96' Kona Kilauae Headset Question?

[BentRims]

Stock Impact Headset has smaller top bearings/race then the Lower, it's getting pretty rusted-up at this point and thinking of putting a 1 1/8 Crane Creek on the bike?

Will the Threaded P2 Fork still fit? and what bearing race would I put in the upper? I though about just trying it, but didn't want to run into a mess.

Thanks.

 

[hamster]

Any standard 1 1/8" threaded headset will be fine.

 

[Marmalademan]

Re:

I just went through the same thing with an 18” 94 Kilauea. The low stack height of the Impact/Control Center led me to believe the options were Chris King GripNut, Tange-Seiki Falcon FL270C, or an NOS vintage Shimano from eBay.

The Shimano’s aren’t sealed and the stack height varies greatly between models. GripNut was tempting but expensive.

I bought the Falcon. It seems like a decent sealed cartridge headset, and with the keyed washer removed it’s perfect for the 142mm steerer, but I can’t comment on reliability as I just fitted it on Saturday

There are other threads on the same subject if you search. Some people seem to have got a result using the top part of an Impact/CC to lock off some other brand’s cups and bearings.

Edit: Hamster seems to know his Konas, so maybe there’s more to it, but it seemed to me that the low stack height was critical when replacing an Impact or Control Center.

 

[BentRims]

Thanks for the info, I tried using the Search but was having problems with the site yesterday.

That Kris King is way too rich for my Blood. Cost as much as the whole bike is worth :shock:

A lot of the threads were for changing over to thread-less P2 forks or Shocks, thought about that!? as I have a mint White Brothers SC92UL that I just rebuilt, might work well with a bit a sag.

 

[Marmalademan]

Re:

I thought about that too, as it would be nice to have more choice of stems and bars, but I decided it would make sense only if the goal was a new fork. I didn’t want to waste a perfectly good set of TB P2 forks for the sake of an aheadset.

 

[hamster]

Re: Re:

Edit: Hamster seems to know his Konas, so maybe there’s more to it, but it seemed to me that the low stack height was critical when replacing an Impact or Control Center.

I'd just assumed that the OP would check stack height when selecting a headset.

It's often easiest to give the old headset a good clean up, new balls (decent ones from a bearing factor) and plenty of grease. If it is still smooth with no tight spots them problem solved.

Usually it's only the bottom race that wears badly - as it alone gets the muck treatment. Adding a low-stack lower headset like a Ritchey Logic or Mart will solve the problem.

I do have a spare Kona Impact, but it needs new balls and cages (strictly the cages are not necessary and there are good arguments for leaving them out).

 

[BentRims]

Re:

I took all apart yesterday and lube'd it up nice, working smooth as silk. It is an odd setup? though kinda cool.