Headset bearings

so i was down at the scene of my crash again, changeign the forks on my bike to ride home, and be able to get around untill i can get some better ones off diki (i grabed those bars for you btw). the only problem is i spileed the lose barings all over the street, i got all but 2 or 3 back... i think as its temporary just a bit extra grese and i should be fine right?

also the fork is much shorter, i have to take parts off the head set, i am going to have to do with out the lock ring, and one of the washers i think...

what kind of permanant damage am i looking at doing if i ride like this for a bit?

I don't think it would do much damage for a few miles. there'll simply be a larger load on the current bearings so they'll wear out faster - but if it's only 2/3 it should be ok for a bit. not like you're running on 5 bearings :P

i don't know about the lock ring bit, i'm afraid.

You can go to a bike shop and buy bearing individually. Just take the old ones allong for size. Replace the whole lot don't match old and new. Will cost about £1 or less.

Running the headset without the locknut (the top six sided nut) is gonna be a real pain in the ass cos there is nothing to stop it all unscrewing. You will have to hand tighten the top race (the bottom round bit that has a six sided nut on its upper part) every few minutes. It will still be always too loose and so you will knacker the races really quickly. Better get a longer fork as soon as you can.

i got some barings, the kin in the metel holder and not the pain in the ass lose ones,

by lockring i ment a lock ring, not the hex lock nut, which i kept. the hedset originaly had the race, then a washer and a lockring, then the thing that holds the cable for centre pull brakes, another washer, and the lock nut, i took off the lockring and a washer.

I've ditched the bearing cages in my headset, repacking the bearings with new grease.

My question is how many bearings should I put in? I read some where on the internet that the rule is: pack full of bearings, then remove 1. Elsewhere it states: pack full of bearings, then remove 2.

Anybody know the answer?

I'd remove one personally.

I'd remove one personally.

Cheers. That's what I've done. It feels fine at the moment.

What grease do people use for headset bearings? Chris king suggest bullshot grease but it does not seem to be commonly available in the UK.

Does Crish Carsh still ride his bike?

What grease do people use for headset bearings? Chris king suggest bullshot grease but it does not seem to be commonly available in the UK.

i just use any general bike grease. a la http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=5954

but that is for loose bearings

chris is now part of a sartorially elegant hipster crowd in NYC still riding his bike i believe unless the bonus culture had driven him to buy a porsche ... but probably not

I use waterpoof grease, doesn't wash out or deteriorate due to water

Nope not a tautology

some grease will wash out with water, others remain in place

A tautology, surely.

Normal grease has a clay base which deteriorates when in contact with water, waterproof grease does not deteriorate with water contact as it has a different base. Leave a blob of normal grease in a cup of water for a month and see what happens.

What grease do people use for headset bearings? Chris king suggest bullshot grease but it does not seem to be commonly available in the UK.

You don't need special grease for a headset, just any thick grease. It's a bearing that has low speed use so viscosity is not an issue but it seldom repacked. Hence any thick grease go to halfords / motorists shop and buy a cheap tube / small tub.

Cheers tommy

hillbilly sorted me out with a tube of this:

it is green, and it smells nice.

i find that all petroleum based products an enchanting, yet forbidden smell.