tonyfourdogs

Hello

Today I am/ was fixing a bike with more play in the headset than the complete works of shakespeare. Being an aheadset (I've only ever serviced the old kind before) I watched the park tool video on adjusting them, and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it looked.

So I took off the cap, and checked that the steerer length wasn't an issue (it wasn't), and made sure to loosen the pinch bolts on the stem. Then I re-tightened the main bolt, and checked for play. Still lots of play. Tightened a quarter turn more. No change and it was getting fairly hard to turn at this point. So I made one last effort, heard a gentle click in the steerer tube (but felt no motion) and then rounded the bolt.

So I now have a rounded bolt that's super tight and still have loads of play in the headset. WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING? (And how do I fix it, please.)

Thanks in advance

ChinookTx

You probably needed an extra spacer. You get to a point where if you don't have enough spacer, the cap pushes against the steerer tube instead of "pulling" it and taking out the play. First thing you'll have to do is take out the rounded bolt. Then see if adding a spacer will take out the play.

delbiker1 

As I understand your post, you were tightening the top cap/steer tube bolt without tightening the pinch bolts on the stem. On the bikes that I have that have a threadless headset and stem, there is a sort of a sequence to tightening everything to prevent any looseness/play with the tube and the headset. If I am wrong, someone else on the forums will correct. I first tighten the pinch bolts on the stem just until they are a bit tight. Then tighten the top cap/steer tube bolt until it is just snug on the top of the stem. I then tighten the stem pinch bolts to proper nm. Make sure the stem is tight on the steer tube. Then go back to the top cap/steer tube bolt and tighten it down the rest of the way to proper nm. That is what works for me. I do not know what to do about the rounded bolt other than take to a LBS. First I would wait for a more mechanically experienced forum member to chime in on this.

fietsbob

a spacer above the stem may provide the added length needed so your cap preload adjustment does what's needed..
I gather Carbon seerers need this often, so both stem bolts grip the tube, fully, where metal 1 & a Half may suffice ..
top bolt at the edge of the steerer.. stem extending above ..
so cap won't bottom out on steerer tube edge.







...

ChinookTx

The top cap should only be used to put load on the stem and take out any play there might be in the headset. It should not be tightened any more than that, even once the stem bolts have been tightened to proper torque.

tonyfourdogs

Thanks for your replies, folks. I maybe didn't explain very well - I don't need more spacers, the steerer tube is a good 4-5mm from the top of the stem, so I should have lots of room to tighten it up and remove the play?

Since making my post I have wondered if the spacers might be seized to the steerer, and that's what's causing the issue. Is that a thing? They're alu and the stem is steel, so if there's galvanic corrosion, it could be enough to stop the tube moving up to close the gap?

This was also what I thought after watching the park tool video.

Wish me luck getting that rounded bolt out then

blamester

Use a spline slightly bigger than the Allen key you used to tighten the bolt. Tap it in if nessecary. Usually works to get out rounded bolts.
I generally give the stem a tap down with the wheel in the fork and on the ground to snug up the headset before i start to tighten down the stem. Gets it close and you will see any issues before you damage anything.

dsaul

Aside from the current issue of a rounded out bolt, you may have a bad/disintegrated lower headset bearing. Lower bearings see a lot of grit from dirty water being sprayed into the bearing and causes the steel parts to rust and fall apart. This may be the reason for the initial play in the steerer. If the lower bearing has disintegrated, no amount of tightening will take out the play until the bearings are replaced.

3alarmer 

...I've only installed one of these Aheadsets., and it was a couple of years ago. From what I remember, it was set up like this one, with the bearing cartridges directional, and some rubber seals. So after you get the bolt out, if it were me I'd take the thing completely apart and check for any mistakes in the order of assembly. You can check the bearings for any wear or malfunction at the same time.

The only other possibility that occurs to me is that the fork race might be installed improperly, or that someone who didn't know much about these maybe installed one without pulling off the old fork crown race and installing the new one that comes with the headset. They won't work with just any old crown race.

tonyfourdogs

Thanks for the extra info

I tried tapping out the bolt with a chisel, but it just made matters worse. However, I also sprayed the spacers with penetrating oil, and gave the whole area a good few taps with the rubber mallet. The bolt is still stripped, but there's definitely less play in the headset now... I feel like such an idiot.

ChinookTx

Get something like that from the hardware store. They are handy to have around and not too expensive:

https://www.amazon.ca/FULARR-Profess...-3-spons&psc=1

fietsbob

was the outside of the steerer painted or greased when you put it together? if not it could be rusted steel..

tonyfourdogs

This looks great! Thanks for that - I had no idea something like that was available.

I didn't put it together - I rescued from a life of neglect So... probably not!

Retro Grouch 

Tell us more about that part.

First look at your steer tube. It needs to be a little bit SHORTER than the top of the stem or spacer stack. Next look at your top cap. Some are dead flat on the bottom, some have a little bulge on the bottom. That bulge can't touch the top of the steer tube.

If the top cap contacts the steer tube AT ALL, it can't pull the fork and bottom race upward to set the preload.

Cycle Tourist

The screw extractor set looks neat but you could buy a single "easy-out" in the size you need.

Iride01 

Is this on your '91 Palisades? They came stock with a Ritchey Logic headset which is for threaded steerer tubes. Pretty big difference in the way you go about adjusting things.

tonyfourdogs

Thanks for your replies, chaps.

Yes, the steerer tube is completely clear of the stem. In fact, I drilled out the old bolt, disassembled the headset (with extreme difficulty - it was corroded to all hell) and rebuilt it today.

But now I have a different problem.

I've replaced and regreased the bearings, cleaned the steerer tube, put everything back together, and there's no play in the headset. Problem is, the steering is really stiff, and only loosens up if I slack the bolt off enough to allow a little play in the headset. Is my frame trash? I'm going back to quill stems from now on

rosefarts

Something was funny, maybe the wrong wrench. I’ve over tightened that bolt before too, it’ll twist the star nut out before it rounds the bolt.

As for the current problem. Did you get the little circular wedge in place when you reassembled it? Are the bearings in right? Did you check to be sure nothing got damaged in the original incident?