Chris king headset cup and steerer tube rub

PB Forum :: Mechanics' Lounge
Chris king headset cup and steerer tube rub
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flag rotary
Posted: Nov 19, 2009 at 11:05 Quote
dropped my forks out the other day and noticed that the steerer tube and lower headset cup had been rubbing thus scoring both the cup and the steerer tube, i may of had some dirt in there to make the marks but i thought that the steerer tube ran in contact with both the underside and the inner diameter of the bearing not the inner diameter of the cup. anyone had this problem, anyone got any advice?
flag Shoe2190
O+
Posted: Nov 19, 2009 at 11:22 Quote
Im afraid its something that Chris Kings heasets have a bit of a problem with doing as they dont use the top ring thing that is patented by cane creek and allmost all other headsets use.
flag Hummeroid
Posted: Nov 20, 2009 at 13:36 Quote
Guy above is right. HUGE design flaw when it comes to slack head angles and bikes that get ridden hard. I had one cut my steerer badly, I will never use one of them again.
flag shishka
Posted: Nov 7, 2011 at 8:29 Quote
Ya i having similar issue on my old kingset on my hardtail. First you need to know is that i've had this headset on 3 dif frames over last 12 years. Currently running on a dob hardtail and started hearing creaking crackling noise when steering. Its coming from the bottom cup, fork race area. It seems like i toasted the bottom bearings but hardly ever get this bike wet or muddy. I even tried the new conversion split top cap, canecreek style, but it still making noise. I was considering trying a new baseplate but doubt that going to fix it. It look like i just going to rip the king headset out and use for target practice. Now i about to purchase a crupi headset, sealed bearings. Too many problems with king over the years. They good for xc and light weights but fir big air hucking not recomended.
flag dazem
Posted: Nov 7, 2011 at 9:13 Quote
shishka wrote:
Ya i having similar issue on my old kingset on my hardtail. First you need to know is that i've had this headset on 3 dif frames over last 12 years. Currently running on a dob hardtail and started hearing creaking crackling noise when steering. Its coming from the bottom cup, fork race area. It seems like i toasted the bottom bearings but hardly ever get this bike wet or muddy. I even tried the new conversion split top cap, canecreek style, but it still making noise. I was considering trying a new baseplate but doubt that going to fix it. It look like i just going to rip the king headset out and use for target practice. Now i about to purchase a crupi headset, sealed bearings. Too many problems with king over the years. They good for xc and light weights but fir big air hucking not recomended.

no offence but chances are the cups are spent, the creaking sounds suggest your lower cup has been ovalized and/or your headtube is ovalized, also if the anodized surface is gone- your cup is now undersized and will not fit tight enough to not creak...12 years and multiple frames is more than you can ask of any headset...
flag shishka
Posted: Nov 7, 2011 at 9:45 Quote
No its the bottom bearing. When i take fork off and run bearings by hand the top is smooth and bottom is crunchy. The front end is very tight with no play at all. Its when i tighten the compression screw on top then turn bars i hear the creaking. Structurally the front end is solid, there and internal problem on bottom stack. This headset only used for street/park so seen its share of abuse. Soon as the new headset in i be rolling straight. If there was any headtube ovalization i would just get deepset cups but that not the case this time.
flag Bmxerch
Posted: Nov 7, 2011 at 10:06 Quote
dazem wrote:
shishka wrote:
Ya i having similar issue on my old kingset on my hardtail. First you need to know is that i've had this headset on 3 dif frames over last 12 years. Currently running on a dob hardtail and started hearing creaking crackling noise when steering. Its coming from the bottom cup, fork race area. It seems like i toasted the bottom bearings but hardly ever get this bike wet or muddy. I even tried the new conversion split top cap, canecreek style, but it still making noise. I was considering trying a new baseplate but doubt that going to fix it. It look like i just going to rip the king headset out and use for target practice. Now i about to purchase a crupi headset, sealed bearings. Too many problems with king over the years. They good for xc and light weights but fir big air hucking not recomended.

no offence but chances are the cups are spent, the creaking sounds suggest your lower cup has been ovalized and/or your headtube is ovalized, also if the anodized surface is gone- your cup is now undersized and will not fit tight enough to not creak...12 years and multiple frames is more than you can ask of any headset...

Uhh, last time I checked, dude, anodizing is not paint.

IF there were a coating on the headset it still probably wouldn't be enough to make it creak.
flag shishka
Posted: Nov 7, 2011 at 11:03 Quote
ya the paint is fine , if you look at this headset its appears new and has no signs of wear. The internals tell the long story of its use and that where creak is coming from. If your riding alot of street for over 10 years on same headset something going to give eventually. I wish this frame had internal option but now I look for a lower stack external headset. Since its not a zero stack frame I have few options but hope and crankbros as far as I know.
flag dazem
Posted: Nov 7, 2011 at 12:57 Quote
Bmxerch wrote:
dazem wrote:
shishka wrote:
Ya i having similar issue on my old kingset on my hardtail. First you need to know is that i've had this headset on 3 dif frames over last 12 years. Currently running on a dob hardtail and started hearing creaking crackling noise when steering. Its coming from the bottom cup, fork race area. It seems like i toasted the bottom bearings but hardly ever get this bike wet or muddy. I even tried the new conversion split top cap, canecreek style, but it still making noise. I was considering trying a new baseplate but doubt that going to fix it. It look like i just going to rip the king headset out and use for target practice. Now i about to purchase a crupi headset, sealed bearings. Too many problems with king over the years. They good for xc and light weights but fir big air hucking not recomended.

no offence but chances are the cups are spent, the creaking sounds suggest your lower cup has been ovalized and/or your headtube is ovalized, also if the anodized surface is gone- your cup is now undersized and will not fit tight enough to not creak...12 years and multiple frames is more than you can ask of any headset...

Uhh, last time I checked, dude, anodizing is not paint.

IF there were a coating on the headset it still probably wouldn't be enough to make it creak.
Nobody said it was paint fool, god! -read a book or at least take the time to wiki that shit... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anodizing
If the ano has been scraped off due to being pressed in and out of multiple frames -the part is no longer the same size.

by definition:

Anodizing, or anodising in British English, is an electrolytic passivation process used to increase the thickness of the natural oxide layer on the surface of metal parts. The process is called "anodizing" because the part to be treated forms the anode electrode of an electrical circuit.
flag shishka
Posted: Nov 8, 2011 at 6:53 Quote
It not a big deal. New headset fix everything for another 12 years. I've ovalized headtubes years ago but that was aluminum dh frames. This frame is street as fuk and that steel aint gonna budge for nobody. I looking for a shorter stack than king offering. King bottom cup is 13.7 mm, the only one shorter is crankbros as far as i know???? Those crankbros headsets look like garbage specially in the streets. Need another option.
flag Bmxerch
Posted: Nov 8, 2011 at 7:15 Quote
Anodizing is a miniscule coatin that it wouldn't matter if some wore off..
flag shishka
Posted: Nov 8, 2011 at 7:59 Quote
I looking at the nukeproof warheads. They dont have cartidge bearing unfortunately but they only $55 so i just throw in a new one every couple years. That 12mm bottom cup will do the trick fir me. I like that steel version but it soo heavy not even funny 272g.
flag dazem
Posted: Nov 8, 2011 at 8:14 Quote
cane creek 110 1-1/8'' external lower cup is 12.05mm and you can buy the lower cup separately..
flag hampsteadbandit
Posted: Nov 8, 2011 at 13:17 Quote
after just 4 weeks from brand new on my Banshee Scirocco hardtail, my Chris King's lower bearing had collapsed and started chewing its way through the fork steerer on my Fox 32 fork

this headset was pro-installed with Park headset press using the correct adapters for the King cups, and set using torque wrench

bike was used for North Shore, Dirt Jumping, etc.

photo

did not appreciate this attention, dumped the King after the UK distrib. would not offer any warranty support, replaced the King with a cheap FSA Pig Pro and used this headset for several years with no issues, and no further damage to the fork steerer!
flag Shoe2190
O+
Posted: Nov 8, 2011 at 13:42 Quote
Haha uk distributor for king is the same as for Yeti isant it? They just say our products dont break it must have been your fault
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