headset compression ring - can we switch them?

[Wolfman]

(Baron... if you're there... this might be for you...)

Bought a Wolf Tooth Integrated top cap for this new Giant Revolt I'm building up and the replacement bearing and compression ring aren't as tall as the one that came with the frame...

***If bearing interior and exterior diameters and interior and exterior angles are the same, do we care about switching in a slightly taller 1.125" slotted compression ring to keep the bottom of the top cap from contacting the frame?

In other words, are we that particular about compression rings?

[prototoast]

I would just go with these:

https://www.jensonusa.com/FSA-Headse...25mm-Bag-Of-10

[Wolfman]

^ a good first answer, and, given Wolf Tooth's assertion that "only our bearings work with our top caps, bro!" angle, I could end up there.

Does the fork interact with the bearing through the compression ring or through the top surface of the bearing cartridge?

I'm thinking that the bearings are pre-loaded through the spacer-loaded top cap pressing into the compression ring, which squeezes and centers the fork and is also pressed down onto/into the cartridge... spacers don't help with that, but I know that they're common, so what do they do?

[Dave]

The thin spacers are often needed so the headset top cover doesn't touch the frame. If the angular contact ring that mates with the top headset bearing is too short, that's when to use the micro spacers to create a small gap. You must keep a preload on the angular contact bearings. That means a fairly tight top cap bolt. Unless you tighten it so much that the bike doesn't return to straight ahead after a turn, it's not too tight.

The top cap also can't touch the top of the steerer, or the expanding plug it it's the type that sits slightly taller than the steerer.