Originally Posted by
AlphaDogg
The OP is asking what the snap was, so why would you expect him to know what it was?
That's what he's trying to do.
Yes there is. If you don't loosen the stem bolts all you are doing is tightening the top cap bolt (I don't know if there is a real name for it, so I'm calling it the top cap bolt) against the stem, adding unnecessary torque to the bolt without actually tightening the headset.
WTH is a fork stem??
I think you probably stripped the bolt and star nut. Time for new ones. Shouldn't run you any more than $30. Did you forget to loosen the stem bolts before you tightened toe top cap bolt? This is a very common mistake.
Sorry howeeee, I have to be a dick sometimes to make sure that wrong information like this does not get passed as truth.
I have only refurbished about 300 bikes in the last three years and keep about 20 riders for myself,,when the headset comes loose I tighten it, never loosening up the gooseneck bolt and never have I heard a snap ...but I am glad you know you are a dick.