NASCARMANIAC

I just bought a new bike and noticed that the front fork steering is real stiff...So i loosened up the top cap and stem. I now have play in the top bearings and fork stem. Does this sound like I have the wrong bearings? I have an 06 columbia omnitrail pro

JanMM

Sounds like you may have loosened it up a little bit too much. Loosen the stem, tighten the top cap, but not quite as much as it was originally, then tighten the stem. Repeat as necessary until the fork turns freely and without play in the headset.

Bill Kapaun

It sounds like you loosened things up too much!
https://www.parktool.com/repair/byreg...mageField2.y=9

NASCARMANIAC

ive adjusted my stems before, but have never had this happen before. I either have it so tight that its tough to move or the play in the fork is about 3-4 cm at the axel. there is no happy median like usual. Also my dustcap isn't sitting on the bearings like on my other bikes...

JanMM

3-4 centimeters? The hub axle?

NASCARMANIAC

if i grab my fork and shake it back and forth, it will move 3-4 cm. Ive found that the bottom bearings in the headset are relatively tight but at the top of my headset the steerer(i think thats what its called : the tube in the headset connected to my fork) has about 1 mm of space on either side between the bearings and its edge.

NASCARMANIAC

ok so i tore apart my old headse and found alittle rubber piece on my mongoose which was not on my new bike. So i put it on and now everything works real well. One thing tho is I think something may be still off because my dust cover is sitting higher than my old bike...

turtle77

Umm, where did you buy this bike? I would take it back right away and make sure they correct the problem. There should be NOTHING wrong with a new bike.

fosmith

sounds like a bearing might be installed upside down....

NASCARMANIAC

i bought it at sportmart at a clearence because they are moving. I can't take it back for another few days but i will soon enough. Bearing upside down sounds like something to look into. Now should the bearing crown(holds the bearings) be facing up owards the dust shield or against the race in the headset?

BCRider

They've got something in wrong or in the wrong order. You should be able to add in the correct amount of preload on the bearings and feel the resistance build up as you do so. The fact that it's an all or nothing deal means they screwed it up.

If you look at it yourself then look for the the usual cup and cone setup. Check to make sure the rounded cone faces are towards the bearings. Also be sure they installed the bearing rings with the cages facing the right way. If they put them in upside down on either side the cage won't fit between the cup and cone on the right angle.

Or if by some chance they are cartridge bearings you'll see that the faces of the inner race are larger on one side than the other. The larger face should face up on the upper race and down on the lower race.

Check for the split taper ring on the upper portion as well. I saw a bike arrive at a dealer and that part was missing for some reason. Without it you can't center the upper part of the stem and it'll rattle around like this if you loosen things up at all.

supcom

I'm not familiar with sportmart, but it sounds like a sporting goods store not a dedicated bike shop. So I assume that the bike is basically similar to what is found at wally world.

If so, then maybe your headtube is not faced properly and the headset cups are not square to each other?

NASCARMANIAC

i think you nailed it with the split taper ring. Is it rubber with a beveled edge and notches? I stoll one of my old bike and everything seems good now, but my dustcap still seems alittle hight so I may have 2 of something. Supcom just for future reference sportmart is a sporting goods store that sells bikes skies hockey football baseball and basketball equipement depending on the season. They sell good equipement not the best not the worst.