Headset crownrace "spacer"

[cmbicycles]

I was diagnosing a front end noise on my kid's 18' Norco Revolver. Narrowed the noise down to the fork I believe, waiting for rebuild kit, but the headset was setup with this spacer under the crown race. I've not seen a correctly built bike with a spacer under the crownrace, but it almost looks like it was meant to be there. The flat side was down on the fork crown, but the inside doesn't seem to quite fit around the profile of the actual crownrace.

I emailed Norco and they had no idea what the original specs were for the headset, just that they spec it and the factory builds it. Super helpful response. They suggested I reach out to a local dealer, who also said "I dunno, did you ask Norco?" Am I out of the MTN bike loop? Is this somewhat normal?

[Wolfman]

I'm a roadie and don't know MTN, but that seems like it would put everything at the bottom upside down, correct?

Don't crown race shoulders slope towards the ground? If the flat side was facing down against the fork, then the cup is facing up, which means that the loading of the bearings is at the top?

It's almost like this should be at the top of the headset, but then that doesn't make *any* sense...

[Old School]

That is supposed to be there. It prevents stress risers at the transition from fork tube to crown junction.

A common noise on MTB is the OUTSIDE of the bearings where they sit in the headset cups (or integral)