dmp

I'm rebuilding my Pinarello and have taken the fork out in preparation to relube the headset (Campy SR, circa 1984). The races are pristine, and the bearings appear to be so as well. Do you think (after cleaning and re-greasing) I should reuse the old bearings (they are Campy), and do people recommend loose bearings or using the retainer (which is what I had used before)?

FlatFender

Ive re-packed old bearings a number of times with good success. That being said, new bearings cant be more than a buck or two.

z415

Someone has said that they firmly believe in never reusing bearings and always using new ones. Unless you are sorely strapped for cash, get new ones and keep the old ones for back-up... I'm sure there are times where the LBSs are closed and your headset needed an overhaul and you really really really want to ride.

onbike 1939

Can I suggest that you source your bearings from Campy. Not only are these of top quality but each set has been matched and should not be mixed. I'm assuming that Campy quality has not changed recently.

HillRider

If the races are good, just clean, repack and reuse the current bearings. There is no reason to change them.

Yes, Campy uses good bearings and, indeed, may even "match" them in sets but that's an unneeded refinement and more a marketing claim than a performance benefit. Any manufacturer's Grade 25 bearing balls will work every bit as well.

dmp

any strong feelings about caged vs loose bearings? I was going to just use the retainer cage (original Campy bearings and cage), or should I get a new set of Campy bearings and pack them loose (I know I will need an extra couple of bearings to do this)?

onbike 1939

Pack them loose. In my opinion the load is shared more equally by doing this and the risk of the cage collapsing (as has happened to me) is lost.

JanMM

If the races are in good shape, and if you promise to overhaul the headset on a regular basis, then caged bearings are fine.

bkaapcke

I change out the retainers and balls. It's cheap, and I'd rather grease new stuff than try to get the old stuff clean enough to reuse. It makes it a quick and easy job, which promotes doing it more often. Save the old ones in a ziplock bag so you can get the right ones, in advance, next time. bk

Thumpic

use new bearings and lose the cage.... you'll add a bearing (maybe 2) and the new (more) bearings will run in a slightly different path; on new race surface. It's like replacing the races too.........

operator

Wrong.

Anybody elses grade 25 bearings will be equally good.

onbike 1939

Thank you for that courteous and considered reply.

onbike 1939

Here's an interesting thread on this very topic.

https://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=23985

dmp

Thanks, everyone- and thanks, onbike, for the link. The posts by the guy who was an engineer at a bearing factory were very informative.

tellyho

My bike: new bearings.

A bike I'm flipping: reuse.

randomgear

If you do cages, just make sure you put them in the right way. Just had a new headset installed because I got it wrong.
Good luck.

cascade168

Just casting my vote/s here ...

Loose bearings are much better for headsets. No question about that. Get grade 25. Never reuse bearings. For the time it takes to clean the old ones, it's false economy to reuse them. Yes, if you are living in Timbuktuu and the nearest source of new bearings is three days away by camel, then, by all means, re-use them. Otherwise, it's just dumb.

Grade 25 bearings are just that. Campy grade 25 bearings are no better - just considerably more expensive (i.e. a waste of money).

Homebrew01

Keep in mind that we're talking about a headset, not hubs. The bearings in a headset just sit there supporting a load. There's no spinning, or friction to take into account.

cascade168

This is EXACTLY why headsets are problematic and require a different thought process. For spinning bearing sets, the rule of thumb is to insert loose bearings until the bearings become jumbled (i.e. they won't line up in a perfect circle) and then remove one bearing. For headsets, the rule of thumb (as stated in detail in Barnett's), is to insert until jumbled and then remove TWO bearings. This is done to give the bearings the maximum chance of random positioning.

Another good tip about loose bearings is to NEVER expose them to a magnetic screwdriver or part bowl. This will make them try to attach (magnetically) to each other. The whole idea of loose bearings is to make their relative positioning random, and, to get a higher number of bearings into the race.

Thumpic

In 5 years, 45% of Americans will be in the minority.



I love deep thinking.................

Homebrew01

It'll be much worse in 10 years !