Chris King Headset / Crown Race / Fork Question

[KarlC]

This got talked about a bit in the Classified section but I wanted to bring it up here for more details.

Simply put, why does the bottom cup look to set up to high ?

In the below photo examples you can see a gap under the bottom cup showing the Crown Race.

Is there a way that I lower the bottom cup so the Crown Race does not show ?


See below showing the Chris King 1 1/8" sotto voce threadless headset has about an 1/8" gap between the bottom cup and the top of the fork.


https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4643/38443045705_7c5a1cf8ee_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/21z5E9R)The-Speedvagen-OG1-Road-Bike-15-1335x890 (https://flic.kr/p/21z5E9R) by [/url], on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4635/24456624117_97186c8615_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/152286819@N02/)Moots-Vamoots-Disc-Road-Enve-Disc-Road-Fork-Clearance (https://flic.kr/p/Dg9Ai4) by , on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4739/38443060125_1173f3aa98_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/152286819@N02/)FYX_4726 (https://flic.kr/p/21z5Jrt) by , on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4690/38612732604_776773feaf_b.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/152286819@N02/)DSC_0007 (Medium) (https://flic.kr/p/21Q5ma3) by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/152286819@N02/], on Flickr

[Kontact]

It looks like the way King designed it to look.

[cadence90]

It looks fine to me. I'd much rather have the 1/8" "gap" than risk having the lower cup drag on the fork crown, etc.
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[tuscanyswe]

i to think it would be prettier with a lesser gap but its normal on ck.

[KarlC]

Are there other brands of Headsets anyone would recommend that would not have a gap under the bottom cup like this ?

To me it looks like it does not fit right

[cadence90]

Are there other brands of Headsets anyone would recommend that would not have a gap under the bottom cup like this ?

To me it looks like it does not fit right
Currently I have (or had):
CK NoThreadSet = gap
PMP = gap
Tune Bobo (Acros) = no gap (very short stack, too = nice)
Campagnolo Record = iirc no gap

I have never had Cane Creek, Extralite, etc.


But, again, as above:
The CK NTS looks completely fine to me. I'd much rather have the 1/8" "gap" than risk having the lower cup drag on the fork crown, etc.
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[charliedid]

LOL

Cane Creek 110 if it really bothers you that much.

Get some sleep.

:-)

[thwart]

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4635/24456624117_97186c8615_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Dg9Ai4)Moots-Vamoots-Disc-Road-Enve-Disc-Road-Fork-Clearance (https://flic.kr/p/Dg9Ai4) by , on Flickr

This one reminds me of the time, several yrs ago, when a LBS offered to install the King base plate on a fork, as long as they were pressing in the headset for me anyway... and it was installed upside down... :no:

Now I always just do it myself.

[11.4]

If what you're talking about is just seeing the crown race under the lower cup, the crown race is designed to sit below the lower cup like that. We had discussed how you might have had garbage under the race and how the race on some forks sits on a shallow pedestal slightly higher than the top of the fork crown, but what you seem to be asking here is simply whether there's a headset that completely buries the crown race inside the lower cup. Old headsets used to be made more like that -- back in the days of Nuovo Record and such -- but they specifically had a land on a steel fork crown to keep them clear so the lower cup didn't rub on the fork crown. Some brands of headsets have bulkier lower cups so the crown race is hidden a bit more but that's about the best you can do. I wouldn't lose sleep over this.

[PacNW2Ford]

If you notice this while riding, you're running way too much drop...

[KarlC]

LOL guys believe me In not losing any sleep over this. I notice it as I keep my bike in my home office so I get to look at it a lot. But its most noticeable when I'm cleaning it and dirt get under there, its a hard spot to clean.

Am I the only one that thinks its odd to have an 1/8" gap between parts on my bike ?

[sales guy]

LOL guys believe me In not losing any sleep over this. I notice it as I keep my bike in my home office so I get to look at it a lot. But its most noticeable when I'm cleaning it and dirt get under there, its a hard spot to clean.

Am I the only one that thinks its odd to have an 1/8" gap between parts on my bike ?

King designed it that way on purpose. They wanted all the stress/pressure on the inner bearing race which it is due to the way it's designed.

[Kontact]

King designed it that way on purpose. They wanted all the stress/pressure on the inner bearing race which it is due to the way it's designed.
What does wanting stress in a certain place have to do with not extending the cup lip down further?

[oldpotatoe]

LOL guys believe me In not losing any sleep over this. I notice it as I keep my bike in my home office so I get to look at it a lot. But its most noticeable when I'm cleaning it and dirt get under there, its a hard spot to clean.

Am I the only one that thinks its odd to have an 1/8" gap between parts on my bike ?

Mostly because your fork has a very flat, pretty large 'shelf' where the fork crown lives so it looks like the gap is too big. These forks designed with integrated/internal headsets in mind but work fine with an 'external' cup headset. When they are more 'sculpted', like below, less gap appearance. But yours is proper.