changing a stem

vs4b
vs4b Posts: 257
edited August 2007 in Workshop
How easy is it to change the stem on my (giant scr2) road bike.

as you can tell, i'm not really one for DIY maintenance... :-)

Comments

  • Down the Road
    Down the Road Posts: 949
    Not hard but you need to preload your bearings correctly afterwards.

    Might be better to get a pro to do it.
    Racing is life - everything else is just waiting
  • AndyGates
    AndyGates Posts: 8,467
    Pretty trivially easy. The thing to remember is that the top-cap puts load on the headset bearings, and the clamp bolts lock it all off.

    So once you've got the old one off, put the new one onto the stem and fit the handlebars (roughly, you'll adjust position later). Screw the top-cap back on, then carefully tighten the top-cap until it takes up the slack in the headset bearings.

    To test if the cap is tight enough, apply the front brake and rock the bike forwards and backwards. If it's loose, you will feel movement where the fork enters the headset, down by the brake. Keep tightening the cap a little at a time until that goes away.

    Now square up the stem, tighten the clamp bolts, and adjust the handlebar angle.
    Wanted: Penny farthing. Please PM me!
    Advice for kilted riders: top-tubes are cold.
  • Monty Dog
    Monty Dog Posts: 20,614
    If fitting a longer stem, bear in mind you may be limited by the length of your cables - unless you change them too. www.parktool.com for all your bike servicing info.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..

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