Loose headset? Something else?

Ben6899

Right honourable members of the forums,

I have searched about this, but could do with some bespoke input really. I set out this evening on my Felt and noticed the headset was loose... I could feel it as I rolled over the drop kerb at my driveway. Anyway, I popped back into the garage to sort it:

1. loosen stem bolts
2. turn headset cap 1/4 turn clockwise
3. torque stem bolts to 5Nm

I set off on my way and all felt fine. I did 40 miles and unfortunately, I felt what seems like still a VERY SMALL amount of looseness when standing over the bars and braking hard on the front - trackstanding in Askern, I could feel it EVER SO SLIGHTLY.

When I got back I repeated steps 1, 2 and 3 once, but there is still this VERY SLIGHT play I can feel when braking as above. The workshop test (fingers against bearing cup and top headset piece, front brake on hard and rock the bike feeling for movement) doesn't produce anything i.e. all seems good.

So I don't want to tighten the cap any further (I know 'tighten' is the wrong word btw) and am wondering if this little phenomenon could be caused by something else?

Play in the brake?
Play in the brake blocks?

I can't detect any looseness there, but I suppose if it requires the force of proper braking to manifest, then I'll struggle to recreate that in the garage... If it helps, it's Felt's adjustable stem with the internal shim similar to the Specialized offering and a Cane Creek Aheadset. Any suggestions?

I might nip it down to Kendell Cycles in the morning, I was thinking of lowering the stem anyway.

Thanks muchly

Ben

fossyant

I find bouncing the front wheel hard on the ground shows up if there is any play...it will rattle.

Ben6899

Thanks for the input. I did the bounce test as well (forgot to mention) and no rattle.

The more I think about it; the more I think this little bit of remaining play is something else - possibly the brake. That's attached to the frame at 5Nm, do we think that's enough?

marin_maniac

Check for lateral play in your front wheel.

I recently had this and mistook a loose headset for slight play in the front wheel hub because the quick release was not done up tight enough.

Ben6899

I checked the QR tightness last night as well.

It's a strange one - I've had loose headsets on older bikes and the sensation that comes with applying the brakes in this situation is unmistakable; sort of a knocking as if the brake is binding and then letting go, then binding...

This feels different, a VERY SLIGHT knock on first applying the brakes as described in my first post and then normal. If I release the brakes before coming to a stop and then apply once more, there won't necessarily be a knock.

It's winding me up: I don't have time to see my LBS and I want to ride the bike this evening!

nicklouse

turn the wheel at 90 degrees to the frame and rock the bike. this removes the brakes from the equation.

Ben6899

I'll try that tonight. Although there's no sign of any play 'in the workshop', only when I brake as described above...

I might try another 1/4 turn on the cap bolt and see what that does... I presume that (as long as the handlebars move freely with no tight spots) it's better to err on the firm side rather than the loose in terms of the bearing adjustment?

Thanks

nicklouse

well you may just pull the plug up the steerer tube. check the top cap is not bottoming out.

chriskempton

Try tightening your headset up as far as it will go without the forks being silly tight in the frame, and then give it a short test ride. This should let you eliminate the headset from the worry list for the knocking. Slacken headset back off again (to where you had it before) if that's not it.

Ian.B

Ben6899 wrote:

The more I think about it; the more I think this little bit of remaining play is something else - possibly the brake. That's attached to the frame at 5Nm, do we think that's enough?

The instructions for my Campag brakes say 10Nm, so may be worth tightening them up.

Ben6899

Thanks chaps, some things for me to consider.