For anyone wondering that’s what a ‘Cane Creek 40 IS42 short’ looks like installed on my Crux. I had previously tried microshims between compression ring and bearing cover as well as a different compression ring.
I only replaced the upper part of the headset, still using stock bottom part of headset
This Cane Creek product seems to have solved it for me. I also switched to solid headset spacers rather than the scalloped carbon ones.
Hey John, good work - let’s hope this is the end of this saga for you. 
Do you know the part number / name of that particular headset?
Cheers,
David
John, are those the Cane Creek spacers that are designed with a double level lip that nests inside the spacer above it?
Why not replace the whole headset at once? The top and bottom are designed to work together. As Jason pointed out back in October 2025, the correct part number for the Cane Creek headset in BAA2471. And Cane Creek is on the EC Members Benefits list.
After three previous warranty requests and lazy attempts at making me go away, Specialized sent the mother of all fixes to my LBS and had them install it (first image). A cheap alloy FSA 4-mm dust cover. I knew then I was on my own.
Jason’s post above came just in time. After feeling ill for a day looking at my poor, disfigured Crux, I found the comment and part number in this thread and ordered the headset. It’s been five months or so of hard riding since I installed it, and it’s still solid (second image).
I feel a little silly contributing yet again to this thread. But it was such an infuriating experience, and I have sympathy for the folks who are still having to sort this problem out with their bikes. Probably selfish angst, too. Oh well, I’m human.
I don’t know how manufacturers like Cane Creek decide to make one part or another for a specific market. But it’s funny how the Hellbender 70 Lite is made just for a Crux and Aethos. I sometimes maliciously imagine Specialized approaching Cane Creek and saying “Please, get us out of this mess. We’ll do anything,” and then subsidizing Cane Creek making this part. Ha ha, just goes to show how sore I still am about it. In any case, the headset has worked well for me.
Nope, just some solid aluminium spacers I had in the parts bin.
Oh wow, I have another page to add to this never ending story!
As much as I seem to have fixed Hels headset with some simple shims, Raoul and Horst have got me nervous that the thin metal shims could damage the steerer tube.
I checked it this week and it is unmarked. Phew.
But that got me thinking I’d really like to replace the headset with either the wolftooth or Cane Creek alternatives.
So I contacted our mate at the south coast shop who sold Hels the bike and asked how we might go about getting Spec to pay for one of these headsets. This was actually what they said they’d do last time I asked, about 18 months ago.
This time they came back to say they are sending him a new version 2 top cap that fixes the problem!
I am very keen to see how this compares to Hels original top cap and the one on my brand new Crux.
I didn’t say that I know others have still had the problem with the V2 top cap (as noted by Sander above)
I’m not getting my hopes up but I am intrigued to see what’s different about it.
I’m also not sure if I can bring myself to bother our poor bike shop owner if this doesn’t fix it. He was doing us a favour with a great deal at the time. It’s probably the only crux he’s ever sold, being almost entirely MTB otherwise.
