Hope headset issues

Miguel75

Miguel75

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Hi Gang,

I had my headset installed today (very excited) and was told when I picked the bike up there was something wrong with the headset and the shop couldn't do anything about it. I was a little saddened by this but was running out of time and was also experiencing a profound lack of ability to communicate so figured I'd leave without resolving the issue and fix it myself with the help of the interwebz.

The issue is an (approx) 2mm gap between the top cup and top cap seal. I thought originally there might have been an issue with a missing seal though the pic seems to show a seal, and a gap... I'm on night shift tonight so won't be able to play with the bike until tomorrow night when I'll take it apart. Anyone experienced an issue like this before or are familiar with the Hope headsets? Here's a link I found to an exploded schematic of the headset from Hope, which I'll use when I pull the thing apart tomorrow... http://www.hopetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/HOPEHEADSETS2011Web.pdf

headset.jpg

And yes, there are a few spacers hanging out above the headset. I have yet to cut the steerer tube.
 
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I had a similar issue with the bottom cup of Hope headset. Was awhile ago and from memory there was part installed upside down. If everything is there, reckon that could be issue?

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk
 
Something is installed in the wrong order, none of my Hope headsets have ever gone together like that....
Is the top bearing upside down?
 
Thanks team. I'll pull it apart tomorrow and have a look. I'm hoping you're suggestions will solve the issue.
 
stoo said:
Something is installed in the wrong order, none of my Hope headsets have ever gone together like that....
Is the top bearing upside down?
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That was my first thought, but looks okay in the pic, however, it doesn't seem to be seated properly. The bearing should sit below the face of the cup, not flush, as it appears to be in your pic. Is it a tapered headset, or straight? If straight, do they have the cups in the right ends? The Co. Pressing ring that fits between the steerer and the bearing should be flush with the top face of the cup.
 
Your shop is stocked by idiots. Hope supply three thin metal shims that can be used on top of the bearing lock ring to stop the top cap deforming and binding...two is usually enough. All three is sufficient to get the top seal sitting like that...
 
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silentbutdeadly said:
Your shop is stocked by idiots. Hope supply three thin metal shims that can be used on top of the bearing lock ring to stop the top cap deforming and binding...two is usually enough. All three is sufficient to get the top seal sitting like that...
Click to expand...

I reckon they only used 1 shim. I'm going to pull it all apart tomorrow and check each piece, using the Hope tech drawing as a guide. Funnily enough, I was going to install the headset myself but figured I'd pay someone to do it properly. Everyone makes mistakes and I don't expect the mechanic to know everything but I do expect them to resolve the issue instead of telling me there's nothing more they can do...
 
If they used one shim then it would pack down tight under the clamping force of the top cap...I'd wager they used them all.

I put a new Hope headset in tonight in about 3 minutes without any instructions (admittedly using a bearing press). It's about as idiot proof as you can get...
 
silentbutdeadly said:
If they used one shim then it would pack down tight under the clamping force of the top cap...I'd wager they used them all.

I put a new Hope headset in tonight in about 3 minutes without any instructions (admittedly using a bearing press). It's about as idiot proof as you can get...
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure they gave me 2 of the shims back. I'll know tomorrow when I get a chance to play with it. I basically picked up the bike, picked up my wife and then the kids, dropped everyone (and the bike) at home and headed off to work.
 
silentbutdeadly said:
If they used one shim then it would pack down tight under the clamping force of the top cap...I'd wager they used them all.

I put a new Hope headset in tonight in about 3 minutes without any instructions (admittedly using a bearing press). It's about as idiot proof as you can get...
Click to expand...

I have no shims in mine and it only just seals properly...

Maybe they haven't got the compression ring in right or the bearing is upside down... They are pretty idiot proof!
 
I'm using all the shims on the zero stack on the trail bike and it's flush.

I think the one on my DH bike sits up a little with all shims.
I didn't know if I needed them or not so I just chucked them all on, haha.
 
So I returned home and pulled the headset apart: it all looks to be as per the Hope headset schematic. There are no shims (I have all 3 in a ban) and I had a realisation that might/might not be relevant. There is no star nut so no cap being screwed into it, so no downward force through the stem into the tapered ring....

Would the lack of star it and the resulting downward force be part of the issue?
 
Miguel75 said:
So I returned home and pulled the headset apart: it all looks to be as per the Hope headset schematic. There are no shims (I have all 3 in a ban) and I had a realisation that might/might not be relevant. There is no star nut so no cap being screwed into it, so no downward force through the stem into the tapered ring....

Would the lack of star it and the resulting downward force be part of the issue?
Click to expand...
If you can't get the top cover to diy right down at all, it won't be the issue
 
Knuckles said:
If you can't get the top cover to diy right down at all, it won't be the issue
Click to expand...

Are you saying if the top cover doesn't sit flush now, the lack of star nut won't help resolve the issue? When I took the fork out and stacked the headset it all fit flush. It was when I replaced the fork and everything the gap came back...
 
So...you've had no top cap on at all the whole time? I'm struggling to come to terms with what is being presented here....
 
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