[Closed] Works Components Headset Lower Bearing won’t fit.

Remember fitting my hope headset to my Yeti ye ago fitted the bare cup, couldn't gwthe bearing in, removed the cup fitted the cup and bearing together and sorted.

Could be the frame is compressing the cup stopping the bearing going in.

So you compressed the cup into the head tube with the bearing still in it?

I can’t think of anything other than the cup being compressed too much by the head tube. But that just shouldn’t be a problem. I can’t see how there’s a fix for that.

Yep certainly did, on final assembly was still buttery smooth.

So you compressed the cup into the head tube with the bearing still in it?

Not recommended. You might be ok, but chances are you will cause brinelling damage to the race.

Try sticking the bearing in the freezer overnight before fitting, and a a little grease to the cup surface.

Fitting bearings to the works headsets is a lot tighter than most, carbon frames are often like a cock in a bucket.

Bearing in the freezer, good coating of grease and pull it in straight, I often just use the fork and headset bolt, never had any issues.

Thanks. Freezer is an interesting idea. Will have to see if they send me another bearing or wait until I buy one off them.

Already had the cup greased, to. I affect. Also used the fork and top cap to compress, which got it completely and utterly stuck.

Such a stupid design.

Are there “compatible” sealed bearings you can buy that would fit with more ease or do I always have to buy “Works Conponenets” bearings?

As I say, the one from the FSA orbit is a good fit. Easy to put in and out but snug enough to stay in place with the friction around it. Only downside is the taper is visually different and I’m probably not getting optimal contact.

Bearing wouldn't go in straight in relation to the headtube, needs to go in straight relative to the lower cup. It's machined on an angle.
If it's simply not going in I'd be veryfying the cup tolerance. Measurements to works and see if it's within spec.

Never had any issues. Hope bearings fit by the way.

Something to check is spec of headset relative to steerer length etc. to make sure the fork really is pulling it in straight. Eg they haven't sent you the wrong bottom cup by accident?

Good point bearback, with the angled face one the headset cup, bearing needs to go in parallel with the bore, not the headtube.

If you have a half decent vernier, I'd check the diameter bro check it's not under sized. if your head tube is undersized, it could cause the bearing bore to be reduced.

I can’t think of anything other than the cup being compressed too much by the head tube. But that just shouldn’t be a problem. I can’t see how there’s a fix for that.

You should measure press fits before assembly, its not uncommon to have to ream head tubes and BBs to get the correct interference fit. Also different manufacturers dont all use the same size for a standard size.

If the frame cant be reamed, but is round then the part can be turned down in a lathe to achieve the correct press fit.

Obviously most people just assume if its the correct part its is fine and will fit, and it is a lot of the time, however sometimes its not and leads to premature wear, other times the parts dont fit without damage.

I've had this with a superstarcomponents bottom cup, if your headtube is borderline undersized or has some paint inside it, some bearings won't fit after pressing the cup in, I had to buy a bearing from kinetic bearings 51.9 instead of 52, a 51.8 from my removed headset was just a tiny bit too loose, just make sure the degrees and height of the bearing are the same.
Usually only happens to 56 zero stack cups.

Glad I'm not the only one to have an issue with the Superstar bottom cup. On my alloy frame it was a real struggle getting the cup pressed in to start with, and then the bearing didnt fit.

I assumed it was somehow maybe my fault in pressing it in badly (even though I used a quality headset press), and rather than removing the cup again and possibly stressing the headtube in some way, I just got to work with emery cloth inside the cup, until the bearing did fit...

I greased well around the cup, as the protective anodising was obviously removed, and all seems ok after a year, as the cup does at least seem to be well sealed.

In future I'll pay more attention and measure component diameters before attempting to fit.

Funny that, cos if you contact superstar they'll probably say nobody else has had that issue and they'll just continue with their too tight tolerances.

It's not their fault though, you can't reasonably expect a headset manufacturer to make very slightly over sized and under sized versions of every headset to make up for variations in frame tolerances

The thing with anything press fit, is it isn’t really an interface for assembling at home. Tolerances matter, and when building a bike (or anything) professionally, you’d have the tools to measure/ream/face to prepare the fit.

If we’re talking about tolerances of 0.1 of a mm,it seems to me such a ridiculous design. I’ve changed headsets on other bikes on at least 3 occasions and had not trouble at all. Bearings just slid in on all examples. Knowing that there could be some slight variations out there from manufacturer inaccuracies it’s a recipe for some incompatibility.

I know it is the right headset as I contacted them before purchase. I have installed the bottom cup correctly with the R symbol to the rear.

I don’t have anything that would accurately measure 0.1mm differences. How would I find out what size bearing they actually use to see if I could find an alternative one that is 0.1mm smaller? Does anyone already know (standard tapered head tube on a whyte t129). I guess I could just ask them.

I wrote to them again and the reply this time was that I need to knock it in with a rubber mallet and a piece of wood. It doesn’t say that on their instruction sheet but I guess I’ll give it a go. Just waiting for another of their bearings to turn up.

Thanks for all the replies.

I've had bearings that are tight but only in one orientation (Hope headsets) because either the bearing or housing is slightly out of round - have you tried the bearing in different positions?

And of course braying it in isn't going to play too well when you want to remove it?

How would I find out what size bearing they actually use to see if I could find an alternative one that is 0.1mm smaller? Does anyone already know (standard tapered head tube on a whyte t129).

https://www.amazon.co.uk/photos/share/q7g72GgHjCHTdCBmThs42Z9qHtTqQvC1rjEIyALH4wM
Upper bearing

https://www.amazon.co.uk/photos/share/X5c2Ar5IGR1Y2nJOJjOouCygPxhB1Fm5S4CbQ2SiEYQ

Lower

From experience the first thing I now do is pull the bearings from anything and photo the sizes before use.

The plaster is a result of taking chunks out of my thumbs on the bearing cup pushing the lower bearing out. It is very very tight and needs to go in (and out) perfectly straight.

Looking at works components site its a 52mm bearing 45° 45° the height isnt specified but a quick measure yourself sorts that out, maybe 7mm or 8mm, it might be printed on the side of the bearing, if a 52 won't go in without a fight it could be a pig to remove further down the line so a 51.9 sounds like a good idea, I assume your whyte has a zs56 lower cup, you didn't state the year.
One or two manufacturers, superstarcomponents for example have a lower zs56 cup with tight tolerances, I refer to how snug the actual bearing fits in the cup, not the OD of the cup, straight out of the package you have to push the bearing out with your thumbs its that close a fit, so if the works one has similar tolerances and was hard pressing in due to a slightly undersized headtube its going to be harder to get a snug bearing in, I haven't seen this issue with others like Hope or Nukeproof because their bearings aren't too tight a fit.
Are they referring to the bearing or the cup when they say use a mallet and a piece of wood.

I don’t think they are referring to hitting the bearing directly but this is a cut and paste of their reply:
“ Thumb pressure alone may not be enough to install the bearing once the cup is installed in the frame - as suggested in my previous email the bearing should go fully home with some light, even tapping or a little force as I suggested by tapping the face of the crown race with a rubber mallet or small piece of wood.”

Not quite sure how to interpret that. Take the crown race off the fork and use it with a piece of wood to tap the bearing in??? Sounds proper dodgy. :-S

My Whyte t129 is a 2014 model with a zs56 lower cup.

*crown race is on the fork and is fitting fine and not been raised as a topic previously so don’t know why they mention that if they are talking about how to install the crown race.

Thanks for the info. I’ll be sure to look a little closer when it arrives.

Speaking from experience, a headset bearing that requires more than thumb pressure to install results in a bearing in 4 or 5 pieces when you come to remove it later on usually with the outer race left inside the cup.
A 40 x 51.9 x 7 x 45/45 degree could be the answer or maybe 51.8 like the FSA if you think that's a better tolerance without any side movement.
The FSA is 51.8 x 7.5 x 45/36 deg so its 0.5mm too tall and requires a 36 deg crown race,

That’s great thanks. Think I’m going to go with a 51.9 45/45. Not sure I can be bothered with all the inevitable swearing when it won’t go in and then won’t come out until it’s in bits all over the floor again!

All the info I need is there. Thanks again.

I assume they're saying use the (not fitted) crown race to help tap the bearing in. It would just be the flat face of the race so shouldn't do damage if you have a bit of wood there. I often use an old bearing that can sit against the races of the new one as a sacrificial part to hit.

Well, the replacement bearing and lower cup arrived today. The bearing was already seated in the lower cup in the packaging.

Thought I’d pop out the bearing to see for sure what the specification was inscribed on the side and struggled to remove it! (Call me useless!)

At first I tried to apply reasonable force with my thumbs to get it out only to separate the bearing! Luck would have it it clicked back together.

Then spent a few minutes working my way around the bearing feeling for one small vibration of movement at a time. After several revolutions it popped out.

There’s no way I’m knocking it back into the lower cup once the cup is on my bike. The tolerance is just way to fine.

So I’m ordering a 51.9mm bearing instead.