Headset Bearings Explained, Cube Ebike

Headset Bearings, Removed and explained from a Cube Stereo 160 ebike. How headset bearings are measured. How to find the right bearing for your MTB headset. Bearing confusion sorted.

[@andyukh1625]

Dave, fantastic vlog ! You’ve settled my mind , especially after reading the replies where you mentioned Superstar Components. I’ve just ordered the exact type bearings you suggested after scouring Cube headset forums. Keep up the good work sir 👏🏽

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Your welcome, thank you for the comments.

[@Paulo-fr3xm]

Nice tips Dave, You've given some really useful advice over the last few videos. I'm quite a useful home mechanic...I think anyway 😁, but used a few of your tips whilst working on our bikes, and worked a treat. Glad you found you apron, keep up the good work 👍

[@yorkneytrailrider1751]

Great video as ever Dave, very helpful indeed, I have a Whyte e150rs in which I’m going to fit a pair of the Hope pick & mix headsets, you weren’t wrong when you said that finding the correct bearings can be difficult but you’ve certainly helped, cheers buddy, Happy New Year to you guys 🙏

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, thanks for watching and your comments

[@yorkneytrailrider1751]

Your welcome Dave, I meant to ask you a question about headset bearings but forgot, once you remove the bearings, the cup that’s left behind, does that cup need to be removed with a special tool or will it just lift out, I’m referring to this on a Whyte ebike please

[@southyorkshiremountainbiki3003]

Keep up the excellent work dave love your channel

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Thanks 👍

[@davidcooper8144]

Dave, very informative and very clear advice. Could ask when you reassembled the bike and tightened the forks up, is the nm setting important. I ask because I have a new Cube Stereo Hyrbrid and after 150miles of use, I have developed a really annoying creak, which I’m convinced is coming from the headset. Can I over tighten the headset? I’d be grateful for any advice. D. Ps you have a new subscriber!

[@christobel]

I am experiencing the exact same issue with my Cube Stereo 140 HPC TM. I have roughly the same amount of miles on my bike and the "creaking" seems to be getting more noticeable. I've tried tightening my stem bolt, but I blew out the plastic cap. I ordered up a replacement cap in aluminum. I'm going to give it another go when it arrives. Hopefully I can get a bit more torque, with the beefier cap, to tighten up the headset. If it does not fix the issue, I'm going to take it back to the shop I bought it from.

[@chrisb3830]

Iv got this problem on cube reaction , the cap is buggered so I’ll replace it

[@GNX157]

The cap is really only for bearing preload and you shouldn’t be making it too tight, and should only be tightening it when the stem bolts are loose as well. If you tighten down the cap that much that you cause a noticeable drag when turning the bars side to side, that’s probably too much. Now, your creak could be coming from other places. If the outer bearing race upper or lower is moving in the frame you’ll get it. The steerer wedge spacer to the inside bearing race too. Also, your stem cap on the bars. You’ll have to take that all apart and inspect the bars and cap for witness marks or high points in the metal of the two sections that compress onto the bars. If those two curved surfaces don’t mate reasonably close onto the bar, you could get a noise when it’d all tightened down.

[@stephencutajar2548]

I was wondering why it has similar bearings top and bottom considering that it has a common fork tapered shaft but I can see that there is another collar (4:25) to compensate for the smaller diameter at the top.

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, thanks for watching, there are not many bikes that use the same bearing top and bottom, the top, your right the top has a reducing ring.

[@stevenmchughstevenmchugh2066]

I enjoyed this Ok

[@CJUrbex]

mines a cube sterio action team 160 2022 e bike, the cables look to be going into the headset its self and not through the frame like yours? i asked the local bike shop they said the cables go through the bearing?? is this correct? is there any videos on this setup thanks !

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, Thanks for watching and your comments, the hoses and cables do go through the bearing on the newer cubes, most cube headsets are made by across, I did a video about them not too long ago

[@-humveehoove-6106]

What top? an headset is used on this bike. I'm looking for a fsa possibly bearing set with top an bottom both 56 mm an looking to upgrade to sealed my forks are straight 1 1/8 rock shox Judy tk silver. Please help!!!

[@ioannisdoumtsios4909]

Very informative video. Could you please provide some more info regarding the upper reducing ring ? The one on the video seems to be a metal one (3:46), the stock one is plastic and gets destroyed. Found it super hard to find a spare one online. (maybe i m doing something wrong) Any help more than welcomed ...brand, specific name , link of the specific reduction ring or similar even a compatible zs56 headset . Anything !

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, Thanks for watching, welcome to to world of headset nightmares. Your headset is very specific and hard to find, The part you need is not available on its own as far as I am aware there for your going to need a new headset top and bottom as they come as a pair, The fsa version is NO.55R/57SC HEADSET (1.1/8-1.5") but I would go for the superstar component one, Type 5 and type E www.superstarcomponents.com/en/uk-made-headset-complete.htm Hope this helps

[@paulhart7585]

Thanks for this video. I have a similar bike but the forks don't drop out even if I hit the top of the tube. Any ideas?

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi Paul, They will be seized in the headstock.

[@paulhart7585]

@@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic yeah, I hit them harder and they came out in the end. Thanks for your video, I wouldn't have attempted otherwise. They're all good now.

[@iainrice1517]

Excellent video , cheers David do u happen to know the size of the head set bearings for a cube CUBE STEREO HYBRID 140 HPC SL 2022 many thanks.

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, sorry it's quite a while ago now, It's always best to measure them unless cube have a decent component list.

[@iainrice1517]

@@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic thanks David, will measure them up.

[@nav2009]

you havent left the link for youre shop

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, thanks for watching and your comment. cycle-fast.co.uk

[@NJL-bw6wp]

Hi Dave I have a Focus Sam2 2021, the bearings appear to be pressed in, are these pressed in bearings generally the same size as bearings that ain’t pressed in?

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, thanks for watching and your comment. If I’m correct your bikes headset is fully integrated so there are no cups, I think yours is Acros AIX-322, tapered, IS 42/286-IS52/40, you can see from the sizes, your bearings are 52mm bottom and 42mm top, chances are they will be 36/45

[@terrybridgwater1079]

I have a cube 160 2021 ebike, would you know what size they are please?

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, here ya go www.superstarcomponents.com/en/type-4-headset-bearings-1-5-or-tapered-36x45-degree-x1.htm

[@johnf3326]

Those bearings didn't last long! Well not in my opinion. Was that due to poor maintenance? Poor quality bearings? Or is that 'usual' service?

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi John, sorry for the late reply, its just a demo video, no bearings were harmed in the making of this video

[@iainrice1517]

My CUBE STEREO HYBRID 140 HPC SL bearings have went after 6 months , they say its no covered under warranty, not happy, but great video so will attempt my self , thanks dav

[@martawtko1109]

Why did you not mention they come in different depths 6.5mm 7.5mm 8mm

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, Thanks for pointing this out, will do on the next one, MTB headsets are mainly 7mm

[@corollarijder]

Those are not the original cups.....the original cups are plastic 😪

[@TheYorkshireBikeMechanic]

Hi, Thanks for your comments