I have struggled, many times, to fit a steering stem onto a handlebar. As often as not, the stem is so tight that it damages the bar during assemble, scratching the heck out of the handlebar.

That happened, today, when I installed this TTT stem on this TTT Touriste handlebar. With a small flat smooth file, I cleaned up the scratches on the non logo side of the bar, hit it with some high gloss jeweler's rough and it turned out looking OK, but I would rather not have to do the file and clean up work again, if I don't have to. Does anyone here have any suggestions for how to facilitate this ornery task?

You surprise me Randy!
Some are tight but more often than not, I can get them on
One trick is to put a wedge in the clamp to spread it out. Not too much!

I've used a tapered dowel with emery cloth to gently remove any burs and give it a bit of chamfered edge. Anything aluminum I use wd-40 and have a damp towel with a degreaser/cleaner within reach. Plus, sometimes let the stem sit in the sun or warm it up with a hair dryer hoping it will expand some.

I use a big flat screwdriver to pry the stem open.
Another thing you can do, is to smooth off the sharp corners on the opening of the stem with a file. Those sharp corners do the most damage.

I usually force by hand an Allen key into the clamp gap, then twist the Allen key as needed to slightly wedge open the clamp.
I haven't left any unsightly marks/burrs on the stems I've installed this way, as the Allen key is not being forced into the gap end-wise but rather sideways, so pushes on a longer section of two of the Allen key's six corners.

Pictured below as I was subtly adjusting the clamping force onto an abrasive dowel as I opened up a 25.4mm clamp to more like 26mm

I made a stem spreader out of a nut, bolt, and a piece of sheet metal. I ground the nut to about half its thickness to fit the gap. I hold the nut with a cone wrench and turn the screw against the sheet metal just enough to get the stem onto the bars. Works like a charm. I haven’t cracked a stem yet.

Some stems have this function incorporated, both bolt holes are threaded so you put a coin in the gap and use the bolt to open it a bit.

After all these years I finally bought one of these, life changing.

I keep an old large screwdriver with very rounded edges just for jobs like this. Slip it into the slot, then squeeze screwdriver and stem quill with my left hand as I thread the bar though.

If you want to cheat and not buy the nitto tool, you can rob a metal reflector bracket off a cheap big box store bike from the 90s, cut off the extra lips on the forked tabs and Robert is your father's brother.
Phil

I use a pair of cheap snap ring pliers, squeeze the handle and the jaws spread out.

Hi there I was wondering what make and model your brake levers are their cool looking vintage ones
thanks in advance
Pete

I showed this a couple weeks ago.

Nice photographic geometry there! Substitute the dirty rag back-ground for something else, and play with perspective. It could get interesting.

-D.S.

Doc Sharptail

Purely accidental on the geo, happy accident.

Nah, the dirty rag gives the right ambience.

I kinda take a lot of pics, always have, still no good at it.

Terrific thread! I now see it’s been bantered about on BF before but I’ve managed to skip over the topic all these years.

The first time I saw the picture of the Nitto tool, I thought it was a reflector bracket for those who only want the finest reflector brackets for their classic restorations.

I have a small stainless steel prybar that works pretty good, depending on the angle of the slot. I'll have to go through my collection of reflector brackets and see if I have one that would be a candidate for a stem spreader.

You know, I sometimes, perhaps often times, I cannot help but remark at my own stupidity. I know to clean up a steering stem and I did but I forgot to clean all edges. Usually, I do so knowing what might, and bloody well, will happen. Anyway...

This was the last getting the stem on the handlebar hassle for this little black duck (Daffy Duck quote). I will build or, heaven forbid buy, a stem installer. Just had my noon pick me up and looking forward to seeing what I can figure out. Thanks to others for chiming in with good advice.