Headset/Steerer Woes
 

Seems bike karma has deserted me.

Took the lovely, new headset that my still-secret Santa sent me to the LBS to have it mounted and fork installed (I have neither the tools nor the skill to do this myself) on a 1972 Raleigh Competition I'm attempting to build up as my "beater" (If you saw the state of the finish on it, it would make perfect sense). Dropped it at noon when the store opened, and came back about 3:45 to learn that there was a threading problem, that the steerer was also "a little bit crooked", and that the top nut won't thread down properly. :cry:

I know a fair amount about bicycle mechanics, but I don't pretend to be especially knowledgeable about steerers and headsets. From what I've described, is there any hope for this (short of having the steerer, or the entire fork replaced)? Is there some way to add metal and have it re-threaded? Would something like Loc-tite be an option?

I may be grasping at straws, but I'm reluctant to simply replace the fork with something from the LBS's catalog. Any brilliant ideas out there?

The issue here is safety. Is the steerer "a little bit crooked" because it was bent in an accident? This is potentially a very dangerous situation. In any case it may be difficult to adjust the headset properly, assuming you can get the threads re-cut with a proper die. Personally, I would not chance it and replace the fork.

I think the steerer is a little bit crooked because it's one of the sloppiest jobs ever on a sloping crown fork. :lol: Definitely looks like it was made on a Friday afternoon.

Typical Raleigh. You should see the steerer of my Competition - it looks as if it was threaded by the Geico Caveman.

-Kurt

I do not understand something there is a threading isse? and what is crooked and not allowing the top nut to thread on?

if the steerer is bent or crooked on the crown the headset will bind at some point. if the top of the fork is cut a bit crooked and there is enough steerer tube they should be able to cut a bit off.

I'm not really sure what the threading problem is. Are the threads damaged beyond what chasing them with a die could fix? If so, you can melt brass into the damaged area and cut new threads.

They chased, and apparently, after chasing, there is not enough material for the top nut to catch.

Would JB Weld work to add material before re-chasing - or would that be a completely hare-brained idea?

OH so the steerer is not long enough? is that the locknut will not grab? also did they "face" the headtube? it sounds like you need a shorter headset or a fork with a longer steerer. are you at Holmes or that place in Carlisle?

Everything is the proper length. The threads were a bit boogered up at the top, and evidently in the process of chasing them, they got reduced to a diameter that wasn't sufficient to hold the force of the top nut. Never had any problems at World Cup, and I'm not blaming them for this. I trust their mechanics and business ethics beyond anywhere else in the immediate area.

What special tools are needed to install a headset? A $2 rubber mallet?

As far as crooked, snug it down, it will straighten out.

That place would have to be Cole's. And I cannot put into words how much I hate that place. I most certainly would not trust them to attempt a solution to something like this. I would not even trust them to sell me tubes. There are places in the Harrisburg area that are fine; this is not one of them.

Grrr.

jim

If it is what I'm thinking of, that's a common result of having the headset too loose and riding the bike that way for a long time. The threads rub up against stuff inside and get smoothed over. When you go to re-thread, what's left of the threads disappears. when you try to snug down the top nut, it "floats" in the bald spot and won't tighten up.

If that's what it is, then maybe adding a 5mm spacer (if there is enough tube to do so) will get you back into good thread territory.

Not quite. That'll take care of installing the fixed bearing races in the head tube, but you need a driver to install the fork crown race.

Try a headset with a shorter stack height.

That's the catch. The threads aren't robust enough to "snug it down". The nut turns, goes down some, and then turns but without tightening (aka the threads are stripped).

What's shorter than a Levin?

How localized is the thread damage? If it is limited to a few threads, maybe you could raise or lower where the nut hit. Different height headset? Aggressively face the headtube? Even look for a compatible locknut that is thicker so that it grabs some decent threads?

jim

Can you put a 5mm spacer between the top race and the lock nut?

Chris King (they did make an 1" threaded headset that is made to work with spacers - and they do not look too modern)

Thanks for the ideas. I left the bike at the shop, and will go have a closer look on Monday. The place was crazy-busy today, and I was just kind of stunned by the news.

One of a number of things we long ago established that we agree on. ;)

Bike karma returns: I have a used but very solid 1 inch threaded Miyata fork that you are welcome to for the price of shipping.
Let me know what length steer tube you need and how much threading.

Might it be possible to have a framebuilder braze a bit of brass on the offending area - ONLY the offending area - then file the new brass area as smooth as possible, followed by careful chasing? It might work a new thread where you need it. Then again, it might be difficult keeping the brass from flowing down to the tip, where you'll need the original threads to start the tool.

-Kurt

John, according to Harris, the Tange Levin has a stack height of 33.4mm, and the Tange Passage has a stack height of 31.2mm:

http://harriscyclery.net/product-lis...-threaded-221/

If 2.2mm isn't enough for that top nut to grab, I have a black fork off of a Trek w/ a semi-sloping crown that might fit the bill. I don't remember the steerer tube length off hand, but I know it would fit a 23"/58cm frame. PM me if you need it.

Neal

Thanks again everyone. I will be taking receipt of the bicycle on Monday, and having a much closer look at it then.