We’ve all seen the stems with marks from being slammed.

I always wondered what people do to slam them. Then I thought maybe people don’t know this tip.

this is especially handy when the wedge is stuck and force must be used.


Wrap the bottom with electrical tape and fold the end back so you aren’t searching for the end.

Loosen expander bolt and raise stem? Good tip.

Wedge would not come loose. Or lower. Further loosening the bolt does nothing buy raise the bolt.

Hammering the bolt to knock the wedge from its resting place often causes the whole stem to slam down.

Causing unsightly marks.

Or,

Never mind.

I've always just unscrewed that long stem bolt a couple of turns, and then while supporting the stem gently tap on the bolt to dislodge the wedge hidden in the bottom of the quill. Have I been doing it wrong?

Use a smaller hammer.

No, that's right--grip the base of the stem tightly with one hand, and tap the bolt with a hammer in the other hand. Tap it, don't wham on it like it's a 20d nail. But the OP makes a good point--wrapping some tape around the stem wouldn't hurt, and might help.

Never applied too much in the way of mental gymnastics to this (like most things my wife would say). A gentle to moderate whack to the Allen wrench with a rubber mallet has always worked for me.

It did take a while to interpret the OP though. “Slamming the stem” for a lot of people means setting your stem as low as possible for a lot of saddle to bar drop so I was confused.

I thought "Slamming" referred to dropping the stem as low as it would go?

Loosening the binder bolt and giving it a light tap to loosen the wedge has been common practice for decades.

Nice looking Bertoni any other pics?

Is it a Specialissima? SL and Dura Ace

I started with the gentle tap.

Nothing.

I stepped up to a rubber mallet. No movement at all.

Tried a bounceless. Still nothing.

Get a bigger hammer was the only option.


Yes, a Bertoni, as invented by the Univega guy. It was donated with aero spokes on bullseye hubs and a full Shimano 105 group. I swapped the cockpit for Cinelli so it has one less wrong component.

We listed it for $450.

I knew exactly what he was talking about. Tape is not necessary, but a slick/easy trick to avoid possible damage. I have loosened quite a few stems, with stuck wedges, with the simple method suggested by the posters above (light whack, support stem) with no issues. On one stubborn one, I got a little impatient and on the 3rd wack I used a bit more force, in the process I apparently loosened my grip on the stem, the result was the stem "slamming down" into the frame. To be fair this was user error, but not an unforeseeable error and if the parts are precious, might be worth a 2 second safety back up. Even if you have experience and good technique, 3 cents worth of tape to assure your vintage part is undamaged seems like a good bargain. Will I do it next time I remove a stem? Who knows, (probably not) but I appreciate the simplicity and effectiveness

"Deadblow" is the term you want here, I believe. A handy tool to have around at times.

Use the right tool and technique - with a really stuck stem wedge you should use the flat side of a small to medium ball pein hammer with a piece of aluminum or hardwood on top of the stem bolt.

It can be awkward, so usually it helps to have a helper hold the bars.

Why would you use a rubber mallet here or a deadblow ? Are you trying to replace a hubcap on one of those smelly tin boxes (automobiles) ?

The little line that can mar the stem finish is often the result of a sharp edge at the top of the inside steerer. A $3 Horror Freight deburring tool can be your friend here.

I’ve always used a plastic mallet to smack the stem bolt. Hard enough to get the job done and doesn’t mess up the head of the bolt or the stem.

I started with wood, then rubber, then plastic "dead blow," then I used the plastic end of the hammer shown.

I didn't start with the beast.

A stem or two, over the years, have proved too stuck to remove. Time to cut the stem out seemed, to me, to be the only solution.