Bicycle Mechanics - ow i broke my nut :(

so this morning i decided i was gonna adjust my stem height a little bit, i felt like i had lowered it a bit too much, so as i was tightening my headset........pop............. i busted my star nut :(... feel like an idiot lesson learned i guess... not sure what the lesson is tho..... im pretty sure i stripped it but im not exactly sure, the flanges one piece look a bit messed up... o well back to the lbs.....

Sounds like you were trying to tighten the headset with the stem still clamped so it couldn't slide.

If not, remove the top cap and check your steerer tube height inside the stem or top spacer. The steerer must be below the outer stack by 1-3mm, so that the top cap can push down the stack without bottoming onto the steerer itself.

The two reasons above, tight stem, and top cap touching the steerer account for 99.9% of the cases of people forcing the top nut. If those are OK, you'll be fine, but if not, you'll break the next nut also.

BTW- remove the top cap and check the stem height before you go to the shop, so if you need a spacer you don't have to make a second trip.

for the old nut you can drill it out or just punch it lower. punching it out the bottom is not advised. the steerers are butted and have a much smaller opening on the bottom.

i have all the parts i was just rearranging my spacers, like i said i think i took out to much last night so i wanted to bring it back up a bit, i took another look, where the bolt actually threads on the bottom part of the nut where i stripped it mean.... the flange is still in but the threads for the nut break off so theres a whole in the middle, i dont think my stem was too tight because i had removed my stem bolts and then then just put them back in a few turns by hand, but that might have been too much come to think of it. so you probably are right... for future reference i've read that you should tighten up the headset enough to where your wheel is a little slow to freely turn then back it off a few turns so it freely moves then tighten up the stem bolts... is that correct or am i way off?

tighten until play is gone. start with play and tighten in 1/8 turns or so

well i was just cranking down on my headset because it still felt loose.... and pop it happen, i do have a torque wrench and i used the first time i did an adjustment, but i remember tightening it a bit more than what the spec was, so i just went by feel

for the old nut you can drill it out or just punch it lower. punching it out the bottom is not advised. the steerers are butted and have a much smaller opening on the bottom.

well since all is left is a the flange i think i can get it out with some needle nose pliers.... should i have the shop reinstall another one, or just go for it with a socket and hammer.... ive been looking around and that seems to be the simple answer

tighten until play is gone. start with play and tighten in 1/8 turns or so

+1

Tighten by degrees until play is gone. Test by bouncing the front end and listening or by using the front brake and rocking the bike forward and back.

You should have enough room to push the damaged nut down one inch and leave there, this is much easier than trying to remove it, but if you prefer you can drill out the hut, and turn each leaf sideways and pick out with a spoke.


i dont think my stem was too tight because i had removed my stem bolts and then then just put them back in a few turns by hand, but that might have been too much come to think of it. so you probably are right...

A loose stem means just that - loose. It should be loose enough that the handlebars turn freely while you hold the fork.

It's also possible you forgot one spacer. If you feel the screw needing torque while the headset is still loose, stop. Tighten the stem where it is, remove the screw and top cap and odds are you'll see the steerer has reached to the top of the stack, or so close that the top cap can touch it. Add a spacer before trying further adjustments.

i got it out and its at the lbs, i had a "bull prick" (used it when i was a bridge builder) basically a big punch.... gave one tap to a corner and the whole think flipped and it came right out with some needle nose pliers... i brought to the shop because i thought part of it dropped down into the fork tube so i took the tube out and shook it out and when i replaced... lets just say parts started falling aprat:notamused: lol so im getting a new bearing and star nut and hopefully all will be well :p