Originally Posted by Campag4life

Hi,
A couple of things. Proper headset preload reduces stress on the bolts retaining the stem clamp to the steerer. So you need to make sure the top vertical screw is nice and snug which also preserves the bearings due to road assault.
Other than that, use a torque wrench. Most are torqued to 55 inch pounds or there abouts. You could try Loctite 242 on the screws if you ride a lot over rough road surfaces to keep the small 4mm allen bolts from backing out.


A last thing is....very few bike manufacturers make a decent stem. Companies have expertise and specialities. Stem manufacturing isn't a long suit of most large bike mfr's. My favorite value stem is the Ritchey WCS 4 axis which comes in a different rises and lengths. Retail they are about $90 but you can find them on ebay for less.


You will probably save a few grams if you ditch the Giant stem as well. Btw, I have never experienced your issue and I have been at this a long time. Your stem design maybe less than robust if your installation technique is sound...adequate preload and correct stem steerer clamp bolt torque.


Good luck