Does anyone have a recommendation for a decent headset that will work on a blur lt 07 frame? The frame doesn't have any of the races at all so i'd be starting out fresh.
thanks,
E
thanks,
E
what is a reasonable head set to buy for an'07 blur
gexas
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If Chris King stuff is too expensive for you(it is for me), I just bought a Cane Creek S3 for a 2010 blur lt2 with a 1 1/8" steerer that I am building up. It costs $35 at Jenson:
Cane Creek S-3 Headset at JensonUSA.com
Cane Creek S-3 Headset at JensonUSA.com
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So here I will show my ignorance. I'm looking at buying a 2007 blur lt frame and it has nothing in the frame as far as steering head components. Do i have to buy anything custom from santa cruz to fit the cane creek or King head units or do these come with everything you need to just install them on the frame and simply slide in fork of choice?
I will check out both options but price is a factor since i'm trying to keep this build under a grand.
thanks for the advice.
E
I will check out both options but price is a factor since i'm trying to keep this build under a grand.
thanks for the advice.
E
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346 Posts
The S-3 is a great budget headset, comes with everything you need. If you haven't pressed in a headset before, it might be worth it to have the LBS do it. It is not too hard to DIY using allthread, nuts, and washers if you are so inclined, there are a few threads on the subject if you search. You will also have to press the crown race onto the steerer tube of your fork, again can DIY, but might be worth it to get it done.
gexas, try to hand fit the cups into the frame first. If you're able to drop the cups into the head tube and push it to depth by hand, you have bigger issues than you think...ovalized head tube. This is a good thing to check buying used frames. Also, take a good look at the bottom bracket threads to make sure it hasn't been cross threaded.
Did you just make the deal...money already changed hands? Because, as new as you sound, you should take this frame into a shop and have it checked out...preferably by a SC dealer so they can look at some known problem areas for this model year frame...before handing your cash over to the seller.
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I am new to the more detailed components of a bike like the headset. I have not purchased this yet as i'm still debating whether to hold off and get the vpp2 suspension over the vpp1 that is on this 2007 frame.
Great idea to take it into a shop and have them check it out. I figured this was something you could look at and tell if it was messed up or not.
How would something develop an oval shape?
thanks,
E
Great idea to take it into a shop and have them check it out. I figured this was something you could look at and tell if it was messed up or not.
How would something develop an oval shape?
thanks,
E
The head tube ovalizing could result from improper install of the headset cups, crashing, using too long travel of a fork...and it wouldn't be visible unless you have a micrometer...sometimes. If a set of cups go into the frame too easily, chances are something's happened to the headtube in its previous life.
If I were picking up a bike for the intended use at the LT level, I'd look into the VPP2. It definitely pedals better than the VPP1...I have both. I'm going to assume you're going to use the LT as a burlier trail bike...where you have to earn your downs? If where you live has big ups, I'd go VPP2. If flat-ish, this might not be too much of an issue. I wouldn't suggest using the LT as a mini-DH, altho it's very capable as an AM bike. The other benefit is the VPP2 will be newer and has had small bugs of the LT1 designed out. Things like the creaky lower pivot and PITA pivot servicing of the LT1...all gone in the newer LT2.
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Hi gexas,
The headset comes with everything you need--except spacers(even though they are on the parts list included in the package). Spacers are used to get the handlebars higher (or to take up room on top of your stem--see star nut description below). There are a lot of pieces to the headset and the exploded diagram in the instructions that come with the headset makes it very hard to identify the pieces. I had an LBS press in the cups on each end of the head tube, and they put the rest of the pieces in a bag, and I was left trying to figure out which piece was which when looking at the diagram--and ultimately I had to go back to the LBS to ask them which piece went where. The online diagram at Cane Creek's website is much better:
http://www.canecreek.com/manuals/Headset_Instructions/legacy/S_Series/S_3_Instructions.pdf
and with that diagram I could have figured things out on my own. Note that some pieces are not symmetrical, so if you flip them over they are in a different configuration.
A headset consists of the cups which are pressed into the head tube, and then some other pieces that I was able to slide on by hand. The crown race slid on with no friction--it's one of two parts of the headset that goes on your steerer before you insert the steerer into the head tube. There is one piece, which has a rubber seal on the inside diameter, so there is some friction when you slide it onto the steerer. All the other pieces slide on with no friction.
The top piece of the headset is the cap, which screws into the top of the steerer. The cap compresses all the pieces together. In order to have something to screw the cap into, you have to jam a "star nut", which comes with the headset, down into the steerer tube. I had my LBS pound in the star nut, too. They have a special tool for that, but once again if you are a little bit clever and watch a couple of youtube videos, you can do it yourself.
In order for the cap to be able to compress anything, the stuff you put on the steerer(headest, spacers, stem) must be 2-3 mm taller than the top of your steerer. You'll have to use a combination of 20mm, 10mm, 5mm, or 3mm spacers to get that configuration. When tightening the cap, your stem clamp should be loose, so the stem is acting like a giant spacer. I initially clamped the stem to hold the headset together while I worked on the spacers(sometimes unclamping the stem and putting another spacer below the stem) until I got the bars at the height I wanted them. Then you loosen the stem clamp on the steerer, and put the cap into the top of the steerer and screw it into the star nut and it compresses everything together. Then you tighten the stem clamp.
The next thing you have to decide is where to cut the top of the steerer. That will entail removing some spacers, cutting the steerer, and then finding the right combination of spacers so that once again the top of the steerer is 2-3mm below the stack of stuff on the steerer.
Oh yeah, a new frame might need the head tube, bottom bracket shell, and disc mounts faced. Facing ensures that the top and the bottom of the head tube are parallel, and that both sides of the bottom bracket shell are parallel, and that the disc mounts are clean and flat(?). Facing involves using some monstrous tool that shaves off a little bit of metal. You might want to check the frame to see if there is bare metal in those places, which would indicate it has been faced.
Whoops. I hope that wasn't too much information.
The headset comes with everything you need--except spacers(even though they are on the parts list included in the package). Spacers are used to get the handlebars higher (or to take up room on top of your stem--see star nut description below). There are a lot of pieces to the headset and the exploded diagram in the instructions that come with the headset makes it very hard to identify the pieces. I had an LBS press in the cups on each end of the head tube, and they put the rest of the pieces in a bag, and I was left trying to figure out which piece was which when looking at the diagram--and ultimately I had to go back to the LBS to ask them which piece went where. The online diagram at Cane Creek's website is much better:
http://www.canecreek.com/manuals/Headset_Instructions/legacy/S_Series/S_3_Instructions.pdf
and with that diagram I could have figured things out on my own. Note that some pieces are not symmetrical, so if you flip them over they are in a different configuration.
A headset consists of the cups which are pressed into the head tube, and then some other pieces that I was able to slide on by hand. The crown race slid on with no friction--it's one of two parts of the headset that goes on your steerer before you insert the steerer into the head tube. There is one piece, which has a rubber seal on the inside diameter, so there is some friction when you slide it onto the steerer. All the other pieces slide on with no friction.
The top piece of the headset is the cap, which screws into the top of the steerer. The cap compresses all the pieces together. In order to have something to screw the cap into, you have to jam a "star nut", which comes with the headset, down into the steerer tube. I had my LBS pound in the star nut, too. They have a special tool for that, but once again if you are a little bit clever and watch a couple of youtube videos, you can do it yourself.
In order for the cap to be able to compress anything, the stuff you put on the steerer(headest, spacers, stem) must be 2-3 mm taller than the top of your steerer. You'll have to use a combination of 20mm, 10mm, 5mm, or 3mm spacers to get that configuration. When tightening the cap, your stem clamp should be loose, so the stem is acting like a giant spacer. I initially clamped the stem to hold the headset together while I worked on the spacers(sometimes unclamping the stem and putting another spacer below the stem) until I got the bars at the height I wanted them. Then you loosen the stem clamp on the steerer, and put the cap into the top of the steerer and screw it into the star nut and it compresses everything together. Then you tighten the stem clamp.
The next thing you have to decide is where to cut the top of the steerer. That will entail removing some spacers, cutting the steerer, and then finding the right combination of spacers so that once again the top of the steerer is 2-3mm below the stack of stuff on the steerer.
Oh yeah, a new frame might need the head tube, bottom bracket shell, and disc mounts faced. Facing ensures that the top and the bottom of the head tube are parallel, and that both sides of the bottom bracket shell are parallel, and that the disc mounts are clean and flat(?). Facing involves using some monstrous tool that shaves off a little bit of metal. You might want to check the frame to see if there is bare metal in those places, which would indicate it has been faced.
Whoops. I hope that wasn't too much information.
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If your crown race slides on with no friction, it is most likely not seated all the way or you have a serious problem with your forks steerer tube. The piece with the rubber seal on the inside actually goes onto the steerer above the upper bearing, split ring, and shim seal. Cutting your steerer tube without everything set correctly can turn into an annoying to costly mistake. Measure twice, check for correct setup, measure again, then cut once.
Check this video before deciding if this is something you want to tackle yourself.
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Hmm...maybe I am remembering wrong. Is there a special press for the crown race. I thought I installed that myself. Maybe when the LBS showed me how the pieces went on, they pushed the crown race on when I wasn't looking.
Yes. I didn't mean to imply that it went on the steerer below the head tube. I was just describing the one part I remember that didn't slide freely on the steerer. If the op uses the online diagram, the order and orientation of the pieces is easily determined.
No cutting at all here. The remaining steerer is so much shorter than my 30 degree stem, I'll probably ride it for a month before cutting a bit off the top, or if I'm lazy I'll just leave it.
Great videos. Thanks.
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..and based on the cane creek video...the crown race, too.
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I use a piece of PVC pipe, not sure of the size. will check tomorrow. Works well as a "ghetto" crown race setter, Same method as on the video, couple of whacks with a rubber mallet usually seats it on nicely.
here is a thread that goes into more detail on the DIY headset tools.
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Ok FANTASTIC. I'm not as new now as i was in the beginning so i will take all this task. I will also shoot for a VPP2 bike. This will be my last bike for a long time since i got my feet wet with the GT and want to get this one right for the most part.
thanks for the help folks.
E
thanks for the help folks.
E
Is the end of next season a "long time"?
You wait...you'll get into this trail riding thing initially, then go DHing w/ a budding and rent a big bike. I'm not saying you'll just throw your trail riding away (I didn't), but you'll be posting threads like this in the DH forum at the end of next summer...just wait :thumbsup:
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