At 08:08 PM 10/08/2008 -0800, David Snyder wrote:
>I use
>full-compliment as in, iir, 24 balls. Not "full, then remove one" as I've
>heard many times over the years, but full.
>I tested this approach for needed clearance under load, and even with a
>disc-shim between a pair of balls, the loaded assembly rotated just fine.
You were probably just lucky in this particular application, but,
obviously, you shim test proved it works. Normally, I think, removing one
ball is standard practice because without testing as you did, it's quite
possible that what appears to be a full complement is actually overcrowding.
>Lastly, adjustment is critical, and one will ideally make final headset
>adjustments on the headset with but a naked stem's quill fully torqued in
>place.
However, the inertia of the bars and front wheel can easily mask any tightness in the adjustment.
John Betmanis
Woodstock, Ontario
Canada