headset gap

[Mr. Farrell]

got my new springer in the mail from choppers us yesterday. install was a nuisance as always, since i dont have a repair stand.

it seems to fit pretty well... except... i've got a pretty noticeable gap between the upper bearing cup and race. i would say it's about an 1/8th of an inch. the bearings are actually visible when looking down at the head tube.

i know the bearings shouldnt be exposed like that, but when i tightened up the bearing race any more, the sterring was stiff.

help please!!

 

[Markm]

any pics? Is the race riding on the cup? Is one cup "deeper" than the other?

 

[Mr. Farrell]

sorry. no pics yet. it was late when i finished last night and didnt feel like messin with it anymore.

99% sure i kept the upper and lower cups seperate so it should be exactly as it was before.

 

[Markm]

cool. I thought you bought new ones...check to see if it rubs somewhere when tightened...

 

[Mr. Farrell]

ok, will do... as soon as i get home in 4 hours. :/

 

[Mr. Farrell]

ok... here's the pic. i think i might have had the bearing ring upside down (the balls were facing upward)... so i flipped it over.

seems like it fits a tiny bit better but im still getting a 1/8in gap.

 

[karfer67]

so you used the original headset that it had before? or used a new one with the new fork? if it is original make sure one bearings is not different from the other. also yes having the bearings in the right way helps

 

[deorman]

Same bearing? Same inner race? I've come across that when using inner and outer upper races from different sets.

 

[Mr. Farrell]

yes.. i used the existing headset, only thing different is the fork itself. i know i didnt mix up the bearings, so that cant be it.

 

[B607]

I can see quite of bit of primer showing from the top edge of the frame. Make sure your cup is seated all the way down. I usually lay a piece of wood on the cup and smack it with a hammer. Gary

 

[Mr. Farrell]

hmmm... i hadnt noticed that. that wont eliminate the gap between the cup and the bearing race though.

 

[udallcustombikes]

Silly question, but the lower bearing is seated in the cup right, isn't it?

 

[Breakpetal]

Another silly question.

Are you sure the race isn't upside down?

Could just be an optical illusion but it looks like the part on the bottom in the photo looks convex not concave.

 

[karfer67]

when you put the new fork on did you remove the old lower crown race from the old fork and put it on the new fork? really the only reason for this would be either the cups are different sizes top to bottom and that would mean the bearings are different top to bottom as well. only other thing would be if the top bearing is in backwards which it looks like to me in the pic you showed.

 

[Mr. Farrell]

answers...

the bearings cups were not removed. so, no confusion there.

i did flip the bearing ring over and it seem to fit in the cup better, but still with the gap.

the race is on right side up... but i did notice that the race only has a very narrow groove where it contacts the bearings. the protion in the picture is the flared sections above the groove where the bearing seem to be riding.

thanx again for all the help guys.