headset oddities

[cce]

sat next to my desk i have a rockshox mag21, and on my desk, a kona impact crown race. i know it's the right size, the top cone screws on lovely.

the weird part is, the crown race slides on and off with no effort whatever. any clues?

 

[cce]

further - the crown race looks fine, and the steerer appears normal

anyone got an 1" 1/8 crown race (used) i could take off them for the price of a stamp? just for testage

 

[cchris2lou]

it is probably where it has been removed and fitted a few times .
nothing to worry is it ?

 

[development_cycle]

If it is anything like the Manitou steerer, there should be something fitted already at the bottom that makes it wider (don't know what it's called), unless the RS steerer is tapered.

 

[Corduroyboy]

sat next to my desk i have a rockshox mag21, and on my desk, a kona impact crown race. i know it's the right size, the top cone screws on lovely.

the weird part is, the crown race slides on and off with no effort whatever. any clues?

Could be a slight difference in manufacturing tollerances. Does it move from side to side or fore and aft when on the steerer? If so, then that will manifest itself as play in the headset when fully assembled. If not, I wouldn't worry about it - the same thing happened when I fitted a WTB headset on a pair of RC39s and I've been running them trouble-free for a while now!

 

[cce]

it's flush but not tight if you see what i mean.

it'll turn circles, but doesnt seem to rock at all.

 

[Corduroyboy]

it's flush but not tight if you see what i mean.

it'll turn circles, but doesnt seem to rock at all.

Don't worry then! But if you're the worrying type, get some PTFE tape and wrap round the steerer above the crown (one layer should do) and that should tighten it up a treat!

 

[velomaniac]

Seen this in 1" headsets, its probably manufacturing/design tolerances.
Brit and American stuff seems ever so slightly looser than say European designed stuff.
My theory is what the UK/US define as say 1" and what someone working exclusively in metric define as 1" are not precisely in the same ballpark.
Shim the crown race with some tape or thin metal(coke can) or a few layers of varnish.

Cheers

 

[orange71]

I've had this a few times with steerers/crown races not quite matching. Never pinned it down as to why, just assumed that's what happens sometimes :?

Some also seem much tighter than others and are a pig to get on or off... [note to self: must stop trying to get 1" races on 1 1/8" steerers )

 

[scant]

old rockshox were pretty bad tolerances