BMX - So i went to tighten forks and...

the top bolt would not tighten anymore (even when i losened the headset) so i decided to take it all apart clean it and put it back together again. so i took off the top bolt, took off the headset, removed 2 specers then took the fork from the frame. on the bottom of the fork (just above the ^ where the frame meets the fork) there was a little circle of metal with small balls all around it. i know very little about bike parts so i dont know wat this is. ANyway i cleaned all the thinkgs i took off and put it back together, tightened everything up but the fork still shakes. Am i missing anything that should be on the fork? what else can i try?
cheers

ok so i saw some folks tried to help you out already.
see pic:

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=38959

now tighten the red arrow first THEN tighten the blue. it doesnt work well doing this the other way around.

if its still loose just ride it til it breaks.

my what???

Tighten the star nut(top) first until the fork stops shaking. Then tighten the stem.

did that star nut wouldnt turn anymore, but it still shook

You probably lost something while taking it apart, then. Oh, and don't lose those 'circle things with balls in them'. There should be 2, one in the upper cup and one in the lower. Those are your bearings, referred to as 'caged' bearings because the circle thing (cage) holds them together so they're not currently bouncing all over your floor right now.

If the top of the stem is below the top of your fork's steerer tube, you're just tightening the fork against itself and the headset will stay loose. To fix this, add spacers (carbon fiber, of course).

No no thats not the problem, his fork steerer tube is to long and is not spaced properly to tighten up fully. You need to ither cut down the steerer tube on your fork wich is probably not the best way out for someone that dosent know much about bikes, or you need to get 1 or 2 more spacers, the top of you fork steerer tub should not be flush with the top of your stem, it should be about 1/6-1/4 of a inch under, so get another spacer and then try tightening it up. Oh and those balls, those are the bearings so you are going to want to take your front end apart again and greese those mothers up because they with get wrecked if you run them dry.

yah snazzy knows, guess i posted a wee bit to late