Headset replacement best practice?
 

I am thinking of replacing the stock headset on my '97 RockHopper as an upgrade to a suspension fork. The instrucitons include all the neccessary steps for a new install, facing etc.
Is it good practice to do all that or is it low risk simply to remove the old parts and replace with the new?

factory made thousands of bikes, maybe the head tube was not optimally machined,
in interest of product delivery in volume, so it would be a good time to check this.

it is good practice to measure your headtube and headset cups before pressing them in to determine if reaming, retaining compound or other steps are necessary.

If you can't trust a metal fabricator to cut a tube square, what part of frame building would you trust him with?

Paint or powder coat, on the other hand, is another story. I'd want to be sure that's been removed from the mateing surfaces.

If the original headset fit and worked properly, it's reasonable to assume the frame and fork were properly prepared. Machining it anew can't make right righter, but there is the potential to screw it up.

Best practice is to follow rule number one -- "don't fix what isn't broke.

As long as the new headset is the same standard as the original, ie ISO vs. JIS, it's a straightforward, pop out and replace.

Facing seems to be something like honesty; everyone agrees that it is the best practice, but very few have any issues when it slides.

Is the headset on that '97 1" or 1-1/8"

Threaded or threadless?

1 1/8" threadless for the base model. Likely the same for all but the 24" kids model.

+1 on all of this. If the current headset is smooth and doesn't bind, the facing is very likely fine.

Since this is a 1-1/8" threadless headset, the ISO/JIS difference isn't an issue as all 1-1/8" press-in cups and crown races are made to the same standard.

In replacing the headset on my rockhopper (older model, threadless 1" solid fork), I had to have the fork crown faced by my LBS. It was the only part of the head set (Cane Creek) that I couldn't install myself.