Swapping fork from Fox34 to 250mm Fox36, but… lower headset bearing seems to have disintegrated after 600miles (poor!) What bearing do I need to replace this, and is there likely to be any of the old bearing left?
thanks, CB
thanks, CB
Lowe headset bearing
- Thread starter CrunchBytes
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #2
Stupid iPhone with oily fingers!! Lower headset, and 150mm!!
- Thread starter
- #3
Ok, remains (outer) of old bearing out. What bearing (code??) do I need to replace? Bike is M20, with Acros bearing. Top bea
top bearing is fine, and she’ll of old bearing now out.
What bearing do I need to replace this?
Piss-poor bearings if they only last 6 months!! not impressed!
Rod B.
Well-known member
Crunch,
The Rise uses an "Integrated" headset design. The smaller upper headset cartridge bearing, is an "IS42/28.6". The larger lower headset cartridge bearing, is an "IS52/40"
I've attached diagrams from the Rise Blue Paper manual for reference.
You can buy the IS52/40 bearing by itself or they also come with the lower crown race seal. If the bearing was that bad, the crown race seal may also need to be replaced. If the rubber seal is tattered, it will need to be replaced. You can remove the old crown race seal by using a small screw driver to carefully pry it up off the fork crown. You can use a 12" length of 1.5" PVC pipe to drive the new seal into place on the fork crown. The seal and the headset bearing are directional, so pay attention to their orientation when installing them.
If your budget allows, I would suggest replacing the headset with a stainless steel headset which would help with corrosion from moisture. You would need to buy an "Integrated" IS42-28.6/IS52-40 headset. The higher quality headsets have a better seal. The bearings are higher quality stainless steel. Hope makes an integrated headset that will work on the Rise. Chris King has the Drop Set # 2 integrated headset that works on the Rise. Even the best headsets won't last if they are not cleaned and lubricated regularly.
Be safe,
Rod
- Thread starter
- #5
Thank you - very much appreciated. Have fitted an FSA lower bearing, as that’s what Amazon could deliver quickly to get the bike back on the road/trail. Hope lower is also on order, so I can replace when appropriate. Plenty of grease used during assembly. It looked like the original bearings were fitted without any grease, which doesn’t help longevity when used through a U.K. winter!
Will keep a much closer eye on these now! (Haven’t had to keep such a close eye on my other bikes)
Cheers!
Will keep a much closer eye on these now! (Haven’t had to keep such a close eye on my other bikes)
Cheers!
cookie70
Active member
Great info Rod B!
Anyone have experience with the premium products like chris king? I've gone to Hope levels before and wonder how much better that double the cost gets you?
Anyone have experience with the premium products like chris king? I've gone to Hope levels before and wonder how much better that double the cost gets you?
cookie70
Active member
Having too much tension on them can also destroy them pretty quick!
Have got the Chris King headset in my Rise after my bearings fell apart not been in long for longevity review
RickBullotta
E*POWAH Elite World Champion
IMO Chris King products no longer have the quality advantage to warrant the price premium. I kinda gave up on CK after their bottom brackets kept disintegrating.
Rod B.
Well-known member
Cookie,
For the last four years, I've been using the same Chris King Drop 2 headset. I installed it "Mango Orange" new on my Yeti SB130 in 2019. After blowing out my ankle, I bought an Orbea Rise and transferred the headset over to the Rise. I went with a black stem cap and top cap on Rise. The internals are original. The headset now has about 4,500 miles on it. I've found it to be a very rugged headset.
The headset's stainless steel bearings are made in-house by Chris King and use a thin spiral locking ring and soft flexible rubber seal to seal the bearing. The seals do a good job at keeping the dirt out. Keep in mind, you still need to clean and re-lube the bearings every six months or sooner depending upon your riding conditions. I like that the headset has a lifetime warranty, provided it hasn't been neglected. I'll keep moving the headset bike to bike, I don't see it wearing out anytime soon.
cookie70
Active member
Hi Rod, when you say clean and lube, you mean externally or do you pull them apart and regrease/repack?
Rod B.
Well-known member
Cookie,
About every six months or so, I drop the fork enough to remove the upper and lower headset bearings which I place on my work bench.
I completely clean the fork crown race, the lower and upper headtube bearing cups and the headset top cap seal assembly using a rag and isopropyl alcohol. You want to use multiple rags and make sure no grit has been left in the assemblies. I give the upper and lower integrated headtube cups, the crown race and the top cap assembly a light coating of water proof grease to prevent future squeaks. I also give the fork star nut down inside the steerer tube a dab of grease so it won't rust and become difficult to thread.
For general purpose greasing, i.e. pivot linkage, axles, headtube cups, saddle rail clamps, etc., I like to use Schaeffer Oil, 219 SynForce Green Waterproof Grease. I like Schaeffers 219 Synforce Green because it holds up extremely well to water erosion and won't readily wash out. I also like that it's a synthetic grease and has a very low toxicity and won't contaminate waterways during stream crossings.
SynForce™ Green Waterproof Green | Schaeffer Oil
Schaeffer's Oil SynForce Green Grease is a waterproof, multi-purpose, extreme pressure grease suited for harsh working environments.
www.schaefferoil.com
For the bearings, I semi disassemble each bearing by removing the thin locking ring and thin rubber seal. I use a pressurized grease dissolving spray cleaner to thoroughly clean/hose out each bearing until the old grease is gone and the bearing spins freely. I lightly repack each bearing with Chris King headset grease using my thumb. I then put everything back together and I'm good to go for another six months.
Here's a YouTube video on cleaning and greasing a Chris King headset.
I installed a Chris King DropSet headset on my kenevo because i was eating up stock Specialized and Hope bearings about 12 months back and i have been really happy. The CK bearings are still in perfect condition and rock solid.
I reckon i have already recouped the extra cost, not have to replace bearings every few months.
I reckon i have already recouped the extra cost, not have to replace bearings every few months.
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