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FSA Orbit Option headset clunk

ldw222

Monkey
Jun 16, 2009
170
0
Rochester, NY
i just put one of the new FSA Orbit Option headsets (-1.5 degree cups) in my old Sunday and i really like how it rides and feels but it makes this annoying clunk that scares me a little. the headset installed fine, everything looks straight, and there is no play in the headset but it makes that noise. even when i just pick up the front end a foot or so and drop it. anybody have any ideas out there??? thanks!
 

DhDork

Monkey
Mar 30, 2007
352
0
Hell, AZ
My '12 Glory came with that same headset. No matter how many times I installed it, measured it straight, and greased it, I could only get it "better". Never completely without "clunk". What I have done to remedy this, and it's only very temporary, is Teflon tape around the bearings. It will go a ride or two without the noise, but comes back as the tape starts to thin out.

From another source, someone claimed FSA told him to loc-tite the bearings in the cups. Haven't given it a shot as I'm worried about seizing the bearings.
 

frango

Turbo Monkey
Jun 13, 2007
1,454
5
I nearly managed to get rid of clunkin noise... But still, it happens once, twice per run.
Don't look at laser etched lines. Aline cups to the circular cuts. Don't use thread, measuring tape, slide calliper, or whatever tool. Just use your eye :)
Fortunately 2013 Glory will use regular headset thanks to changed geometry :)
 

ldw222

Monkey
Jun 16, 2009
170
0
Rochester, NY
thanks for all the comments on this...it sounds like i might be stuck with that noise. i saw that people had problems with the cane creek headset and was hoping the fsa one would be better as it seemed to be a very simple design. as long as it isn't bad for the bike or dangerous to me then i'll see if i can get used to it. i hate a noisy bike though!
 

frango

Turbo Monkey
Jun 13, 2007
1,454
5
As far as I know, there is one angleset on the market, which doesn't use gimble-thingies... K9 Industries. But, this headset is compatible with specific head tube lengths.
 
May 30, 2011
82
0
Louisville, KY
I have the Cane Creek Angleset that came on my V10 and it does the same thing. I have to take it out, clean and re grease the gold cups for it to stop and then a few rides later it comes back. I'm probably going to pull it out and sell the damn thing and go with a standard Cane Creek 110 headset and be done with it.
 

NoUseForAName

Monkey
Mar 26, 2008
481
0
Only person i know who tried this got so frustrated, he threw the headset across the garage and then boxed it back up and returned it as garbage.

Avoid IMO. Which is a shame because usually FSA is spot on for quality.
 

marshalolson

Turbo Monkey
May 25, 2006
1,770
519
way more issues with my FSA option than with my angleset. actually no issues at all with the angleset, and i installed the FSA with the exact same method, tools and prep.
 

demo 9

Turbo Monkey
Jan 31, 2007
5,910
46
north jersey
IT was great for the first day, tampered with it for a while until i got fed up and took it off. Anybody want to buy it?
 

Udi

RM Chief Ornithologist
Mar 14, 2005
4,915
1,200
Probably not very useful now, but for anyone considering either the CC Angleset or Orbit Option, I'd strongly advise avoiding them and using a fixed set of angle cups instead - such as the Works Components or K9 Industries.

These cups are headtube length specific and everything is entirely fixed in nature, so they don't have, and don't develop the problems that the CC and FSA ones do.
 

ldw222

Monkey
Jun 16, 2009
170
0
Rochester, NY
Probably not very useful now, but for anyone considering either the CC Angleset or Orbit Option, I'd strongly advise avoiding them and using a fixed set of angle cups instead - such as the Works Components or K9 Industries.

These cups are headtube length specific and everything is entirely fixed in nature, so they don't have, and don't develop the problems that the CC and FSA ones do.
doesn't the orbit option headset use fixed cups just like the k9 and the works ones though? it came with three sets of cups (.5, 1.0, and 1.5 degree), bearings, and the rest of the usual headset parts.
 

Uncle Cliffy

Turbo Monkey
Jan 28, 2008
4,490
42
Southern Oregon
doesn't the orbit option headset use fixed cups just like the k9 and the works ones though? it came with three sets of cups (.5, 1.0, and 1.5 degree), bearings, and the rest of the usual headset parts.
With a "fixed cup" headset, the cups are machined at an angle to give a new angle. You can see the tilt on this K9:


The Orbit Option and Angleset cups are machined off center, and use a "ball joint" to give the angle change. With your FSA, they use a gimbal shaped bearing:



...and the Angleset uses a gimbal that a 36/45 bearing rests inside of:

 

ldw222

Monkey
Jun 16, 2009
170
0
Rochester, NY
With a "fixed cup" headset, the cups are machined at an angle to give a new angle. You can see the tilt on this K9:

The Orbit Option and Angleset cups are machined off center, and use a "ball joint" to give the angle change. With your FSA, they use a gimbal shaped bearing:

...and the Angleset uses a gimbal that a 36/45 bearing rests inside of:
ah hah! thanks cliffy! that top photo finally spells it out for me. i tried contacting k9 before i bought the fsa as i'd heard good things about them but got no response...i'll give them another try.
 

Uncle Cliffy

Turbo Monkey
Jan 28, 2008
4,490
42
Southern Oregon
ah hah! thanks cliffy! that top photo finally spells it out for me. i tried contacting k9 before i bought the fsa as i'd heard good things about them but got no response...i'll give them another try.
You might have better luck and pricing contacting Works Components. Good luck!