Bicycle Mechanics - Cane Creek I6 Integrated Headset Install Questions

First time building up a bike, want to clarify some vague instructions before cutting up my new fork.

When putting on the crown race, why does one need a special tool? If I'm not identifying the wrong part, my crown race is a little metal piece with a notch in it so it will expand. Shouldn't be too hard to slide down the fork tube correct? (i get my fork in a few days, so I haven't tested yet). Any special notes here, other than grease where the bearings meet the frame?

Shouldn't there be some sort of seal between the lower bearing and the fork? Seems like dirt could easily get into the bearing, and the crown race is a smaller diameter than the bearing.

Thanks for any help.

you are identifing the wrong part. that ring with the notch is the compression ring, it is the last or second to last part (depending on your specific headset) of the upper stack of the headset to go in before the spacers, stem, and top cap. the crown race is a ring for the bottom bearing set to sit on, you do need a tool to install it, and you should have some sort of seal for it.

your headset didnt come with instructions and a diagram of the proper arrangement?

i wanna cover my ass-- im not familiar with the I6 headset, so my info may be wrong.

Some Cane Creek headsets do use an expanding/split style crown race... other brands may as well but I know the stock Cane Creek on my Stumpjumper had a split crown race that is easy to install without tools.

I use a piece of PVC pipe to install the crown race, works quite well. My cane creek has an expanding style crown race and it was very easy to install indeed.

interesting...ive installed plenty of the s-2 and s-6 headsets at work, dont remember any of them having expanding races. im not sure if i think that an expanding race is a good or bad thing :)

on the topic-- chris king wrote an interesting article on integrated headsets and the additional loads the bearings have to handle, kinda scared me away from integrated HS.

I dunno i have the zero stack. I dont know much about the IS headset but i believe it also has the bearisngs inside of the frame. I read the chris king article but i didnt take it to heart, their trying to say their product is the best just like every other company out there. If my ZS is anything like hte integrated i wouldnt have a problem buying one

you're right, I had the wrong part. Confused the crown race with the compression ring.

Thanks for the help...sounds like I can just go use a 1 1/8 PVC pipe at home depot and seat this myself.

Thats what i did, though you may want to see if you can get the inside diameter a hair larger than 1 1/8

Should I put some grease where the crown race meets the lower bearing meets the headtube? Also put some on top?