fatcogtom@comcast.net wrote:
> This all sounds so silly trying to measure and compare the gaps
> between crown race and headset cups. It looks to me like there are
> gaps in both, with no other weather resistant sealing mechanism in
> either. A gap of 1mm versus a gap of 2.5mm still lets in water and
> grit. Neither are superior over another.
Arguably false. A larger gap both represents a larger area through which
debris can enter and a larger maximum particle size for such debris.
> They are both effectively 'flow through' designs. Will someone argue
> that contaminants are flushed through on a constant basis so less
> dirt and crud build up in the races; as long as you overhaul the
> headset on a weekly basis, what does it matter?
Ah, but how many of us -- or more to the point, how many of the great unwashed out there -- overhaul their headsets on a weekly basis?
As far as sealing goes, the old Record Strada steel headset had a very tall crown race, and when mated with the proper cup presented a very deep, narrow passage through which debris must penetrate before entering the bearing. As seals go, it is very simple but still quite effective. The alloy cups on the Super Record model required that the crown race be much thinner and some of the benefit of this seal was lost. My own experience is that the old Record units hold up noticeably better than the Super Record ones, and this may well be part of the reason.
But I concur that the Levin was, and still remains the best bang for the buck in loose ball headsets.
--
John (john@os2.dhs.org)
Appleton WI USA