If you are installing a Cane Creek headset and are having problems eliminating "play"--movement of the steerer tube in the headtube-- or, conversely, experiencing resistance in the steering axis then here is a list of common issues to assess the underlying cause:

**First make sure that the "play" is coming from the headset. Check this by grabbing your bike's front brake with your left hand and wrapping the thumb and forefinger of your right hand around the headset Top Cover and top of the headtube and rock the bike back and forth. This will help to decipher if the movement is, in fact, coming from the headset. Other causes of front end movement could be your front axle, your wheel's hubs, worn fork bushings, etc.**

**If front end noise is your problem then make sure that the headset is the genesis of the noise. Many things can cause noise on a bike and one of the most common misdiagnoses of headset noise is a creaky CSU on a suspension fork** 

1) Check the bearings! Take them out of the headset cups and turn them over with your fingers. Do you feel grit or a catch in the rotation? Then it might be time to replace those things. If they feel smooth then you can eliminate them as the source of the problem--just make certain that you install them with the outside contact angle facing the cup. 

2) Another obvious but critical step is to ensure that your Crown Race is oriented correctly. The blue Lip Seal of the Crown Race should be curling upwards, towards the lower bearing.

3) The blue Compression Ring should be seated in the Top Cover of your headset assembly. If it is floating freely then you can pinch and press it back in to the underside of the Top Cover.

4) Here's the big one: make certain that the top of your headset assembly stack extends, at least, 3-4mm above the top of the steerer tube. This is the most common cause of headset installation errors.

5) If you have an Integrated Headset then there is a good chance that you need to use Shim Spacers. Have a look at this article for a detailed explanation of Shim Spacer use.

If all of this check list checks out and you're still experiencing issues then give us a call or open a ticket and we will be happy to help diagnose the problem.