearings.

By the way, in case anybody missed what I meant earlier when I said "They're definitely not upside down"... because integrated headsets (at least Cane Creek's) you can't install upside down.  The two cartidge bearings are identical, and therefore interchangable.


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