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Need Help With Threaded Headset.

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Old 04-11-12, 02:55 PM
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Need Help With Threaded Headset.

Hello, I recently purchased a "Knee Walker".

Because of its design, it uses a threaded headset. The walker came with a loose clanking headset, so I contacted the company and asked what size the headset nuts are.

Well, after an entire week of telling me to just use either Allan wrenches (yeah) and adjustable wrenches to tighten/adjust the headset, they finally gave me a size. They said the top is a 35.5MM and the bottom a 36.5MM.

Does that make any sense? I have never seen half size headset wrenches and I assumed the top and bottom (adjuster nut and lock nut) would be the same size.

Does anyone know of a sure fire way to find out what size the little thin adjuster nut is? So far, no stores have had a wrench big enough to measure, but now I am afraid that if I find one that fits the top nut, it won't fit the bottom. I also don't have an adjustable big enough, so I am ordering the headset and adjustable at the same time, so I won't be able to remove the top to measure the bottom.

I just recently became permanently disabled and getting around without this walker is impossible. Do you think I am doing permanent damage by using it with a loose headset?

Thanks for any and all help guys.

Last edited by SakarMan; 04-11-12 at 03:34 PM.
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Old 04-11-12, 03:10 PM
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Open end headset wrenches are 1/8" thick, and can be purchased thru many sources.
I have a pair of 40/36mm wrenches for a 9/8" headset.
from Park, a bike tool company.
(and some 32mm ones for 1" headsets.)

the half MM is odd, .. Maybe a pair of 36 will do,
36 is also used on the threaded headsets on my Brompton,
another 1.125" threaded type.
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Old 04-11-12, 03:35 PM
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Don't you have a caliper to measure?

Most likely both are 36mm. You need two wrenches to make the adjustment and at least one wrench has to be thin enough to fit the lower nut while the other one is on the upper nut.
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Old 04-11-12, 03:49 PM
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Originally Posted by fietsbob
Open end headset wrenches are 1/8" thick, and can be purchased thru many sources.
I have a pair of 40/36mm wrenches for a 9/8" headset.
from Park, a bike tool company.
(and some 32mm ones for 1" headsets.)

the half MM is odd, .. Maybe a pair of 36 will do,
36 is also used on the threaded headsets on my Brompton,
another 1.125" threaded type.
Just to disambiguate, 9/8", 1.125" and 1 1/8" are all the same size. I know I've fallen for it before. 36mm certainly points towards a 1 1/8" headset.

If you're only picking up one headset wrench and plan to use an adjustable for the locknut, you'll need at least a 12" adjustable. A large adjustable will solve the .5mm (500 micrometer?) discrepancy as well.
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Old 04-11-12, 04:02 PM
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Originally Posted by IthaDan
Just to disambiguate, 9/8", 1.125" and 1 1/8" are all the same size. I know I've fallen for it before. 36mm certainly points towards a 1 1/8" headset.

If you're only picking up one headset wrench and plan to use an adjustable for the locknut, you'll need at least a 12" adjustable. A large adjustable will solve the .5mm (500 micrometer?) discrepancy as well.
Thanks for all of the help thus far guys.

Have you ever heard of a headset having different size lock and adjuster nuts? If I knew for a fact that they were the same size, I would drive 3 towns over and try and find a standard wrench to size the top nut and order accordingly.
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