Giant Integrated Headset Help
 

Hi, I recently purchased a Giant Bowery frameset off of ebay and built it up. The Bowery has an integrated headset and I'm not really familiar with these. Attached is a picture off all the parts I received for the headset. I've highlighted a part I'm not sure what it is and where it goes. Right now I have it placed on the the fork towards the bottom with the bottom of the head tube. Now there's a gap and it looks to me like something is supposed to go there but I'm not really sure. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Also attached are the pictures of the headtube and fork.

That goes on top of the headset, between the top bearing and black seal and cone spacer.

Integrated headsets lack cups (as they are machined into the head tube), but the other parts are the same as any other threadless headset:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ed_view-en.png

I would suggest you do some reading on how to properly set up threadless headsets, or have a bike shop show you how, as doing so improperly can damage your bike or lead to injury.

A crown race should be pressed onto the fork, NOT the split compression ring (the part you're unfamiliar with). That goes above the top bearing as in the photo above.

The part you have marked with an X is the crown race (as commo_soulja could also be the compression ring, but would need to see all the parts from that headset) , this should go on the fork, from the look of what you have done so far you have put another part in it's place, but without seeing all the parts of that specific headset it's hard to work out which one.

Some FSA headset come with a split crown race, hard to tell in the photo exactly what that part is, but probably is the compression ring.

That is almost certainly the compression ring. The crown race will usually have a larger flatter surface on the wider end where it sits on the fork crown. Also the split is on the part in question is a little bigger than usual for a split fork crown race. It seems though that you are missing parts in your picture. If the frame was previously built and torn down but the headset came with the frame then the fork crown race is most likely installed already on the steerer tube. To tell you for sure please remove the fork from the frame and remove the part in question then post a pic of the fork crown area. If the crown race is installed already do the following:
1. Press in bearing races/cups into frame
2. Ensure fork crown race is seated properly on fork crown/steerer tube
3. Slide lower bearing cartridge onto steerer tube
4. Insert steertube into headtube of frame
5. install upper bearing
6. Install compression ring so that narrow side is down "\ /"
7. Use the upper seal or the conical space to help seat the compression ring by sliding it on upside down and using it to press the compression ring into place
8. Install upper seal
9. Install spacers, stem, top cap and bolt
10. Adjust bearing preload, center stem, and tighten stem bolts.

-j

Can someone fill me in on the point of an integrated headset? Seems to me all they do is get rid of a replaceable wear part (the headset cups) and instead eventually wear out the machined surfaces on the frame, making the whole frame useless.

Integrated headset use cartridge bearings, so the issue of wear isn't the same as with loose / caged bearing, the have allowed for larger steerer tubes (although these have been done with the standard headset)

The biggest benefits will be with carbon frames, were you don't need to press the cups in, and can have a thicker and stiffer headtube; and in the factory, where time, and therefore money can be saved in mass production.

Would get used to them, as it's getting hard to buy a bike other than BSO's without an internal or intergrated now.

I suppose it's the same mentality as the BB30 idea, but with much less chance of wear.

There are no moving parts in contact with the frame, causing no more wear (probably a little less, actually) than installing headset cups.

Alright I put the compression ring above the upper bearing. Everything seems to be fine now and the gap at the bottom is gone . Thanks for the help! :thumb: