So I have an older 80s Schwinn road bike and I would like to remove the whole handlebar setup, not just the handlebars themselves. Ive tried to look at a couple videos online and all they show is a guy taking an alan wrench and removing one long bolt, and viola presto, handlebar slides out easy... seems not to be the case on these older road bikes?

Edit : after i remove the bolt, should I just whack the **** out of it with a rubber mallet, or am I suppose to unscrew that 1.2inch large nut looking thing at the top?

No you should not loosen the headset nut. That will just allow the headset to loosen and you will get a loose fork.

Normally on a quill stem, I loosen the bolt on the top of the stem about 1/2" and give it a light tap, the bolt drops back to the stem and I lift the stem up.

You may have a frozen stem that is corroded to the inside of the fork steerer. I have never had this problem so someone else could suggest a way to loosen this, I have heard of using PBblaster or vinegar.

hmm, yea i pulled the entire bolt out, the bike is somewhat rusted so I wouldnt be surprised if that was the case. Should I just shoot WD40 down the hole where the bolt was and rubber mallet that sucker?

Don't pull the entire bolt out, there is a wedge in the bottom of the stem that must be loosened before the stem will loosen. thread the bolt back in so the bolt head is about 1/2" above the stem and tap the bolt.. If that loosens but the stem won't come out then there is some corrosion problem. I don't recommend whacking the crap out of anything with any kind of hammer rubber or otherwise.

as for the corrosion, do a search stuck stems or stuck seatposts its a common thread in the mechanics forum and there are a lot of suggestions. but WD40 isn't normally one of them.

I'm no bike mechanic, so take this with a grain of salt but it is based on very recent experience and not on what I think.

Yesterday I was cleaning/greasing/adjusting a very small Kent Street Racer (12 inch tires) that my mother in law picked up for one of her grand kids. When I went to remove the quill stem I tried loosening the bolt and tapping it with a dead blow hammer (with a bit of 2x4 pine to increase target size). The wedge was frozen solidly to the tube so the bolt would not drive down. I ended up removing the bolt completely after which I was able to remove the stem (without the wedge) easily enough. As I was cleaning and repacking the headset anyway I went ahead and pulled the fork with the wedge still clinging tightly inside. I decided to try pulling the wedge rather than pushing it deeper, so rounded up a pair of vise grips to which I had previously welded a nut so they could be attached to my 6 pound slide hammer. I clamped the fork in my vise, threaded the bolt back into the wedge, attached the vise grip equipped slide hammer to the bolt and pulled the wedge right out on the first blow of the slide.

I realize that a slide hammer is not normally considered a bicycle tool, but they come in very handy for pulling stubborn parts off/out of many different things. I have never had the occassion to use this tool to pull a frozen stem or seat post but almost look forward to the day that I can give it a go. If you have access to a slide hammer you might give it a try, but do so at your own risk, I'm not sure how much damage could be done by using this tool improperly (though blood blisters do come to mind).
SlideHammerCropped.jpg

I've never had one that was super seriously siezed, but I've always used some penetrating oil or WD40 and just tapped the bolt on top of the stem (not hard) with a wrench, and wiggled and pulled until it comes out.

While you have the bolt out, spray some Liquid Wrench or other penetrating oil into the hole. Thread the bolt in as described above until it is 1/4 to 3/8 inch proud of its tightened position. Strike the bolt straight and firmly. If it doesn't give, allow the penetrating oil to work for a while. You can also try to get some working around the base of the stem. After a few hours, flip the bike over and generously spray some penetrating oil in from the other end of the head portion of the fork. Most forks have some kind of drainage or access from the bottom. If there is a fender, you will probably have to remove it. Again, be patient, let the penetrating oil work its wonders. In the morning, flip the bike upright and try whacking the bolt again.

If at some point the stem becomes loose but not the wedge, you can remove the bolt and pull the stem out. Spray some more penetrating oil down on top of the wedge. Now find a strong metal bar of some kind with a hole that the bolt will fit through. Put a washer on the bolt, put it through the bar (I have an 18" pry bar with a nail pulling hole that is just the right size) and screw the bolt back into the wedge. Have someone hold the bike down, while you firmly tap upward on the bar near the bolt. Make sure you have a firm grip on the bar as the wedge can release suddenly and you don't want to damage the bike or anyone working on it. This is similar to Larwyn's slide hammer method above, but for someone who doesn't have a slide hammer. BTW, I think the slide hammer is a great idea and will probably make one of them myself.

Another method for removing a stubborn wedge after the stem has been removed, is to measure from the top of the head tube to the bottom of the bolt head when it is screwed 4-5 full turns into the wedge. Cut a piece of 1/2" ID pipe about 1/4" shorter than this length. Place a thick fender washer on the bolt, then the pipe, then another fender washer. Spray another shot of penetrating lube on top of the wedge. Hold your bolt, washer and pipe assembly together while you screw the bolt into the wedge. Once it is finger tight with the bottom washer firmly seated on the head tube, get a box end wrench or socket and start tightening the bolt. If the wedge does not pop out easily, leave a fair amount of tension on it and let it sit for a few hours. Often you will come back to find the wedge loose, or it may take another turn or so on the wrench.

If you have full access to the underside of the wedge up the fork tube, you can place the top end of the fork down on a piece of hardwood, to protect the threads, and use a large punch or piece of steel rod to try to drive the wedge out. This should be absolute last resort as there is the potential to damage the fork tube.

As mentioned above, don't "whack the crap" out of anything.

1/2" is way more than enough; you usually only need to undo the wedge bolt 2-3mm. If say, the bolt is only just long enough and it's an ally wedge, you risk damaging the threads if you undo the bolt too far and the wedge is stubborn.

You have a quill stem. This is what you're trying to separate:


See the bolt sticking out? That's the top bolt you unscrewed. Hitting it transfers the force to the wedge, which gets it unpinned from the inside of the fork and the stem. The large nut is threaded to the fork and holds it in the fork tube: If you remove it, the stem will still be inside the fork.

I've always used flat-faced metal hammers, and normally it takes just a tap.

I broke it

I am more familiar with stems with expansion bolts

look at the photo by the title wedge bolt

wedge bolt

Nice work.

Which bit?

A common mistake is for people to loosen the headset thinking this will loosen the stem... with quill stems the bolt that tightens the wedge is also what is needed to remove the wedge by the aforementioned method of unscrewing it and tapping it with a hammer and if things are tight and possibly seized in place it needs a firm hand.

The stem itself may be corroded to the inside of the steerer so even after the wedge is loosened it may not budge... this is where penetrating oil and patience are your friend.