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Headset Grease Suggestion?

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#21 ·
kntr said:
Any updates on the Hellbender lower bearing? Does it last any longer? I keep replacing the lower 40 once a year.
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I bought one.. its works with all headsets btw.. there was a poster above saying it only worked with slamset which is not the case.

So far so good, it only been about 6 months but still feeling good. Standard 40 bearings were toast within first few months.. not cheap but if you dont have to replace them. not too bad
 
#23 ·
Do you work grease into 40 bearings? When I do this with CC 40 I put down a bead of grease and rotate race until worked in. I do same on King but will remove the thin metal cover first.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk
 
#25 ·
Mad Reptilian said:
Last night, I tried to install the Hellbender bearings made by CC. Unfortunately, the top bearing made it almost impossible to tighten the top cap bolt enough. Each time I got just a hair of bite on the bolt, the headset would stiffen up.
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Not sure the cause of what you were experiencing, but as mentioned above Hellbender bearings are cross compatible with other Cane Creek headsets. I happened to have 40, 110, and Hellbender bearings to compare, and they all measured the same height with digital calipers.

If the upper bearing cover is binding on the head tube before the headset is sufficiently torqued (I ran into this on a new installation), you can buy shims (at bottom of drop down menu) in four sizes from .125-1.25mm to provide adequate clearance.
 
#26 ·
I had a 110 fail on me and CC replaced with the new HB. Out of the box, it does not seem as buttery smooth as the 110. Will let you know how it does after a few rides.
 
#27 ·
Some here make it sound like maintaining headsets and their bearings as an art or rocket science. I have been maintaining bikes for multiple decades and try to keep it simple.

Remember that a lower bearing is subject to a lot of contamination opportunities and as a result, I think my success has been to apply early service intervals to headset bearings and incorporate a few tricks to extend the lower bearings service life. I'm rarely required to replace them. I strongly believe in preventative maintenance. I would rather service a bearing over replacing it. I have some that have seen well over 10K miles.
 
Discussion starter · #28 ·
seamarsh said:
I bought one.. its works with all headsets btw.. there was a poster above saying it only worked with slamset which is not the case.

So far so good, it only been about 6 months but still feeling good. Standard 40 bearings were toast within first few months.. not cheap but if you dont have to replace them. not too bad
Click to expand...
You have two riders who in this forum that tried to use the Hellbender on the CC40 headset and it did not work, so I'm not sure why you claim it works with all headsets. Did you try it on a CC40?
 
#29 ·
The creaking problem is not related to bearing maintenance. It is cup to bearing portion that is creaking and leaving it dry makes it worse. Just drop the fork every few months, clean off the old grease and regrease the cups.
 
#30 ·
Mad Reptilian said:
You have two riders who in this forum that tried to use the Hellbender on the CC40 headset and it did not work, so I'm not sure why you claim it works with all headsets. Did you try it on a CC40?
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Did you ever get the Hellbender to work? CC replaced my 110's with upper and lower Hellbenders, stating they provide a better seal.

Out of the box, the HB's seem very snug compared to the 110's. curious how this will feel once installed.
 
#31 ·
Mad Reptilian said:
You have two riders who in this forum that tried to use the Hellbender on the CC40 headset and it did not work, so I'm not sure why you claim it works with all headsets. Did you try it on a CC40?
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Must be doing something wrong.. I own a cc40 and use hellbenders on both ends..

also this is from the hellbender page on CC website:

While the Hellbender currently comes standard in the SlamSet headset, all headsets in our product line were meticulously designed to have interchangeable parts, making these bearing cross-compatible with all assemblies.

Precision engineered by Cane Creek in Fletcher, NC.

https://www.canecreek.com/product/hellbender-bearings/
 
Discussion starter · #33 ·
seamarsh said:
Must be doing something wrong.. I own a cc40 and use hellbenders on both ends..

also this is from the hellbender page on CC website:

While the Hellbender currently comes standard in the SlamSet headset, all headsets in our product line were meticulously designed to have interchangeable parts, making these bearing cross-compatible with all assemblies.

Precision engineered by Cane Creek in Fletcher, NC.

https://www.canecreek.com/product/hellbender-bearings/
Click to expand...
No. I wasn't doing anything wrong. Yes. I read CC website prior to purchasing the bearings as I mentioned before.

I reached out to Cane Creek and they sent me a shim that is installed on top of the split compression ring, eliminating the binding.
 
Discussion starter · #36 ·
Just to clarify for those looking at upgrading to the HB bearings, the CC rep told me that a small batch of the 41mm bearings unfortunately did ship out that did not have the appropriate contact angles, making them difficult to preload properly, thus requiring the shim. If you got one, I suggest reaching out to CC for a replacement.
 
#37 ·
my CC40 started creaking already with only about 100 miles on it. Is that pretty typical? Is it just a matter of disassembling, cleaning, lubing and re-torquing everything or is it just the CC's that do this and just need to live with it until i upgrade to something better?

Does anyone have the torque specs handy?
 
#38 ·
Do you really think upgrading bearings is gonna correct a problem that usually stems from lower bearing contamination?

Sealing the lower bearing with additional grease between the lower bearing seal and crown race has always worked great for me. Remember that the lower bearing is in a prime location for contamination...water, dirt, dust and debris. Step up the maintenance intervals and you should be fine...in most cases.
 
#39 ·
Upgrade to hellbender bearings.. read above for info. They fit into 40 and fix issues with that headset. Stock 40 bearings are terrible.. mine blew up after a few months as did their replacements.. now using hellbender and it’s working great.
 
#40 ·
Yeah, most of us are familiar with Hellbenders. But take a closer look at why they're better...they use stainless steel bearings with increased sealing elements and more grease. We can buy stainless bearings and we can perform better levels of preventative maintenance to ensure a contaminate-free bearing through more grease and better sealing. This isn't rocket science. It about doing a better job of protecting the bearings.
 
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