Originally Posted by
pepperbelly
I think I mentioned this at the start of the thread but when I began to lower the stack height I first removed the stem. Then I removed the cap bolt. When I did that I saw the “bolt” that adjusts the bearing tension was very loose. I snugged it trying hard to not over-tighten it so I didn’t damage the bearing races.
I removed 2 spacers then reinstalled the stem. After that I snugged the cap bolt. That was when I noticed it wasn’t smooth when I turned the handlebars. It felt rough like the bearings were rolling over dips. I call it indexed but it may be something else on a bicycle.
When I loosened the cap bolt it was smooth.
What in the heck could I have done?
Should I move the spacers back where they were?
If by 'reinstalled the stem', do you mean tightening the stem bolts to secure the stem to the steerer?
If 'yes', then at this point, the cap bolt doesn't need any further tightening. The cap bolt (and the connection to the expander plug in the steerer) is only needed to push down on the stem/spacers to adjust the bearing preload. Once the stem is clamped to the steerer, the top bolt only needs to be tight enough to keep from rattling. If the headset and stem is installed correctly, the top bolt and cap can even be removed without affecting the bearing preload.