Bicycle Mechanics - Correct Bearing Placement

I’ve read about bearings and how some need to face downwards and how some need to face upwards, the bearing racer is below this bearing I’m placing in the image below. Am I placing the bearings the correct way?
Also, the ring where the arrow is pointing to moves when the blots and forks are secure, this I’m unsure about.

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/1391/p1203090050arrow.th.jpg (http://img26.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1203090050arrow.jpg)

Thanks.

:thumb:

No, the rim on the bearings should go towards the race, the race contacts the inside of the bearing ring.. the cup will roll around the top side where the rim is not. flip the bearings upside down and put your fork in the headtube. When you turn it it should be smooth.

No, the rim on the bearings should go towards the race, the race contacts the inside of the bearing ring.. the cup will roll around the top side where the rim is not. flip the bearings upside down and put your fork in the headtube. When you turn it it should be smooth.

Okay I’ll do that, I’m having trouble getting the headset to release the forks. It always runs tightly at the moment. I’ve re-greased and cleaned the bearings but whenever I follow instructions on how to adjust the headset I finish up with stiff forks. :(

is the actual Race moving? If it is then it is not properly seated on the fork crown. If the race is loose then you need a different headset as your fork requires a race with a smaller inside diameter. Japanese and English forks use different size headsets, as do some older french and italian I think. If the fork just wiggles when you put it together it was because the bear ring is upside down.

threaded or unthreaded headset and fork?

is the actual Race moving? If it is then it is not properly seated on the fork crown. If the race is loose then you need a different headset as your fork requires a race with a smaller inside diameter. Japanese and English forks use different size headsets, as do some older french and italian I think. If the fork just wiggles when you put it together it was because the bear ring is upside down.

The actual piece which the bearings sit on doesn’t move, I’ll switch the bearings round. All the parts are from the same new bike I bout a month or two ago. The arrow points to a plastic rim with the manufacturer’s initials on, both rims, top and bottom move. They were fixed before I removed the headset. Possibly grease allowing them to move?

Is this an integrated headset? It looks like it is a sort of dust cap to prevent junk from getting into the heaset. If this is the case then it doesn't reall matter if it spins a little. Once the headset is seated it should not jiggle, but is ok if it turns. I am assuming that this is an unthreaded fork if it is a newer bike, which means you are tightening down a compressing cap before you tighten down the stem is this correct? If so does the fork spin smoothly before this cap is tightened.

Is this an integrated headset? It looks like it is a sort of dust cap to prevent junk from getting into the heaset. If this is the case then it doesn't reall matter if it spins a little. Once the headset is seated it should not jiggle, but is ok if it turns. I am assuming that this is an unthreaded fork if it is a newer bike, which means you are tightening down a compressing cap before you tighten down the stem is this correct? If so does the fork spin smoothly before this cap is tightened.


Yes it’s a thread less headset and the forks move smoothly before compression. :)

There is your problem, you are over-tightening the compression cap. Tighten it down just until the forks are tight, then unscrew the cap just enough that the forks loosen up. This will give you the tightest setting you can have without the headset binding. The fork should move very smoothly at this point with no binding at all. Once this setting is good go ahead an tighten down your stem real good and then unscrew the compressiong cap just 1/4-1/2 turn to take a little load off of the screw threads. The stem should now hold the headset in place. This should fix your problem.

To answer your fork release issue upon unistalling the headset: There is a small plastic sleeve/shim that goes on the very top of the headset before your stem. Once the compressiong cap is compressed this sleeve gets pushed between your steer tube on your fork and the top headset cup. This is the part that is making it hard to release the fork. If you give the top of the steer tube a hit with a solid object(hardback books are great for this) and then push the fork up this will loosen the plastic shim and the fork should come right out no problem.

There is your problem, you are over-tightening the compression cap. Tighten it down just until the forks are tight, then unscrew the cap just enough that the forks loosen up. This will give you the tightest setting you can have without the headset binding. The fork should move very smoothly at this point with no binding at all. Once this setting is good go ahead an tighten down your stem real good and then unscrew the compressiong cap just 1/4-1/2 turn to take a little load off of the screw threads. The stem should now hold the headset in place. This should fix your problem.

To answer your fork release issue upon unistalling the headset: There is a small plastic sleeve/shim that goes on the very top of the headset before your stem. Once the compressiong cap is compressed this sleeve gets pushed between your steer tube on your fork and the top headset cup. This is the part that is making it hard to release the fork. If you give the top of the steer tube a hit with a solid object(hardback books are great for this) and then push the fork up this will loosen the plastic shim and the fork should come right out no problem.

Does that plastic shim have a cut in the loop? I’m think I know what it is but I’m not 100% sure?

Is this a thread less headset then?

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/4834/p2402090042.th.jpg (http://img8.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p2402090042.jpg)