internet's not helping: handlebar stem won't tighten
09-07-12, 05:05 PM
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internet's not helping: handlebar stem won't tighten
bike: motobecane grand touring
I noticed after not using the bike for a long time that the handlebars were crooked so I unscrewed the stem bolt and wd40'd the bolt and adjusted the handlebars to match the tire, then attempted to screw the stem back in, but it just turns and turns and turns. no tightening whatsoever.
then I pulled the handlebars out completely and found the unit below (the star??). I stuffed that back in in every conceivable angle but the stem will not screw in. Are the laws of physics against me?
If anyone has advice, it's appreciative.
R/nh
I noticed after not using the bike for a long time that the handlebars were crooked so I unscrewed the stem bolt and wd40'd the bolt and adjusted the handlebars to match the tire, then attempted to screw the stem back in, but it just turns and turns and turns. no tightening whatsoever.
then I pulled the handlebars out completely and found the unit below (the star??). I stuffed that back in in every conceivable angle but the stem will not screw in. Are the laws of physics against me?
If anyone has advice, it's appreciative.
R/nh
09-07-12, 05:09 PM
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What type of stem, quill or threadless? If it's a quill stem, you may have loosened the bolt enough to let the expander plug slip down too far to reach when you tried to reinstall it. Turn the bike upside down and shake the plug out or reach up from the bottom of the fork crown and poke it out. then thread the plug onto the stem bolt a couple of turns and reinstall and tighten.
09-07-12, 06:57 PM
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What type of stem, quill or threadless? If it's a quill stem, you may have loosened the bolt enough to let the expander plug slip down too far to reach when you tried to reinstall it. Turn the bike upside down and shake the plug out or reach up from the bottom of the fork crown and poke it out. then thread the plug onto the stem bolt a couple of turns and reinstall and tighten.
R/nh
09-08-12, 01:41 AM
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For future information, on a quill stem, which you seem to have, it's either a "wedge" or an "expander cone" depending on the model of stem. If it was a clamp-on stem for a threadless headset, there'd be a thing called a star nut which is pressed into the steerer tube, which may be the source of your confusion with the name.
