Help Me With My Headset Please!

[How Original]

OK so I just got this Commenacal Absolut Cromo, took the headset and parts off my ZOO!.

And no matter what combination I use (for spacers and bearings and stuff).

The headsets either hanging off or so tight the handlebars won't turn.

Here's a picture of all the parts I have, can someone PLEASE explain to me how I do this?

At the point of throwing the bike.

[How Original]

Anyone at all help?

[Matt Burrows]

Looks like you have cartridge bearings, but you shouldn't be able to see the actual ball bearings. There should be metal bearing surfaces on both sides like this

Also looks like your compression ring is missing, any chance of a better pic taken at an angle?

[How Original]

Don't know if these will be any help.

[Matt Burrows]

Is it a mix of two headsets? Just it seems wierd to have silver cups but then the top bearing cover (with FSA printed on) is black. Also on those new pictures there are extra parts that weren't in the first pic and look like they don't belong?

Are they the right cups for the cartridge bearings? Its hard to tell but it looks like they have curved surfaces on the inside, when they should have flat surfaces to accept those bearings.

[smithy83]

i mite be wrong but those silver cups look like a fsa pig headset which use bearings in a race rather than sealed cartridge bearings in which case they wont work with it

[*Koxx hydroxx 2 Jack *]

IF its the right bearings for the cups wich it dont look like it is to be honest , push in the headset cups using a vice and /or a hammer .. push them in all the way , its a very tight fit , so dont be woried to hit it hard or vice it hard , but make sure it gets pushed in straight or it will flaire your headtube .then onto your forks put one of your bearings , then put your forks through the headtube . next up , put the top bearings , an the little silver ring above the bearings , then the dust cover (the ring with a gap in ) then your top cap , wich screws into your starnut ,, but to be honest .. it would be much easier to go to a bikeshop , they will have a headset press , an will tell you if you have the right bearings for the cups ..as its hard to see from the picture .. im pretty crap at explaining things .. but i hope you get the jist x

[Matt Burrows]

IF its the right bearings for the cups wich it dont look like it is to be honest , push in the headset cups using a vice and /or a hammer .. push them in all the way , its a very tight fit , so dont be woried to hit it hard or vice it hard , but make sure it gets pushed in straight or it will flaire your headtube .then onto your forks put one of your bearings , then put your forks through the headtube . next up , put the top bearings , an the little silver ring above the bearings , then the dust cover (the ring with a gap in ) then your top cap , wich screws into your starnut ,, but to be honest .. it would be much easier to go to a bikeshop , they will have a headset press , an will tell you if you have the right bearings for the cups ..as its hard to see from the picture .. im pretty crap at explaining things .. but i hope you get the jist x

Are you sure you know what you're talking about

[*Koxx hydroxx 2 Jack *]

Are you sure you know what you're talking about

well , my jobs a bike mechanic , not an english teacher , so i cant explain things well , if someone gave me it , an said do it , no worries ..just cantg tell others what to do .. think i might be slightly dislexic to be honest but by all means put it into better words for me

[Revolver]

You forgot 'put the crown race on the forks'.

It goes -

Put the headset cups in the frame, any logos will be the right way up, so use this to tell which is the top and bottom cup. Use a press if you've got one or smack it in with a hammer and wood, carefully.

Put the race on the forks, that's the silver ring that's flat on one side and sloped on the other. It's usually quite wide, and it fits into the bottom headset cup. You can use a hammer (and screw driver) to put this on, it can be hard work, make sure it's on all the way and it's flat.

Put the bottom bearings in the bottom cup, and put this onto the forks. If the bearings aren't a tight fit, because they're unsealed bearings, you might want to do this part with the bike upside down.

Then put the top set of bearings in. Definitely want your bike the right way up for this bit.

Next is the split ring. Not to be confused with the crown race, it's quite a thin ring whereas the race is wide. Some headsets don't have a split one. Push this in firmly.

Next, the top ring of the headset, it's probably the last part to go on, it's normally got logos on it and is the same colour as the cups.

Then, any spacers you want, then your stem, then the top cap which is the one with the bolt-size hole in the middle.

Tighten the bolt up so there's no play in the forks, then do up your stem.

There you go, headset installation for dummies, and I'm neither a bike mechanic or an english teacher.

[How Original]

Cheers for the help fellas, its now sorted, and the silver cups were from a different headset, there's 2 different headsets worth of components there, it's just everything I had as I wasn't sure what I was doing.

But it's sorted now, there's the smallest amount of tension which probably just needs the bearings greasing or something.

Thanks guys

[Matthew_Gibson]

I have one in front of me.

Should go something like this. from the bottom up. Crown race, Bearing, Lower cap of headset, Upper cap of headset, bearing, plastic clip looking thing, dust cover.