@jabberwocky 42619 wrote:
…Cartridge bearings are generally pretty easy to open up and clean, as much as manufacturers would like to insist otherwise…
I’d generally agree with you, but some have very finicky seals, and if you try to re-install the seals incorrectly and put things together without them seated correctly, it’ll cause more harm than help.
Headsets just aren’t that expensive, and replacing bearings and or the whole cartridge is generally pretty darn cheap. If things are rough enough to dramatically inhibit operation of the bike in a cartridge bearing, often things have gotten pretty badly worn.
Again, most people on here don’t have the tools or experience to deal with things that would be done on a daily basis in a shop setting. That was the tone set in this thread, and that’s how I generally approach the advice I give, but I certainly concede that most cartridge bearings can be serviced.
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