Evil headset.
 

Hello all.
I am rebuilding my bicycle and I cannot get the headset off for the life of me. It looks like no other headset I have seen (since I have been looking, which has been since this one started being a pain about a week and a half ago). Everyone looks at me like I am crazy when I describe it to them.

Here is a picture of it. Hopefully. If it posts. If not, here is the URL: http://static.flickr.com/90/241155093_779d5f967f_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/90/241155093_779d5f967f_m.jpg

If anyone can give me any information at all on how to take this off, I would really appreciate it. (I am *really* hoping that I am just being stupid and there is an easy fix for the problem.)

Thank you! Charissa

The picture of your head set is not big enough or detailed enough I will try to help you by guessing you have headset on the bicycle and not a aheadset.

Did you try to unscrew the top nut with a wrench size 32 milimeters or 30 milimeters?

For how long have you been a bicycle mechanic?

Aside from a few extra spacers, it looks like a typical threadless headset. What do you see that is unusual about it?

Supcom means threaded headset. You'll need to remove the upper locknut, the spacers should slide off, then the knurled bearing race comes off. It's an older style which was common on cruiser and cheap bicycles back in the day.

hey, you could even use an adjustable spanner to get the upper locknut off.

Another important question, why do you want to take it off and what will you do once it's off? If you just want to service the bearings that's fine, but if you want to replace it with a modern threadless headset you'll need a new fork.

- Joel

Doh! You are correct.

Try using an appropriate sized pipe wrench to get leverage on the knurls of the upper cup. Might make removing the locknut a bit easier.

Unfortunately, this type of headset is an awful design (used on a lot of Japanese bikes in the mid 80s). The knurled race makes it extremely difficult to adjust successfully, the lockring is a non-standard toothed thingy, and there is no dustcap for the top bearings, meaning they'll get filled up with dirt fast.

I've wrestled with these headsets before. Here's a recent thread on dealing with them: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=218992.

If you get too sick of that thing, my advice is to get a cheap JIS headset with normal wrench-flat race and lockring, and dustcaps. I bought one of them off ebay for about $10, and it's quite good: http://cgi.ebay.com/JIS-Replacement-...QQcmdZViewItem

Agreed. I got rid of one just like it on my bike (1980's Japanese tourer). It took two guys at the bike shop (one bracing the bike, the other torquing with all his might) more that 20 minutes to remove the thing. They still only charged me $20 for the new headset installation. Worth every single penny to let them deal with it!

Good luck!

Here's that thread that Mox was referring to. His link goes to something else, not sure why...but this should get you there:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=218992

Whoops... I linked to the POST of that number, not the THREAD. Thanks for the fix :)

That headset is threaded. no question about it. I would almost bet that the threads are simply seized on you. Spray some brek free on it like Liquid Wrench or PB Blaster, let it sit about an hour and then see what happens and remember to turn it the right way to loosen it(not being a smart a**. It happens alot)
remeber that as you are trying to loosen it, it is resisting and resistance is friction and friction is heat and heat will cause the metals to expand there fore becoming harder to remove. So spray, let it sit, try to remove, spray again, etc. Once in a great while the chrome is on the threads too and will actually peel off in the process in this case it works like a thread lock.
Also, make sure you are securing the serrated ring at the bottom with a slip wrench while you are cranking on the lock nut on top.

That headset is threaded. no question about it. I would almost bet that the threads are simply seized on you. Spray some brek free on it like Liquid Wrench or PB Blaster, let it sit about an hour and then see what happens and remember to turn it the right way to loosen it(not being a smart a**. It happens alot)
remember that as you are trying to loosen it, it is resisting and resistance is friction and friction is heat and heat will cause the metals to expand there fore becoming harder to remove. So spray, let it sit, try to remove, spray again, etc. Once in a great while the chrome is on the threads too and will actually peel off in the process in this case it works like a thread lock.
Also, make sure you are securing the serrated ring at the bottom with a slip wrench while you are cranking on the lock nut on top.