Is my steerer tube too short?

Reidy36

On my Richmond Park ride last week i noticed i was getting some juddering when braking. Beofre going out today i did the pre ride checks and found some movement in the forks when rocking back and forwards.

Got the Allen keys out, undid the stem clamp bolts, and then proceeded to tighten the compression bolt, all appeared to be going well until i went too far and ended up snapping the compression bolt somehow (bit peeved off).

Anyway, i noticed that the steerer tube only comes up level to the top stem clamp bolt, and although probably fine, thought i would check that is the right height as would have thought that it would come level to the top of the stem clamp.

Would having the steerer tube not flush with the top, cause me any problems, i got the frame and forks second hand and had the bike built up from bits cheap off ebay etc, and have changed the stem clamp. The top bearing race is wider than the one that came with the frame and forks originally, therefore the steerer tube appears shorter than it was.

As it's my birthday this month, are some new forks needed?

TIA

nicklouse

as long as the top of the steerer is above the center of the top clamping bolt. this is if the steerer is not carbon.

if the steerer was flush with the top of the stem you would not be-able to pre-load the bearings.

have a read
http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-hel ... et-service

Reidy36

Thank you.

I have just checked and the top of the steerer tuber appears to be level with the top of the top bolt.

Was going to put the bike in for a sevice anyway, so will have to get this sorted as well.

gds08

Reidy if you have snapped the compression bolt when tightening it then you have way over tightened it. The compression bolt requires only very slight tightening in order to take up any play in the bearings. Any tighter and it will completely lock up the headset so that you have no steering movement at all. The other matter of the gap at the top of the steerer tube to the top of the stem can be very easily sorted by changing the thicknesses of the spacers fitted below the stem. For example, take off a 5mm one and replace with a 2.5mm one and the stem moves down by 2.5mm. You only need a couple of millimetres from the top of the stem to steerer tube top as Nicklouse said to allow for the top cap to compress down on the stem and take up and slack.
Hope this all helps.

Reidy36

Thank you both. Bike is going into lbs in the morning for a service and to get this fixed. I have noticed a creaking sound when riding the bike so hopefully this is what the creaking was.
I will be ok to ride it down to the lbs in it's current state won't it, only got to freewheel down the hill.

nicklouse

gds08 wrote:

Reidy if you have snapped the compression bolt when tightening it then you have way over tightened it.

or in most cases not tightened it at all. as the stem bolts had not been undone first.

Reidy36

Although I did loosen the stem bolts, I obviously didnt loosen them off enough. Lesson learnt there.
What has concerned me is the amount of travel when the front brake is locked on or when travelling at speed, must be close to 2 mm of travel, not good when meant to bee tight, not ridden bike much, so think I will have to check more often.
Will be ok riding to shop with stem bolts tight won't it.

Ben6899

Reidy36 wrote:

Although I did loosen the stem bolts, I obviously didnt loosen them off enough. Lesson learnt there.
What has concerned me is the amount of travel when the front brake is locked on or when travelling at speed, must be close to 2 mm of travel, not good when meant to bee tight, not ridden bike much, so think I will have to check more often.
Will be ok riding to shop with stem bolts tight won't it.

There will be play/travel in the fork, if the headset bearings are not preloaded. Which they won't be, if the steerer bung has broken. Personally, I would push the bike. Riding on a loose headset could damage the bearings and - in extreme cases - the machined bearing seats in the frame itself.

Push it.