loose, rattling from headset or forks

fredy
fredy Posts: 308
edited January 2012 in MTB workshop & tech
Hi guys, just taken my bike out for a ride and there is something loose up front, either around the headset area or the forks. I have no idea what it is because everything feels tight by hand but when applying a shock to the front wheel some thing rattles and it can be felt through the handle bars. It is not the wheel (occurs when wheel is removed), i dont think its the handle bars or brakes/shifters and it's not cables either. Any ideas?

I will e-mail canyon and see if i can get it looked at and fixed under warrenty, but if i can do it my self then all the better!
The bike in a canyon nerve AM 7 if it helps.
Cheers

Comments

  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    Cables touching?

    New bike? Old bike? first ride? Or.......
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
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  • fredy
    fredy Posts: 308
    Not the cables, i dont think they would oscillate with enough force to be felt through the handles and if they did they would have much greater damping than i am experiencing.
    It is a new bike, only 40 miles done on it so far, made up of about 3 or 4 short ride. Nothing done on it thats too rough that the bike shouldn't be able to handle either.
  • Northwind
    Northwind Posts: 14,675
    Pretty basic but have you checked the headset is tight? That'd cause what you describe and also pretty normal in a new bike.
    Uncompromising extremist
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Apply the front brake and gently rock forward and back, look for play in the headset. Might feel some play but that could also be suspension compressing slightly.
  • fredy
    fredy Posts: 308
    deadkenny wrote:
    Apply the front brake and gently rock forward and back, look for play in the headset. Might feel some play but that could also be suspension compressing slightly.

    I like this idea! will try it out, cheers!
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Most new bikes need readjusting after a bedding in period. So as above, check headset bearings and adjust if necessary, and check ALL bolts on the bike, and readjust gears if neccesary.

    This needs doing every so often
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  • fredy
    fredy Posts: 308
    Well i have tried the brake and wiggle technique and that has shown that it's the head set that is has play. I have tightened it up via the bolt at the top of the head set but to no avail (says 5Nm max which i rememebr being fairly loose anyway).
    Am i doing it wrong?
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    You need to loosen the stem first, then do the top bolt.

    The top bolt just draws the stem up. The stem holds it in place.

    Once you've done the top bolt, tighten up the stem to torque and that will hold it.
  • fredy
    fredy Posts: 308
    Ahhhh that'll be where i'm going wrong. Cheers!
  • R0B75
    R0B75 Posts: 376
    Also, is the top of your stem level with the top of the steerer tube. Mine was on a new bike a couple of years back. If so, move a spacer from below the stem and place on top of the stem and then re-tighten as advised above.
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  • Chunkers1980
    Chunkers1980 Posts: 8,035
    That won't work - you'll have same stack height - new spacer would be required!
  • R0B75
    R0B75 Posts: 376
    I know what you're saying but it cured my issue strange as it sounds.
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  • Chunkers1980
    Chunkers1980 Posts: 8,035
    Is strange the same as really odd?
  • R0B75
    R0B75 Posts: 376
    Chunkers1980 wrote:
    Is strange the same as really odd?

    Yes, yes it is...

    I never quite understood why it worked but I was a Cannock at the time and my mate suggested it and it fixed my issue because before that I was tightening my headset evey 20 minutes. A year later a guy on a Ghost (another new bike) had the same problem. We suggested the same fix and it worked for him too! When I think about it, it shouldn't work, but it does.
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  • Chunkers1980
    Chunkers1980 Posts: 8,035
    No,what you can only be experienceing then is a mal-adjusted headest, to well.
  • richg1979
    richg1979 Posts: 1,087
    Just fit a small spacer under top cap to be sure, then really tighten the top cap down quite tight then loosen and re-tourqe.

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