headset and fork problem maybe?
03-04-07 | 08:15 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Just Do It !
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 852
Likes: 0
From: United States
Bikes: Litespeed Ti, Trek Carbon.
headset and fork problem maybe?
Got hit by a car and it bent my bars and stem, and I noticed about 1/4 inch play in the head set. At first I figured I blew the bearings but they were fine. I put it back together, tightened the plug allen bolt down and it was just like normal. It's a full carbon fork on a Litespeed, steerer tube is carbon but inside I can see aluminum ( I think) where the bolt for the stem threads into the fork. Something must have moved but I can't understand what, I don't know how the fork is constructed to form an idea. I'm using the bike but I don't feel safe on it yet without knowing for sure. My wishfull thinking is that maybe for the past 4,000 miles something was never really seated untill I got hit by that car? I doubt it. Thanks for any advice....
03-04-07 | 08:21 PM
#2
The Rabbi
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 5,123
Likes: 3
You got hit by a car and you're still riding teh carbon fork? That is incredibly scary... I'm guessing the problem is a) the head tube is ovalized or b) the star nut/compression plug moved from the impact... in either case after getting hit by a car hard I would be looking at replacing the fork.
03-04-07 | 09:07 PM
#3
Thread Starter
Just Do It !
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 852
Likes: 0
From: United States
Bikes: Litespeed Ti, Trek Carbon.
Originally Posted by seely
You got hit by a car and you're still riding teh carbon fork? That is incredibly scary... I'm guessing the problem is a) the head tube is ovalized or b) the star nut/compression plug moved from the impact... in either case after getting hit by a car hard I would be looking at replacing the fork.
I spent most of an evening taking parts of my 5200 Trek and put them on my bike of choice so I could go ride it, I love that bike. Then I think what if I hit a big pot hole at speed and something lets loose. But I looked at the carbon I could see and it looks good. When I got hit, there was the car, then me, then the bike was about 20 feet away. The first time I rode again (last week) when I tried to clip in there was no cip in action, took the shoes off and looked and saw both Look cleats had the back side tore off of them where hook into the binding! 
That really freaked me out.
03-05-07 | 05:48 AM
#4
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,616
Likes: 1
Remember Georgie Hincapie in Paris-Roubaix last year? He had an inocuous crash in the first part of the race. 100 miles later his steerer broke, George went down and broke his collarbone.
It's a dangerous thing to be riding a carbon fork that has been involved in a significant crash, such as the one you describe.
Bob
P.S. The headset adjustment you described did not mention doing anything with the stem bolts. Headset adjustment is a 3-step process, which must be done in the proper order:
1. Loosen stem bolts (which clamp stem to fork steerer).
2. Pre-load headset bearings by adjusting tension on top cap bolt.
3. Re-tighten stem bolts.
It's a dangerous thing to be riding a carbon fork that has been involved in a significant crash, such as the one you describe.
Bob
P.S. The headset adjustment you described did not mention doing anything with the stem bolts. Headset adjustment is a 3-step process, which must be done in the proper order:
1. Loosen stem bolts (which clamp stem to fork steerer).
2. Pre-load headset bearings by adjusting tension on top cap bolt.
3. Re-tighten stem bolts.
