Headset play

ali$tair
ali$tair Posts: 373
edited January 2011 in MTB workshop & tech
Swapped heaset spacers over and now have a little bit of play I cant get rid of.

Anyone got any tips of how to get rid of it?
Trek Fuel EX 8 (2010)

Comments

  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    add another spacer.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
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  • ali$tair
    ali$tair Posts: 373
    What I mean is, I had 30mm of spacers in there, swapped them for a 30 mm spacer and now I have movement, but I didnt before.

    I've made sure the steerer is pushed up in to the head tube as far as it go's and then pushed the stem down as far as possible. When the bike is still and I have the front brake on, if I rock forward and back I can feel movement.

    When I tighten up the stem, should I have the front wheel against something solid and me pushing forwards, does it work best if the bike is upside down? How do people do it?
    Trek Fuel EX 8 (2010)
  • antfly
    antfly Posts: 3,276
    Do you have the stem bolts loose when you tighten the top cap ?
    Smarter than the average bear.
  • ali$tair
    ali$tair Posts: 373
    No, I'm guessing that's how it should be done?
    Trek Fuel EX 8 (2010)
  • antfly
    antfly Posts: 3,276
    Yep. Just tighten the top cap up enough so there is no play, then tighten the stem bolts.
    Smarter than the average bear.
  • ali$tair
    ali$tair Posts: 373
    Seems so obvious now, was just doing it in the wrong order!!!

    The reason why I did it in that order, was because when I was undoing a top cap bolt once it snapped, and I was told by an online bike shop that the top cap bolt should never take any strain, should just be done finger tight?!
    Trek Fuel EX 8 (2010)
  • captainfly
    captainfly Posts: 1,001
    ali$tair wrote:
    Seems so obvious now, was just doing it in the wrong order!!!

    The reason why I did it in that order, was because when I was undoing a top cap bolt once it snapped, and I was told by an online bike shop that the top cap bolt should never take any strain, should just be done finger tight?!

    The top cap bolt doesn't take any strain, it pushes the the stem and spaces down on the framw and pulls the steere tube up, preloading he headset bearings, when you clamp the stem in place it holds the tensiion in the bearings, in theory (and practice with the BMX to put the break cable through whiLe waiting for a hollow bolt SFN) you can take the top after that.
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