Kojak

Hi, I thought I'd post this here, and see if I can get better results than I've been getting from the local wrenches.

I have a 2002 Litespeed Vortex with a Reynolds Ouzo Pro fork. The headset seems to chronically come loose way too easily. This bike unfortunately has an integrated headset, so at this point I'm not sure that Chris King can help me out.

Any suggestions?

roadfix

Sounds to me like more of a stem/steerer tube issue to me.

Kojak

Are you saying ..... new fork? (please don't be saying new fork)

roadfix

Are you preloading the headset properly before torqueing down the stem pinch bolts?

Kojak

This is not something I've tried to tackle on my own, although I'm now willing to give it a shot. I've had it to several shops, they seem to be confident of a fix, I pick up the bike, and very shortly thereafter, the issue returns.

miamijim

Preloading is easy and something you can do yourself. It sounds to me as if your fork is too long thus preventing the stem from sliding down far enough to preload it.

The fix may be something a simple as adding a headset under or over the stem. Can you post a pic of the top of the stem/steerer with the top cap removed?

dwr1961

Several years ago I remember reading a long article on the Chris King web site that explained why they didn't make an integrated headset. It was about six pages long, but to sum it up, they believed that using the frame as a bearing cup would eventually cause the problem that you describe. Eventually the inside surface of the head tube wears to the point that tolerances can't be maintained to keep the headset in adjustment...

Having said that, though; your frame is titanium - probably a harder material than the bearings themselves. It might possibly be that the bearings have worn to the point where they need to be replaced. Have your considered this?

At any rate, I don't think your fork is the cause of this problem. I hope this helps. It's just my wild guess.

joejack951

First off, confirm that the shop is using a torque wrench to tighten the clamp bolts on your stem. If not, buy one yourself and don't let them touch the bike any more.

Second, check that your stem is actually clamping on the steerer. Looks at the ears on the back of the stem where the bolts are installed. Are the ears touching? If so, you need a new stem as your has been overtightened at some point. If not, it can't hurt to try another stem to make sure something isn't out of whack with the current stem.

Third, does your fork have a carbon fiber steerer tube? If so, I'd recommend using some Finish Line Fiber Grip between the steerer and stem.

BikeWise1

You may have one of the bikes that came with headset cups that were supposed to fit both Cane Creek and Campy. This resulted in bikes that you couldn't really get the adjustment right. Yours is the right year for this to be a problem. LiteSpeed later changed the design. We have replacement cups in stock if your local LiteSpeed dealer doesn't.

Which headset do you have? I think the HiddenSets were OK, but the Cane Creeks had a slightly smaller bearing, which when put in the same cup makes for a loose fit.

Bianchigirll 

I agree with dwr. have you had the HS overhauled/inspected lately or just adjusted? there must be something wrong in there. I am not a big fan of threadless a HS. a good old fashioned threaded one be good for years and years once properly set up.

also is this a recent issue? have you hit someting or crashed recently? I do have to bring this up but could it be the crown/steerer? they might be adjusting the HS then the steerer works a bit looser and the HS is out of whack again.

Kojak

This sounds like it.

I have the Cane Creek Headset, and it's been a problem since pretty much day one. I would be interested in purchasing the proper cups from you.

BikeWise1

They're sitting in front of me. I sent you a PM. The ones you have come out like regular headset cups, and the new ones pressed in conventionally. Always knew they'd come in handy!

HillRider

Litespeed's first year or so of building frames with "integrated" (actually zero stack) headsets had some real problems. I'm not sure where your 2002 falls but by 2006, they had gone back to regular press in headsets pretty much across their line. That's one reason I waited until 2006 to buy my new one.

Anyway, for the first ones, Litespeed tried to make the frames compatible with both Cane Creek and Campy's headsets (which used differing bearing configurations) and the results was that neither worked properly. Litespeed eventually settled on the Cane Creek design and, I believe, had to retrofit the press-in cups on their early frames under warranty.

You might contact Litespeed and see if your frame is one of the transition models and if they can do anything to fix the problem.

Edit: I've got to read more thoroughly before responding. I just repeated what BikeWise1 told you.

freefallkev

So, this may be a dumb question, but here goes:

As I understand, you're able to tighten it down properly, and there's no defect in workmanship, it just loosens over time? Can you not use LocTite on the offending bolts?

caveat: I'm very, very new to bicycle mechanics, so I could be missing a major point here that would make LocTite a bad idea...