ed 

cyccommute 

Once the stem bolts are tighten, you can remove the top cap if you like. It serves no purpose except to load the bearings prior to tightening the stem pinch bolts.

I'd suspect that the bearings were loaded to tightly on installation or that something may have moved in the headset and is binding. Either way, you'll have to loosen the stem bolts and possibly reassemble the headset to find out what is wrong. If it's been installed by a shop...take it back.

rydaddy

Cheeto is too lazy to read a book. He comes here for help and gets all pissy when he doesn't like what he is told.

The damn headset is too tight. If he listens to half the posts here it would be a very easy fix.

DirtPedalerB

I'm too lazy to read all of this thread, but I'd put your old headset back in, and wouldn't have changed it if it wasn't bad.. especially from a dude I met at a party.. You may not have it pressed in evenly. Just put the old one back on.

rydaddy

That would open up a whole new can of worms. He would then have to swap out the crown races if he wanted to use the new (old) fork. I can only imagine the posts that would follow.

xcracer13

That way next time he endos it can cut a nice chunk out of his inner thighs or some place worse

ed 

Cycco was just illustrating how "unimportant" the top cap and bolt are after the stem pinch bolts are tight. He's not stupid.

xcracer13

Cheeto might of actually done it though

ed 

That boy NEEDS to make a few more mistakes. He obviously hasn't learned enough yet.......

Cheeto

Loosend all the stem bolts and everything, took stem off even, put it back together, and its still hard to steer, and the top cap bolt is no where near tight.

to those saying I'm defensive, I wouldn't be so defensive if people would hold they're comments about thier opinions and feelings and thoughts, and just type the answer to the question(s)

junkyard

It could be the johnson nut. This is the nut that the jethro bolt goes into.

ed 

This is the neighborhood you moved into, dude. It's all in good spirit...well most of it anyway. Nothing personal. Heck man...I was the butt of many a joke. Still am now and then.

As far as your headset...exactly how "tight" does it feel?

junkyard

I've been asked this question. Much like "do I look fat in this dress", there is only one right answer.

Cheeto

Its tight enough that I can feel it when I'm riding.
I cant ride with no hands because the wheels wont turn,
if I pick the bike up and lean it, the bars dont spin with gravity.
when I remove all the bolts, its gets better, If I just even slighty tighten the Top cap bolt to the point where I just get past the wobble point, it gets tight again.

sorry sjunk yard, you might as well be speaking chinese, well make it spanish, I remotely understand spanish, just not the whole way lol.

scrublover

Consider it a steering damper.

Really, what sucker is gonna' pay a ton of dough for a Hopey when all they need to do is over-preload their headset bearings**********

rydaddy

maybe the fork never unseated when you loosened the bolts. take everything off and start over. then install it the correct way - this time not overtightening the cap bolt.

you might have ruined the bearings if you way overtightened the cap bolt. best to understand what you are doing first

ed 

Did you install the wedgy?

Cheeto

IDK, The guy installed it, pieced it together, everything fits fine, Just not steering right.,

ed 

Cheeto, click here and look at the picture on the right. (PDF) There are like 12 pieces to the headset stack. Make sure they're all there and in the right order.

Cheeto

Think I found the problem, Took the top half off, the sealed bearings are not rolling smootly at all, its real sticky, its like the grease is to thick. Can I clean them out like I did old skateboard bearings? A little bit of WD-40 or 3-in-1 just to loosen it?>

I dont have the 10000 spacers pictures on the s-1.
steertube isn't long enough even if I had them.

Cheeto

I just campared my Old headset to my C-1.
The old headset is different, the part that pops into the headtube on the old one has the bearings buil in, the can creek, the bearings are in a seperate thing that fits inside it.

the bearings on the old headset rool MUCH easy and faster then the cane creek c-1

Im pretty sure this could be the problem as well.

Siu Blue Wind

Sorry my stem idea didn't help you, Cheeto.

But I am waiting to hear how the bearings issue comes out. I'm learning here too.

Cheeto

it was worth a try, I was really hoping thats what it was lol.
cleaning SEALED bearings isnt easy lol.
the grease thats inside them is really thick and dry, used to white grease I think, now its tanish brown. and black and grity in the lower.

Cheeto

Fixed.
Cleaned the bearings, and now it moves a lot better.
It's not as good as my last one, but maybe theres a reason, after all, this one is the better headset.
But yea, It moves so much easier/smoother.

C Law

What did you use to clean the bearings?

Did you regrease them afterwards before reassembling?