Ih8lucky13

This thread delivers.

Psimet2001 

#12 - Once the headset bearings are correctly pre-loaded by slightly tightening the top cap bolt to the proper torque you need to "lock" the system in place. You accomplish this by tightening the stem mounting bolts to the proper torque.

This allows the stem to clamp onto the steerer tube (fork) and maintain it's position - thus locking in the preload on the bearings on the headset and holding the whole assembly in place.

tip - be sure to either grease the mounting bolt threads or apply an assembly paste (anti-sieze) to them before tightening them to the proper torque. If there was ever a need for a torque wrench....this is it.

DougG

I'm still skeptical about some people's obsession with their wheels. For one thing, AFAIK eliminating weight from a wheelset should mainly be about reducing the moment of inertia of said wheels, and removing 60g from such a small-diameter component would have zilch effect in that regard. Now eliminating weight from the rims and spokes is another matter...

For most vehicles (cars, motorcycles), wheel weight also becomes important in regards to reducing "unsprung weight" vs. "sprung weight". But on a road bike, the whole bike is virtually unsprung weight, so again a minor savings in the cassette seems to me would be the same as saving 60g anyplace else on the bike.

I do agree with you though on the comment about the effect of putting all of the load on a relatively thin portion of the hub splines vs. a standard cassette where every cog has its own splines.

ericcox

Thank you for the headset tips. Most useful and educational. I bestow my highest honor on you:

Psimet2001 

I agree about the weight assertions. Many will spend $$$ to achieve that small weight reduction though. I guess I would be happier seeing people reduce the weight of their cassette - to the detrement of durability and cost - than going to radical extremes on wheels that could (usually) impact the safety of the wheel.

Again that's just my opinion. I think wheels are like chains in that people tend to argue their beliefs like they would their religion.

EC - thanks for the gold star - haven't seen one of those since grade school, and I think it should be obvious to everyone that even then it wasn't for any work I did in English or spelling.

caloso

I was rebuilding a bike (transferring over the group from my race bike after upgrading) and thought that the bolt was just like the bolt on a quill stem: just tighten the crap out of it. I took the bike out for a little spin and at one point took both hands off the bars. I nearly crashed.

I went back home and looked up Sheldon's page on threadless headsets. I still couldn't wrap my head around the way it worked but at least I got the part about not over tightening it.

Psimet2001 

I think you hot the nail on the head. Coming from quill stems the instinct is usually to tighten the top cap bolt.

ericcox

That was my instinct. I was going to mess with my stem / spacers / steerer the other day and ended up taking it to the shop instead. Glad I didn't as I would likely have f'd it up having not read your advice at that time. Having now read your advice, my future work will all come up roses.

Camilo

My first contact with a threadless headset was about a year ago when I received my "new" bike in a box from an ebay purchase. I literally had never looked at a threadless headset. I'd probably seen them since I have ridden with guys on modern bikes in recent years, but hadn't actually looked at it or recognized any difference other than the different kind of stem.

So I looked at that thing and had no idea how to reassemble it (it had been taken apart for shipping).

LUCKILY, I somehow knew enough to post an inquiry somewhere on the world wide inteweb and was pointed to the Park Tool site. Or maybe I was familiar with the "how to's" on that site and looked for myself.

Anyway, after printing the instructions and carefully reading them, I realized that compared to what I was used to, having rebuilt headsets in the distant (i.e. 70s/80s) past this was dead easy to do. Interestingly I was unfamiliar with the term "preload" having always thought of it simply as "bearing adjustment". As soon as I realized that the end cap was for that ("bearing adjustment"), it became very clear what was needed. The idea of only tightening a bearing adjustment as much as necessary to prevent play was very familiar to me, especially the part of going easy, testing, then tightening a little more if necessary. Now I tend to do it by feel.

Short version: the Park tool instructions are pretty easy to follow.

Psimet2001 

#13 - To round out stems - always torque the face bolts on your stem bar clamp to the correct manufacturer specification. These bolts are either made from softer material or are threaded into soft material as a general rule. Proper torque ensures that you don't strip the bolt or the stem and still have enough holding force to not make your bars dance when you hit bumps.

FWIW - Many stems will list torque on the stem itself. Many use 5 Nm as the torque spec for the face bolts.

Also....torque your face bolts - if a 4 bolt configuration is used - like you would a series of lug nuts or a head on an engine block. Use a criss-cross pattern instead of just torqueing in order around the perimeter. This will ensure proper clamping pressure as well.

If you have good dental insurance then feel free to ignore all of this.

shider

To add to this, also make sure the gap between the face cap and the stem is even at the top and bottom. This is particularly critical for carbon bars.

Keep them coming Psimet. Good stuff!

merlinextraligh

i do this on a 4 bolt face plate by gradually tightening the bolts in a crossing pattern. i.e. get all 4 bolts in, then finger tight, then tighten each one just a bit at a time working in an alternating pattern.

neurocycler

+ 1 One of the few threads to actually contain useful info, keep it coming.

tombailey

Great thread. I still don't fully understand my integrated headset. Anyone care to provide, or point me to, a good explanation?

^oZ

What don't you understand?

The bearings are pressed into the head tube instead of in the headset cups (which are pressed into the frame). Other than that it works like a regular headset.

alanfleisig

Just wanted to add my 2 cents that whenever I see something new posted here, I always read it.

Thanks PSImet.

mattj

+1

Psimet2001 

Thanks guys.

Also to note - use grease or anti-sieze on the stem clamp face bolts as well to ensure proper torque is reached.

If I had to make a list of top 10 most critical assembly torques this would definitely make it.

jcbenten

Time to get a torque wrench.

Bike Lover

I didn't check my face plate bolts this year and stood up to get going and the handle bars slipped down. Luckily it wasn't enough to throw me around but it did freak me out a bit. Good thing I had my multi-tool with me.

Psimet2001 

#14 - Still with stems to round out the week.... Going back to preloading your headset bearings...

Make sure that there is a small amount of room between the top of the stem and the top of the fork steerer tube. In other words make sure that when the stem or the top spacer is placed on the fork that it stick up over the top. That way when the top cap nut is tightened (to preload the bearings) the whole assembly can be compressed.

If the top of the spacer or stem is flush or below the top of the steerer tube then when you tighten the top cap bolt you will simply be tightening the top cap against the fork...and not compressing the headset at all as intended. To fix this situation you have to do 1 of two things - add a spacer that will leave the appropriate gap, or cut your steerer tube to the correct length.

Tomorrow....BBs

wanders

+1 ....that and a couple vintage 7-11 jerseys.

Psimet, my wife thanks you.

jbmadtown

Psimet- thanks for the tips, good stuff. Looking forward to BB's and also servicing hubs!

prendrefeu

Thanks for this thread Psimet. You're redeeming yourself (in my head). Keep up the great work and contributions.

aham23

agreed. but i sure could use a tip on which one to get. who to ask........?

later.