BEARINGS WOE

[Gouldy]

My bearings and the bottom bearing race and top bearing race sounded grindy and gritty and so decided to service. I started stripping from clamp bolts and stem cap etc etc. As I worked down, to my horrow, the bearings were loose bearings and so went all over the place! 😳 After an hour on my hands and knees and with a pair of tweezers finally gathered them up. Cleaned and greased and tried to replace which was virtually impossible as they just kept falling out again.

Maybe this was were my first mistake began, went and got some cage bearings which fitted in the top and bottom bearing race. At this point I was flying, took bike out of workstand then front fork was shaking like Elvis Presleys right leg!

Did my head set adjustments, front fork stopped shaking but then there was stiffness in the steering. Did more minor adjustments to head set and Elvis Presleys right leg reappeared but the steering was more neutral.

Is it because I put different bearings in, do I need a new head set or do I take it to the local bike shop and loose and eye and Elvis Presleys right leg.

ps thank you in anticipation of any help. 🙄

[tomlevell]

Put plenty of grease on the bearing surface and bed the bearings in this. They won’t go anywhere then.

Or it’s a new headset.

[Gunner]

Is this your FSR XC.

I’m surprised that it should need a headset service. 😕 😕

However, if the bearings did drop out all over the place then perhaps you were in the right, there can’t have been much grease up there.

As said, when replacing the bearings it’s best to coat plenty of grease everywhere and then drop the bearings onto this, they won’t go anywhere then.

If it was me, I’d pop the bearings out of the cages and put them in loose, with lashings of grease.

You’ll probably find that it’s just a case of messing about with the headset adjuster nut, it just takes a while to get it right first time, but once you do, that’s it, it’s a walk in the park every other time. 😉

Have a look here:

http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=65

😉

[tomlevell]

Only if the bearings are the correct size and you don’t normally fill the race with bearings either. There is normally a gap of over 1 bearing size.