Originally Posted by
rgvg
Thanks for your replies. I guess there really can be some differences between manufacturers and parts so I will keep that in mind. Yes, I did mean the bearing balls, plus the little cage they are in. The rest of the headset looks fine (to my untrained eye). It was just the cage of the balls in the lower part was deformed somehow and it was a little rough when turning the handlebars. The bike was off craigslist and the headset was a little loose when I got it, so maybe that had something to do with it.
I'll take your advice and bring them to a couple of shops in the morning and see if they can help me out.
Bye
The retainers are very unstandard and brand specific, so finding the right one may not be easy. However, headsets work as well or even better with loose balls. The retainers are only there for the convenience of bicycle manufacturers who have to install headsets on the assembly line, and don't have the time to fool with loose balls.
NONE of my bikes have retainers after the first headset overhaul.