Head stock working loose?

[exgtt]

Hi, have had to tighten the headstock bearing on the bike 4 times now. It seems to work loose after 4/5 days or so (about 32 miles). Dont wanna damage the frame, i'm nearly 19 stone, is it just something to keep ontop of like oiling the chain or could it be something that needs attention?

I've tightened it up today so you can feel very light resistence when changing bar direction (very very light resistance, never set it up like this in the past) could i damage anything else by setting it up like this? Never had to do this on any bike in the past but never had a proper road bike in the past.

I avoid any potholes in the road but there are some creases/knobbley surfaces in the fast bit on my commute that cause some signicant vibration through the bike (Boardman Team Carbon)

Any advice would be brilliant, thanks!

[Nick_F]

Depends on the type of plug being used inside the steerer: if it's a carbon steerer.

The plug needs to be tightened first, to grip the steerer tube, and then the top cap fitted and tightened to remove any play in the headset bearings, and then the stem clamped-up to fix it all in place.

If the plug isn't tightened first, then it'll just work its way out of the steerer. If the plug is pulled a little way out of the steerer, then it'll foul the top cap and no amount of tightening the top cap will make any difference.

[exgtt]

Thanks for that, i'll check plug tighness tonight, i've just been tightning the cap then clamping it up again (as Halfords showed me after the first time it worked loose!).

I'm learning slowly lol!

Edited by exgtt on Wednesday 31st March 08:28

[Spacekadet]

I use one of these head-locks. way better than the star fangled nut imo.

[ian123]

Hi,

I've just bought a Boardman team Carbon from ebay. It came through the post with the handlebars attached but not in place. I'm not a complete numpty, but having problems with the bike, I've put the steering tube through the frame, got caps top and bottom and clamped the handlebar stem on the top with 2 alan bolts. There seems to be quite a lot of rock on the handlebars through where it connects through the frame, more at the bottom than the top.

Do the caps to the frames section top and bottom need to be tightened? Or are my bearings possibly shot. Its a 2010 bike and generally in good nick, so bit surprised if its ware.

Any advice or sketches of what I should do appreciated!

Cheers,

Ian

[curlie467]

ian123 said:

Hi,

I've just bought a Boardman team Carbon from ebay. It came through the post with the handlebars attached but not in place. I'm not a complete numpty, but having problems with the bike, I've put the steering tube through the frame, got caps top and bottom and clamped the handlebar stem on the top with 2 alan bolts. There seems to be quite a lot of rock on the handlebars through where it connects through the frame, more at the bottom than the top.

Do the caps to the frames section top and bottom need to be tightened? Or are my bearings possibly shot. Its a 2010 bike and generally in good nick, so bit surprised if its ware.

Any advice or sketches of what I should do appreciated!

Cheers,

Ian

This sounds like you need to nip up the caps first, do this before you tighten the stem.

For an idea of how tight the caps need to be, if you lift the front of the bike off the ground then tilt it sideways then the handlebars should fall that way freely. Hope that gives you a place to start.

[IroningMan]

I recommend a quick trip to the Park tools site to read up on how to adjust headsets, but you're aiming to have no discernable play in the bearings if you lock the front brake and try to push the bike back and forth, but not so much preload that there is resistance when you turn the bars.

With a carbon steerer you need to be very careful indeed to get the bung secured inside the steerer tube but not overtightened: assembly paste makes this a lot easier. Having then tightened down the top cap to get the right preload you need to be equally careful not to overtighten the stem bolts - my stem says 7Nm on it. Again, assembly paste will help get the job done at a lower tightening torque than dry building.

It's worth bearing in mind that some bung designs stand proud of the top of the steerer tube: with these you need to have a spacer above the stem to prevent the top cap from 'bottoming out' on the bung instead of loading the bearings as it should do.

[robbyd]

Using carbon assembly paste stopped mine loosening off (assuming OP's is carbon). Finish Line 'Fiber Grip' - brilliant stuff!