As the title says, this is my first time installing a headset and I've quickly run into a couple problems (probably more will follow).

1) I'm using (well, trying to) a nashbar headset press (pictured below) with an older Campagnolo Veloce threaded headset

and the shaft isn't long enough. Even when I remove the washers between the crank and the top cone, the bottom latch comes ~3-5 mm short of reaching the bottom notch to lock it in place and begin cranking it down. I have a roughly 20 cm headtube so it is rather long, but I would have thought the press would still work. Anybody have any suggestions? I started out just using the cone shaped things and my deadblow hammer to start the head tube races into the head tube to give me the few mm I needed to get it all on, but they didn't want to go in straight, so I stopped that. I don't have a bike stand or anything so was just holding the frame with my other hand and that might have been part of the evenness problem. Other ideas on how to proceed are welcome.

2) Being the excitable idiot that I am, when I pulled the headset out of the box, I didn't note the polarity of the caged bearings. On second look, one side of the ring has more of the balls exposed than the other. Which side goes where? More of the balls down for both?

3) Not really a problem, but just a verification, when I used the fork crown race setter to put the fork crown race on, it took only one solid whack with the setter while just holding the fork off the ground and the race just popped right on (both fork and race 26.4). That's the way it's supposed to be, right? I ask because the instructions show hitting it with a mallet and say something like hit repeatedly with a hammer until set. Also, the race pops off again with when I press hard with my thumbs (it's not loose, but comes of easy enough when I press on it, while I had a hard time getting a fork crown race off - and eventually gave up and took it to the shop - when trying to get one off a different fork for a different stalled project). I just wanted to make sure that this sounds normal.

Thanks so much.

himespau- 1) You thought of starting the cups with a hammer (and wood block between the hammer and cup) has been used by MANY before you. care with how you whack the edge of the cup will help keep it somewhat straight. Don't worry too much about some slight off straightness as this will be taken care of with the press. You could also press one cup in most all the way with the press tool. Again care in keeping the non cupped end of the tool straight with the HT end helps. You could also get a really long and big around threaded rod which still fits inside the tool's stepped pressure "plates" to act as a press. Don't forget to lube the cups and HT's surfaces.

2) If you test fit the caged bearings onto the cone you will see how one way the metal cage lip touches the cone and how the other way (the correct way) the balls will contact the cone.

3) ideally the crown race will take a few whacks to seat fully. But as long as it stays tight it's a moot point. If the crown race (BTW it's a "cone" too) is easy to rotate (when grabbed with a rag and channel locks) or begins to slide off the seat with only very light taps with a hammer (again some form of wood or other dent preventing between the hammer and race) then the crown race's fit is suspect. You can use a center punch on the cylindrical surface (the 26.4 which is really 26.5 for the slight interference fit) and dimple it around it's circumference to increase the fitting tightness. Andy.

First of all, remove the stop clip on the threaded end and see if you can back the handle out and still have enough thread engagement to do the job. Ideally you'll want about 3/4" of engaged threads to reach full strength.


If you can't use it as a press, you can take it apart and use just the shaft and sliding cones as a guide, and use a hammer and a short piece of pipe to do the actual pressing. If you use it that way, it might be better to have the better fitting sleeve be the moving one, and the sloppier one (if there is one) as the bottom, static guide.

As for the bearings, AS gave you good advice, or you can think about it this way. The retainer's rib can only go one of two places. Tucked away near the top (narrow end) of the cone, or out beyond the base of the cone. That allows the balls to ride the middle of the cone and cup. If you drop it onto the cone it'll become obvious. Is still not sure put the cone and cup together with the bearing in your hand, press and rotate, and you'll either hear/feel scratching, or you won't.

As said, you might have a fit at the low end of the tolerance range, but as long as it's tight you're OK. Make a mental note, that if you feel or hear movement when using the front brake, and you've adjusted the headset, it might be the cone. That's when you can pull it off and use the center punch to build up the seat diameter. I've also had good results using a thin coat of paint or nail polish. Sometimes I do both, raising the dimples with the punch, then painting and pressing into semi-dry paint which when dry makes a solid filler. This is a bridge you'll cross if and when you get to it.

Thanks guys. Got it. Just had to hit the cone shaped pieces a few more times to get it in far enough to be able to crank. I think I've got it adjusted, but something seems to be a bit off. I can see the top couple threads of the lock nut. I thought I'd had it calculated such that the stack height was 40.5 mm and I had a steerer that was 41 mm longer than the head tube (planned on sticking a small washer/spacer in there if needed). The only washer on there is the lock washer and the lock nut has a recession to account for it, so taking that out won't do any good. I don't know if that means something's not fully seated or what. If there are only 2 threads showing on the lock nut, is that going to be a problem as long as I keep it tight and figure the minimum insertion line from the top of the steerer? I'm guessing from what I read on sheldon that it might seat a bit more with some riding and need tightening at that time.

If you're talking about unused threads INSIDE the locknut when you look into the stem hole on the finished job, that's about right.

The stack height given is such that the fork will come about 1-2mm (varies a bit by brand) below the inside top of the locknut. This allows margin for error, and prevents the locknut from bottoming on the top of the fork before it does it's job.

In your case it seems that the maker of the headset predicted that you'd round up for safety, and planned for it.

Great, sounds like it's where it's supposed to be. Thanks. Now on to the next step in assembly.