Chris King woes

[MCA4President]

I'm trying to fit this headset and I'm having problems with the top piece. It's catching on the rubber insert and won't go on the steerer without me hitting the living crap out of it. Am I being an idiot, am I missing something here. The rubber is quite hard, should it be soft, etc? Everything else fits beautifully.

 

[bontybonty]

Hi
It should be a firm fit perhaps needing a tap with a soft face mallet.
Anymore force suggests a burr on the steerer tube lip or the steerer not being quite round.
Does the tube look damaged or distorted
B

 

[sunympholepsy]

That looks a bit chewed up. You could try gently removing the rubber seal with an awl and sanding the rough edges on the inside of the cup making sure to remove any dust and deburring the edge of the groove with a small blade. Then reinsert the seal back into the groove. Maybe using silicone grease could help with softening and preserving the rubber. I would also make sure that the top of the steerer tube is burr free and smooth.

 

[MCA4President]

Thanks guys, yes I'll try cleaning things up a little now I know it's supposed to be a tight fit. The steerer is perfectly round, but yes the rubber looks like it's seen better days.

 

[bontybonty]

If the part slips on initially then gets tight with the seal I'd gently debur the stearer top. Remove the rubber seal. Grease the steerer. Warm soften the seal and cup ring in hot water.It will expand slightly. Try again to fit it. A smart knock with a soft face mallet or hammer and wood block is acceptable. You could push it further on with an old stem and mallet. Tap tap.
Talking tapping here not wacking.
There's always the LBS. Better than busted bits. Good luck

 

[MCA4President]

Great advice, thank you.

 

[fettler]

Chamfer the top of the steerer tube, maybe 1mm all the way round and sand/file smooth to provide a lead for the rubber to slip past. A square edge will want to cut through the rubber.

 

[ishaw]

Use a bit of grease on the rubber rung to help it slide on. They can be replaced if you think it's gone hard.

The softer the rubber the better, as it seems to act as a pipe cutter on the steerer tube at the best of times. You can tell a king headset was used just by looking at a fork steerer.

 

[klunkrider]

Use a bit of grease on the rubber rung to help it slide on. They can be replaced if you think it's gone hard.

The softer the rubber the better, as it seems to act as a pipe cutter on the steerer tube at the best of times. You can tell a king headset was used just by looking at a fork steerer.

I don’t think it’s the rubber o ring that cuts into the steerer, it and the top cap should remain (relatively) stationary on the steerer as the steerer is turned. It’s either the scuff washer - which seems to be missing in the photos - or the edge of the top cap digging in.

You can see in the photo of the top cap on it’s own that the anodising is worn on the bottom edge, I believe that will be from it shifting slightly and rubbing against the steerer as forces are applied to the fork in different directions.

 

[MCA4President]

I don’t think it’s the rubber o ring that cuts into the steerer, it and the top cap should remain (relatively) stationary on the steerer as the steerer is turned. It’s either the scuff washer - which seems to be missing in the photos - or the edge of the top cap digging in.

You can see in the photo of the top cap on it’s own that the anodising is worn on the bottom edge, I believe that will be from it shifting slightly and rubbing against the steerer as forces are applied to the fork in different directions.

This is my first time handling a Chris king headset. So you think there is a scuff washer that should be present? The frame didn't come with that, so I guess it's incomplete? That's a nuisance.