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Low stack headset and fox 40 crowns

?????

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2005
1,678
2
San Francisco
I'm looking for a way to lower the frontend of my bike for some different trails and just to try a different feel.

My bike is currently scattered across the country so I can't give any real measurements of my setup, just the listed measurements and parts spec that may matter.

Socom medium w/ 4.625" head tube
Fox 40
FSA Orbit Xtreme-Pro 1.5R headset, 22mm deep cup insertion, 29.8mm stack height, 172.2g claimed weight.
Easton Havoc stem, 50mm @ 6° rise, 220g
Easton Monkeylite DH Carbon bars 710mm wide/ 225g/ not sure if it is 1.25" or 1.5" rise

The headset is one area that I am looking at losing a significant amount of height, but I'm not sure if the other options will be comparable in strength to the headset that I have now, or if they will still be strong enough to not be of concern.

Here are some of the other headsets that have been mentioned:
FSA Orbit Z 1.5R 10.7mm stack height/ 138.6g claimed weight
Hope 1.5 step down 140g/ 3mm stack height, 10.25mm cup insertion
FSA Orbit IS w/ E.13 reducer cups
Cane Creek IS-6 w/ E.13 reducer cups
Cane Creek Solos IS w/ E.13 reducer cups
Sunline V-1 reducer headset

I don't have any experience with any of those so I really don't know much about their durability. The FSA Orbit Z seems to be the strongest and the others I am not sure about. The top caps can also be removed for lower stack height, but I'm not sure what effect this has on the durability of the headset.

Do any of the aftermarket Fox 40 crowns lower the bar height? The best setups look like either the Go Ride switch or the Risse crown with Boxxer stem mounts and Sunline v-1 stem. Is there a height or weight difference between the two crown/stem combos?

The handlbar info is in a different thread. http://www.ridemonkey.com/forums/showthread.php?t=197079
 

oldskoolbiker

Monkey
Aug 19, 2005
357
0
Alexandria, VA
I personally run the E.13 reducer cups, with a FSA Integrated headset. It's got a really low stack height. It's held up for two seasons so far with no problems.

A friend of mine just got the Sunline reducer headset, and it is a super low stack height. But that headset is hard as hell to install, and don't even think about taking the fork off once you get it on. Sunline claims it will never come loose, and I think I believe them, but he hasn't really used it yet.
 

MorewoodKid

Monkey
Sep 14, 2006
238
0
In the woods...
Cane Creek Double Xc Flush is the way forward! Low stack height, reasonable weight, and a good, reliable headset.

As for the crown/ stem combo: the stock Fox crown is a flat crown, so with a 0 deg stem slammed right against the crown [no spacers between stem and crown or crown and headset] you pretty much have the lowest setup available, forgetting the adjustment you have moving the fork legs in the crowns...

My suggestion would be to swap the stem out for a 0 deg rise and run a "zero stack" reducer type headset. Or go full tilt with a "zero stack" headset and some aftermarket crown/ stem combo.
 
Mar 4, 2003
145
0
Somewhere in Alabama
Just go for a King and don't worry about stack hight. The Socom has a fairly steep HA as it is, and lowering the stack hight is only going to make it steeper. Plus, you could go for a red headset for that ultra bling look. Remember, when it comes to downhilling, pimping is more important than stack hight. You should be worrying more about getting a lower stem/handlebar setup than a lower headset setup, given your situation.
 

?????

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2005
1,678
2
San Francisco
Just go for a King and don't worry about stack hight. The Socom has a fairly steep HA as it is, and lowering the stack hight is only going to make it steeper. Plus, you could go for a red headset for that ultra bling look. Remember, when it comes to downhilling, pimping is more important than stack hight. You should be worrying more about getting a lower stem/handlebar setup than a lower headset setup, given your situation.

Maybe I should go with one of the low stack height headsets and just use the upper half and keep the lower half of the headset that I currently have, that way I won't raise my headangle, cause as you say, it is borderline steep. That should probably be good for 1/2" lower bars...but I bet they won't sell just the upper half of a headset.

The go-ride crowns and integrated stem look like they might lower the bars another 1/2". Then I could decide if I wanted to go with a flat bar or just keep my current bar. ... Or I could just get one of those trick 3" dirt jump riser bars and flip it upside down:lighten:
 

-C-

Monkey
May 27, 2007
296
10
I have a friend who runs the Risse crowns, with a Sunline direct mount stem, it's probably all of about 0.5cm lower than mine running a 0degree Eastion Havoc stem.

Lot of $$$ for not much difference.

If you want a low stack HS, another guy I know who runs a Socom runs the Hope reducer & thats pretty damn low. Seems to hold up too.
 

Kevin

Turbo Monkey
Use a stem in a negative angle.
Im running a 40 with a negative stem and the Monkeylite DHs and I find a normal stem "safer" with carbon bars because they will twist in stead of break when you crash...

This is with a King headset btw...

 

dhkid

Turbo Monkey
Mar 10, 2005
3,358
0
Malaysia
if you want a quick way of finding out whether you will like the low bar height then just drop the travel on your 40 to 7 or 7.5 will make a bigger difference then the few mm you get with head sets and stems. its dead easy to do too, and doesn't change the way the fork rides, only will have slightly less travel.

as for stems, i love the go ride systems, very well designed and made.
 

davep

Turbo Monkey
Jan 7, 2005
3,276
0
seattle
Maybe I should go with one of the low stack height headsets and just use the upper half and keep the lower half of the headset that I currently have, that way I won't raise my headangle, cause as you say, it is borderline steep. That should probably be good for 1/2" lower bars...but I bet they won't sell just the upper half of a headset.

The go-ride crowns and integrated stem look like they might lower the bars another 1/2". Then I could decide if I wanted to go with a flat bar or just keep my current bar. ... Or I could just get one of those trick 3" dirt jump riser bars and flip it upside down:lighten:

Keep in mind, that when you minimize stack height, the crowns get closer together. IF you leave the lower crown in the same place, your bars will lower and your head tube angle will steepen....However if you were to leave the upper crown in the same place on the stanchions, nothing would change in bar height or angles.

Keeping a thick lower cup does nothing but limmit adjustability. With a small stack height, you gain adjustability by allowing more room to slide the crowns up and down on the stanchions.

Although, I do really like the go-ride crowns and they incorporate some very nice features (especially the 25.4 with variable length) like the stainless pins, etc.....there are lower options.
The go-ride stem sits on top of the crown...placing the lower edge of the bar about 3mm above the top surface of the stem (not sure of the crown thickness vs stock). A stem like the sunline or simply an angled stem 'upsidedown' would actually place the bottom surface of the bar lower than the top surface of the crown. I would guess the difference is not much more than 6mm or so, but it could add up.
 

Lollapalooza

Monkey
Jan 22, 2007
527
0
How do you like your head angle/wheelbase right now? The Socoms have high bar heights because their HA is so steep. You could get some offset headset cups to slacken the HA and your bars would be a fair amount lower. Alternatively, if that is too extreme, a Hope headset with a flipped stem mounted under the top crown would be your second lowest option.
 

?????

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2005
1,678
2
San Francisco
How do you like your head angle/wheelbase right now? The Socoms have high bar heights because their HA is so steep. You could get some offset headset cups to slacken the HA and your bars would be a fair amount lower. Alternatively, if that is too extreme, a Hope headset with a flipped stem mounted under the top crown would be your second lowest option.
I like it, I think it handles well with the head angle as it is and I can get over the back of the bike enough that I don't feel like I am going to endo down steeps.

I just want to try some different set ups since I don't know how others will handle.

I think I would even like slackening the head angle if I could keep the bar height the same.

I wouldn't mount the stem under the top crown, I don't think I would have enough stanchion tube and it would just look way goofy.
 

Rover Nick

Monkey
Oct 17, 2006
280
0
If you really wanna drop your stack height you could always run the stem underneath the top crown, but that is getting pretty extreme. And also, I'm not sure if there are any ill effects of it.