Originally Posted by LV2TNDM

Historically, headsets were an item prone to premature failure, no matter how well "cared-for" they were. For someone riding tons, a season's use was expected, but not much more. Even the "best" Campy headsets failed prematurely. For 1" headsets, this was an issue, which is what prompted Chris King to produce his own. Especially true for 1" mountain bikes. His were come to be known as "lifetime headsets" that would move to your next frame. Then 1 1/4" and 1 1/8" headsets came along and their durability improved. Now add suspension and tapered head tubes to 1 1/2" and headset failure has been greatly reduced or even eliminated.

Another trick to extend headset service life is to toss the bearing retainers into the trash - they're only used to speed the assembly process at the factory, at a detriment to the user: fewer bearings means more force endured per bearing, which means higher probability of bearing damage (brinneling, pitting, etc.) The last bike I restored had 16 5/32" bearings in a cage. Without the cage, I got 26 bearings in the cup (including the gap from the ONE you remove). That's a 61.5% increase in bearings! So if you want your headset to last longer, toss the bearing retainer & add more! (Prep the head tube and be sure to use grade 25 or better replacement bearings.)