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.
Seen at Sea Otter on Keegan Swenson’s Crux. I have never seen this headset setup before! Creative mechanic perhaps?
That’s the 5Dev cap—you can buy here: Titanium Headset Slam Cap – 5DEV
I read a forum user say that it was designed to fix this Crux headset issue but I emailed 5Dev 4x to ask them the same question and they never deigned to reply 
Specialized came back with an aluminium FSA top cover and new top cap, noting that headset trouble hasn’t been notes on aluminium models. The Cane Creek top cap is also made of aluminium, so I don’t have high hopes. Will do a gravel ride or two and see whether it’s still loosening and take it back to LBS then.
Except for the fact that the EV review of the aluminum model noted the same issue, lol.
I’m a bit confused if we’re talking aluminium bike models or aluminium top cap models?
Does the aluminium framed crux have an aluminium top cover?
These headsets really are cursed - the one that was posted to us for Hels’ bike was sent to my old work (I’ve been retired for 6 years and the company has moved) then returned to sender so it is yet to be posted to our current address. 
I think the point of the comment around aluminium is that the alu DSW Crux has the same headset issue.
I tend to agree, if the headset is coming loose, either some part is being compressed or the stem is sliding up the steerer.
I don’t see how the stem can move up if the stem cap is tight - unless the spacers are compressing?
Maybe Sander can measure the height of the stem to see if it is moving but I imagine the movement is too small to actually measure.
This is very different to our issue with Hels’ bike - hers hasn’t come loose since the first time I found it loose because the plastic expansion ring compressed from new and when I tightened it then the top cap seal dragged on the frame.
The shims have fixed this problem but I’m trying to get the new top cap just because I got worried about the metal shims touching the steerer. So far after 2 years the steerer is still like new. 
It was just used to lower his stem more than the stock bearing cover allowed. 0.75mm stack vs the stock 4mm.
Out of the factory, the aluminium framed Crux DSW has the exact same headset as the Carbon Crux.
With the carbon spacers and carbon dust cover.
Specialized sent me the exact same FSA dust cover as what Chris got (cheap alloy FSA 4-mm dust cover) to try to remedy it
The new V2 headset cap arrived today and I just installed it, without the shims that it needed with the old top cap, and the headset is now rattle free and turns smoothly (just like it did with the old one plus shims).
I also measured up the two caps to see what’s different. By my calliper the new one is 0.5mm taller and the inside lip is also taller (I just realised that’s the one detail I didn’t record for the new one and it’s too late now!).
Now we just have to hope it remains smooth and “tight” and the new cap doesn’t just compress and create the same problem again. 
Did anyone just replace their top and bottom bearings with Enduro bearings instead of buying the whole Cane Creek BAA2471 Hellbender kit?
I’m looking at using these exact parts:
Upper replacement: Enduro ACB 4545 125 SS
Bottom replacement: Enduro ACB 4545 405495 SS
Will this drop right in using the stock Specialized compression ring and covers?
Just for context: I need to replace the bearings not because of standard wear or creaking, but because I over-tightened the top cap trying to solve a loose headset, and now the bearings are totally crushed/toast! Any feedback from someone who has done this exact swap is appreciated.
Sounds like an unknown (vs BAA2471 just works)…
