How to: service your headset

[@MevanMartinez]

Thanks mate. I forgot how much force was needed to decouple the top bearing from the lock ring and got them stuck together. Looked around and found a deep ring and a weight lifting bar locking cylinder. I put the ring over the top bearing and tapped it with the WL locking cylinder (as in *weight* lifting the sport) and caused enough separation in the ring and the bearing to allow a fat screwdriver to pry them apart. I'm working on a new build around a used frame that I bought on eBay and I almost skipped cleaning the headset and steerer. The muck and grit that I just cleaned out was worth the dirty hands and extra time. I'm glad for finding your video.

[@d3v0lv3d]

Mtbr tutorials are are saving me ££££ and giving me a better understanding of my pride and joy. Thanks a lot :)

[@gertkriel5764]

Thanks I was working on my headset and put everything back it turns the wheel put as soon as you stop the headset locks until you move it again when I saw your video you told me make sure the bearings are the right way around so I turned the bearings around and the headset moves freely and has no play Thanks a lot you are a hero.

[@vaaldh]

Dont touch sealed bearings! Seal protects bearing grease and bearing istself against dirt and splash watter suffiently, so you do not need to do anything. Do not degrease it and put any new grease, if you do not know what is a original grease inside. Original grease has just right properties selected by manufacturer to last the bearing as specified.

[@CameronRoger]

You’re the man! Just picked up a old lightly used Marin that had sat in the garage for some years because the stem had seized! Quick fix

[@ashkanahmadi]

Great video thank you. Unlike some other very popular channels, your videos are more informational and less commercial.

[@rosscads]

You'll never lose a bolt in that spotless workshop! :)

[@davidallen5347]

Just bought my MB and didn't have a clue on how to tighten up the play on my forks lol I'm old school when bikes had a big nut to tighten the forks. Great video mate

[@NipperDog]

Thanks for this video!! I'm no longer afraid to re-grease my headset.

[@willisthesnowman8931]

My teeth were hurting just watching you use that tool to get the bearing cover off.

[@EccentricEllis]

Nice work. No bad comments. Perfect video for beginners.

[@AlStretch]

Great help. This has certainly helped although it took me a little longer than expected to finish the job.

[@GNX157]

Okay guys whatever you do, don't pick out the seal by attacking the seal on the inner seal lip like this guy did. Always the outer part of the seal. More important when servicing a BB bearing. If you nick the inner seal lip you risk damage and leaking grease out or contaminants in.

[@azizukman]

Excellent video, but semi integrated head set was not mentioned??

[@azizukman]

What makes you think factories use special grease, if anything manufacturers put the minimum grease to lower cost, I doubt they have geneticly modified military grease. Your comment made me chuckle.

[@mikehudson2646]

Great video with clear instructions. Is there a special type of grease to use with the headset?

[@shaynecompton1602]

Thank you! I have enjoyed and learned a lot from all of your videos.

[@nich586]

Great video. FYI, a top cyclist mentioned to me that the open part of the wedge should face to the side to avoid the higher stress points in the system (front and rear).

[@yaronmtb8848]

Great video 📹 👍. I like all of your videos! By the way It is recommended that the front brake hose will go's on the inside of the fork suspension so it will be safer and more protected in case of acrash 😨

[@titusm]

Yeah agree with you but sealed bearing grease for this particular application should work fine for at least 4 or 5 years before needing re grease. If you take out the sealing every 6 months you risk damaging the seal and therefore raise the risk of broken bearing. In this video the seal was plastic - what about metal seal (as most of the bearings i have on my bike). Plastic is not a good material to take out and then just push back in.

[@DVKajak]

Thanks for this instruction! Can you tell me what kind or brand of grease you are using?

[@erlendruud1083]

this is why i have a chris king headset, never needed to do this in 4 years, even with shitty Norway weather!

[@marble25]

nobody really needs to service their classic headset either. I dont know why I am here

[@LambiPowah666]

Do you have to change the cups while you are at it? Got a pair of the cheaper ball bearings.

[@meteormedia7021]

Is that a trunnion mount rear shock? On a bike from 2012? I'm well impressed.

[@pLaCiDMoOoN]

Thanks Al yet another great Bike tutorial!

[@3amdaddy]

i know my questionis quite for newbie.. what type of headset did you use in this video?

[@SlightlyRadMTB]

Excellent video! Thanks MBR!

[@lntel]

cane creek integrated headset (IS) for tapered fork (1 1/8 top and 1 1/2 bottom)

[@jameswilson2815]

Excellent tutorial! I'm doing the same thing but my fork had a lot more stuff I blew my mind how simple the sealed bearings were. Is it possible to replace the caged bearings , say with a Cane Creek headset as an upgrade? Any advice is very appreciated. Thank you. Stay well.

[@MrRabi001]

Sir what is Preload ? What is the purpose of Star nut ? Is that just cover the fork tube hole or it has other function as well ?

[@alenbegic8793]

8:13 can i replace those cheap bearings with the ones you had on the previous bike?

[@Kab0oze]

I just researched this a bit and it seems like the answer is no... people are saying you need a whole new headset, but I'm not sure I understand why

[@alenbegic8793]

Well that's very bad for me. Thanks anyways.

[@charlesjavequerubin2221]

yes you can . just make sure of the bearing sizes , you can even put ceramic bearings

[@stianjarnass]

Great instructions!! I wanna change stem & bars and wondered if there's a torque setting for the headset top bolt? I have a stumpjumper 6fattie😃

[@MBRmagazine]

No torque setting for the headset top cap bolt as it preloads the bearing. You have to go by feel - you want the bars/forks to rotate freely with no front to back play. Keep nipping it up until the play disappears, then tighten the stem bolts.

[@stewmuskie1729]

Gr8 video thank you. I'm certain you will have a string of shops before too long.

[@lizziemcdonald1748]

if you have open bearings is it easy to upgrade to a closed bearing headset

[@rud8051]

Who makes the grease tube adapter tool? I need to get one of those to make putting on the grease easier..

[@andrewrms88]

is it the same principles for a road bike,cheers

[@cstavro]

I have open ball bearings. The degreaser didn't quite remove all the old grease, and packing pushed out the rest. It looks easier to clean than the cartridge bearing...but I'll have to buy a new bike if the headset wears out :(

[@cranebeg]

Can I replace open race bearings with cartridge/sealed bearings on the headset?

[@mrfrogg46able]

yes

[@patrickacox]

My son has a Jamis XR-24 and there is a little play in the fork when you hold the brake lever and move the bike back and forth. I have tightened the headset bolt and the play is still there.

[@pinkflamingo_UwU]

+Patrick Cox a nice way to determine the problem would be to move your son's bike back and forth while pressing the front brake, hold the part where the fork meets the frame, if you feel any movement it might be the headset. then do the same thing but holding the fork around the whipper seals and stanchions, if you feel that part of the fork moving, it might be the bushes of the fork, and as far as i know it's easier to change your fork than the bushes

[@BIKE486]

Hi, I have a cane creek threadless headset with upper and lower cups. And i cant mannage to take the bearings out of the cups because they're stuck. How do i take the off??? Thanks!

[@thaime0]

very detail and easy to understand !

[@efren0915]

could you also help us install a 1 1/8 steerer tube to a tapered headset type frame. thanks been searching for it but its not available. i bought a frame with tapered head tube and a rock shox boxxer. cant find an item to fix the problem

[@mikel4159]

Hope do a headset they call the "Step down" which does exactly what you are after.

[@efren0915]

thanks, i was able to get it and have it installed the other day.

[@scottlstone]

Is it considered a school boy error to run your front brake hose around the outside of the fork?

[@MBRmagazine]

Maybe not school boy, but yeah it should go inside the leg. 👍

[@soihavetoplay]

Nice detailed video, well done

[@billyg3688]

is that loctite on the stem bolt?

[@bikewondo7688]

What grease do you recommend I use to complete this job?

[@stevepodraza6363]

What grease do you use for the bearings? I have park tool all purpose waterproof grease. Will that be ok? Thank you

[@MBRmagazine]

That will be fine.

[@jdbv23]

can I replace my bearing(open kind of bearing, the 2nd one in the vid) with a sealed bearing???

[@holdtheonionsplease]

I love how everyone says to use a torque wrench but they never do.

[@Helljaybass]

Is it normal to tighten your headset after a rough ride or do i jeed to chamge my headset if this is happening? I used it for ligjt trails and the usual rides around the city. Thanks!

[@foxman105]

***** It shouldn't come loose. And it might not be a problem of the headset but the way you install it.

[@BranGrizz]

***** put some blue loctite on pinch bolt threads

[@RomaniaDeAzi]

what is the thing that tightens the fork called the thing that the tightening bolt attaches to... what is that called?

[@MBRmagazine]

gaby161290 Star nut or star fangled nut.

[@RomaniaDeAzi]

MBR magazine thank you very much... I had a weird star finagled nut.. haven;t seen it anywhere and can;t find it anywhere. it's made out o 3 pieces, 2 cones that can be tightened together and a metal band between them with sharp edges on it and when you tighten the cones together the sharp band pushes around the stem walls and blocks itself in there after that you can put the tightening bolt in... it;s more efficient than these that you force in.

[@RomaniaDeAzi]

MBR magazine something like this but not quite... well I fixed it.. thank you, your video was very helpful... now my bikes rides again. g02.a.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1eCLZHVXXXXaxXXXXq6xXFXXXx/New-OEM-bicycle-font-b-headsets-b-font-size-adjustment-Locking-device-with-carbon-font-b.jpg

[@alexwells539]

What type of grease gun do you have there?

[@myke.h2913]

What type of grease did you use?

[@01001011011010010110]

Is it ok to clamp that bike stand on the dropper post ???!!!

[@ibrahimjoshkun2503]

No

[@anthonybustos630]

Do you know what model the crane creek headset on the trek mtb?

[@ritukarpandey9466]

My headset have caged bearing, can I use loosed bearing at the place of caged bearing , is it cause any damage inside my headset ?? Thanks!!

[@EQINOX187]

+Ritukar Pandey You can but you will find you will need to add 1 to 3 extra bearings to fill up the empty space

[@GNU_Linux_for_good]

06:47 Can they break, if bended too much?

[@benjik9294]

FreeSoftware yes

[@drankooo]

what a great video! THANKS!

[@Me15istaken]

What's the part called that he is holding at 3:20

[@philrichmond7567]

My handle bars still move after tightening. Can you help? MTB. mountain bike.

[@surfclimbcycle]

Realise this comment is a year old.... But for anyone else with similar situation (BTW - I think you mean, the steering tube section at top of the forks 'rocks inside the frame) tip I saw on another video was to, before tightening stem bolts, take the bike off the stand, and 'bounce' it a few times, to seat everything back together well. Then adjust pre-load (top bolt), then align steering, then tighten stem bolts. Also possible some part was left out, when re-assembling?

[@GiotheGhreat]

I followed all the steps and my fork feels a bit loose and when i'm riding i feel like the fork or the headset are not tight, specially when the bike passes a hole or root, etc, 4 bike shop mechanics told me that there is nothing wrong with it, "is normal",they check the air in the shocks, the headset( brand new), the wheel hub and nothing, all i know is that the bike wasn't like that before.drives me crazy , every time the bike jumps a bit it sounds like a coke can with a penny inside. Help !

[@bitchbastardson]

speaking of headsets .I have a rocky mountain 2011 element 70 msl frame and a 2017 fox float grip tapered fork on the way. I,m looking for a headset that would fit on the frame since the head tube also have tapered corners. can anyone help me. fsa or any good brand would do

[@101ssnow]

Cheers! Nicely done!!

[@GregBarling]

Nice video did what it said and it worked great

[@arrchee88]

Well, its a good bike technical DIY video, thanks a lot and cheers too

[@MrMarkeZG]

thats a sexy bike!

[@kimprojects5747]

Thanks ! great vid

[@avery041993]

11:41 Is he running his front break on the right? Weird...

[@bragifg]

Excellent! Thank you.

[@ruanlucashenriques]

Gosto muito de bicicleta. Aqui no Brasil, uma bicicleta boa como essa custa em torno de R$2000,00. Infelizmente muito caro... Ótimo vídeo!!!

[@DerrickPerrin]

Thanks for the video.

[@SuperDeluxe80]

grease has a shelf life then it breaks down. thats probably why messed with the sealed bearings.

[@deruiter46]

thanx great video!

[@MrMurko1]

awesome video !!! thanx

[@guillermo18614]

i can't seem to remove any of the bearings what do i do?

[@lukeoreilly960]

Sell your bike

[@marceloquiroga9052]

very very good video!!

[@MatveyTihonov]

*Nice Bike !*

[@akaSkItTLes23]

NEVER take the seals of from the inside. always from the outside of the bearing

[@Soundafek]

Cheaper headset? you taking shots at us with falmart bikes?

[@lugodam]

Thank very much...

[@ibrahimjoshkun2503]

But wait is it BEARINGS DEGREASER?

[@waitinginthepipeline]

Many thanks.

[@nerfboyali]

My headset got some noise maybe i forgot to lubricate

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

Quite good!

[@danmidkiff5416]

I've learned a lot from these videos. But, they need to shell out a few bucks and get AL a different bike stand and a proper work table. He's always groveling around on the floor because the stand is too short. And, he has nowhere "safe" to lay the parts he removes. Please get AL some safety glasses and rubber gloves so they are at hand when needed.

[@MBRmagazine]

Luckily you've commented on a video thats 5 years old, and since then we've got a brand new workshop in the past 12 months. You can see it over on Cycling Weekly, but we'll also have new mountain bike maintenance videos out soon kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5nWooJtdpqAmdk

[@danmidkiff5416]

MBR magazine that's great! I didn't even look at how old it was. I like the videos, and Al is a good teacher! I stand corrected! Thanx for the update!

[@94drummerboy94]

hank you very much man...

[@cuprasport]

Its Jenson Buttons brother.

[@o_0fathead755]

Can You Use Dry Or Wet Lube Instead Of Bike Grease?

[@gstarproductions1990]

wouldn't recommend it. grease is the best for bearings like those that get worked a lot!

[@o_0fathead755]

thank's a lot mate, even know you're bit late on it like lol

[@gstarproductions1990]

Sorry my bad. :)

[@o_0fathead755]

it's okay :)

[@thaime0]

Thanks a lot

[@narayanwankhade7278]

Very Good

[@rosscads]

Brake position (but not spelling) varies by country afaik.

[@atomsk9000]

Great how-to, but I couldn't understand half of the talking due to my albanian english. ;)

[@TheInsidescooters]

yes there is

[@nickratts3652]

If you whant to make comments bikes every one that knows about bikes knows that the grease that yo use depends on what you are working on so next time you comment on something please make shore you know what your talking about

[@ibrahimjoshkun2503]

5:43 5:44 5:50 5:51 5:52 NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. 😱😱🙀🤦‍♂️ you can't use DEGREASER for the bearings😰😖

[@ThePantyDroper]

I get my "headset" serviced 2 to 4 times a week

[@davidarmstrong1624]

I am not confused by your utilisation of an obscure colloquialism; a sordid reference to you being in receipt of sexual favours on a regular basis. An innuendo. ('Headset': in this context, the male organ). Real or imaginary? The latter, I suspect. Whether or not this renders the original statement any more or less amusing is an interesting philosophical question.

[@ThePantyDroper]

David Harewood I agree

[@rowlett1212]

David Harewood your a fuckin idiot, using all those big ass words like your a dictionary or some shit.

[@davidarmstrong1624]

The humorous, inherent irony in your deliberate misspelling of the word(s) 'your'/'you're' whilst simultaneously denouncing me as 'a fuckin idiot' is not unrecognised. I hereby voice my sincerest gratitude and benediction for your continuation of this confabulation. Congratulations.

[@paghal11]

You must ride in very muddy conditions to need it serviced that frequently.

[@mtbvicrush123]

It looks like a cane creek headset

[@TheZimbo1970]

Great 👍

[@titusm]

You guys do this every 6 months?...Sealed bearings are sealed so the grease won't get out and prevent dirt to get in. If you don't wash that part of the bike with water pressure this is not a must. Factory grease it's much better compared to aftermarket. Rug cleaning is the only debatable cleaning needed. I used a bike 10000km and never cleaned the sealed bearings - there is not problem with them. Opened bearings need cleaning and new grease but sealed bearings are not something to play with.

[@SupppaFly]

the proper way how not to clamp your reverb