I'll add that the races and frame are machined in a matching hemispheric profile so they can float and find a "perfect" alignment between the upper and lower bearings. The races are not a press fit as they need to pivot to align. The bearing races are very hard on these headsets and none of mine show any wear. It's a mechanical design trick that a thin annular ring is the perfect shape for heat treating. Sometimes the cup fittings in the frame wear a bit loose over the many years but I suspect it takes forever to become a real problem.
Joe Bender-Zanoni
Great Notch, NJ
> Tom; Sure sounds like an intergrated headset to me.
> I've a few on early Pre-war Hetchins. The bottom race
> fits onto the steering tube above the fork crown as
> usual in a snug tight fit. The race that goes into the
> top of the head tube is a loose fit, and is just
> inserted into place, and held there when the entire
> assembly is together. Did your frame come with a more
> modern headset or older headclip. As for tightening,
> I'm not an expert or trained mechanic, but I tighten
> the headset until it feels a bit snug, and then back
> off a bit until the headset feels like the bearings
> are riding in place smoothly, but not overly tight or
> with too much play. I just do that by feel.
>
> Peter Naiman
> Shorewood, WI
>
>
>
> --- "Thomas L. Hayes" <hayesbikes@nls.net> wrote:
> > I am not sure whether I am using the proper
> > terminology in this question and
> > therefore am not certain that it will be posed in
> > such a way that it becomes
> > understandable.
> >
> > I received a frame and fork yesterday. The headtube
> > at the top and bottom
> > are slightly flared or expanded out to accept
> > bearing races similar, if not
> > exactly the same, to what goes on the top of the
> > fork crown. These parts
> > were provided by the seller. My question involves
> > the fit of these races
> > onto and into the headtube: how snug are they to be?
> > Are they to be similar
> > in fit to the fork crown race, and therefore require
> > some force, or are they
> > to be loose enough to be inserted and removed by
> > hand? And one related
> > question: how does the bottom part inserted into the
> > headtube move smoothly,
> > if you are simply running two races with bearings
> > between each other? I
> > don't want to set it up with all the ball bearings
> > only to find that I have
> > mucked it up.
> >
> > And one final question, is this a form of an
> > integrated headset?
> >
> > Thank you.
> >
> > Cheers.
> >
> > Tom Hayes
> > Chagrin Falls, Ohio
> >
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> >
>
> Peter Naiman
> 4420 North Ardmore Avenue
> Shorewood, WI 53211
>
>
>
>
>
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