Racing bike - headset adjustment..... quick question

[CAB]

have a slight problem
1. headset wasn't tight enough - moving slightly when using the front brake

sooooo

2. loosened the stem (2 vertical bolts)

3. tightened the top bolt the re-tightened the two vertical bolts on the stem

Now i have a new problem - there is now a space between the top of the headset and where the cross bar meets the headset...

Can somebody please put me out of my misery... i dont normally do this as you can probably tell!!

Note headset is cane creek

Thanks in advance CAB

[Master Mischief]

CAB,

I am not too sure exactly what you mean so a photo would help.

Have you checked that the steerer stube on the forks os not too long?

If your cups have settled more flushly (is that a word?) against the head tube of your frame then your headset would have become loose. Tightening the top bolt pulls the fork steerer further through the stem. If the room between the top of the steerer and the stem was less than the settlement of the cups a gap could be present.

To check just undo the top bolt fully (leave the stem bolts tight) and remove the cover. There should be a 2-5 mm gap between the top of the steerer and the top of them stem.

Also check that the star fangled nut (the strange nut that the top cap screws into) is not too high and fouling on the top cap.

Both are relatively simple fixes. I will gladly give you instructions once the problem is identified.

Jon