CanadianBiker32

Ok so i messed this one up a little bit. I had to tighten my headset of my mt bike. Its a rocky mountain element, 2011 model - threadless of course

So it seem a little loose in my check. so i figure i tighten it. I loosen the top bolts and took off the stem and handle bars and did a grease job inside etc. As it seem to need it. So i put wheel on floor so everything be tight when i tighten everything up
so i put it all together now.
Problem is my headset - steering is abit tight. have to muscle a little bit to move handle bars?
should i just keep moving them as is and will loosen themselves?
or should i take everything off again and retighten? what should i be looking for to do a proper tighten? thanks

lopek77

Park Tool Co. » ParkTool Blog » Threadless Headset Service



[h=3]Headset Adjustment - Threadless Type[/h]Threadless headsets work on the same principal as threaded headsets. The bearing races need to press against the bearings. The bolt in the top cap will put pressure on the stem, which presses on washers below the stem, which press on the bearing races, which press against the bearings.
NOTE: The cap and bolt at the top of the stem do not secure the stem onto the steering column. The bolt or bolts on the side of the stem keep the stem from moving once the adjustment is made. The cap is used for bearing adjustment only.
Begin by removing the adjusting bolt in the center of the steering column. Next, remove the top cap. There may be a star-shaped nut or other fittings inside the steering column. The bolt threads into this fitting and pulls on the fork against the headset bearing surfaces, which acts to tighten the adjustment. Note the height of the steering column relative to the stem. It should be about 3mm (1/8") below the level of the stem. The stem needs to press down on the spacers in order to adjust the bearings. If the steering column is level with the top of the stem, another spacer is needed below the stem.

hueyhoolihan

if you are lucky and with the cap snug you could just loosen the stem bolts, bounce the front wheel off the ground a few times and retighten . it may just loosen the adjustment enough to let the front fork swing freely. if not, you'll have to do it the right way, unfortunately.

if i had to explain it in as few words as possible, here's what i'd say:

tighten the top cap, with loose stem bolts until fork won't move. loosen cap until the fork just begins to swing freely, straighten stem and tighten stem bolts.

zacster

This is perhaps the easiest bearing adjustment of them all. Unfortunately, it is so easy and straightforward that nobody seems to get it the first time. There just has to be more to it than that. It took me a long time to understand. But yes, it is that easy.

nirVELOvana

I solved a problem recently that is probably the opposite of what you're describing. I was installing a new set of handlebars a few weeks ago, when I just couldn't get rid of the wobbly "play" I kept getting in my headtube/fork no matter how tight I tightened the headset bolts. I spent hours redoing it and undoing it over and over! I was that close to throwing up my hands in frustration and saying, "Screw it, I'll take it to the shop". But something kept telling me, "You can fix this stupid thing! It's not frickin' brain surgery!"

So I googled for 1 whole minute. And the first thing in the search result hit list was this splendid video:


After watching the whole video, the solution finally dawned on me. I simply needed to rearrange the spacers so that there was enough distance from the top-most edge of the steerer tube (as it's positioned through the stem and the spacers) to the top of the stem cap. For my setup, that distance was about 1.5-2 cm. I think that's what they call pre-load (I'm sure somebody will sweat me if I got the exact nomenclature wrong. But that's cool. I never claimed to be a know-it-all )

That video saved me $30 in bike shop labor costs. And spared me from having to leave my baby at the bike shop for 3 long days. He explains what causes tightness and restricted headset movement, and how to fix it. If you're patient and can watch the whole thing, you'll learn some good stuff about headset installation.

Camilo

Using cartridge bearings, I've never been able to tighten a headset to the point where the wheel won't turn, not even to the point where it feels tight turning.

I simply tighten to the point where there's no movement in the fork/wheel when I hold the brakes and try to forcefully rock it. If I notice any sense of movement or looseness when I'm riding, I will either stop and tighten a little more on the road, or do it when I get home.

Can anyone speak to this cartridge bearing issue - that you really can't tighten them to the point that they bind - at least using a top cap and an expander plug inside a steer tube?