Anyone any good with quill or ye olde stems?

daniel_b

Hello all,

we picked up this bike yesterday:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330798801120?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

It's a 20 year old bike, but it's just for my gf's mum to ride, she will not go far, and she may not even like it, so for £20 it was worth a punt.

Bought it home, and realised that it appears the headset is a bit loose, as in if I hold the front brake, I can move the bike back and forward a bit - is this the death knell of the bike, or might I be able to do something with it...?

I'm not even sure if it is a quill stem, I can take a close up pic if that might be of help?

Many thanks

Dan

rolf_f

It's not the stem - just the headset. You'll need to take the stem out and unscrew the headset components, clean and regrease and reassemble.

The worse that's likely to happen is that the headset might need replacing due to poor condition of the bearing surfaces - you should be able to get something for less than £20 and it shouldn't cost much to get fitted. The main issue is if the crown races (which are pressed into the head tube) need to be changed.

Of course, you could just tighten the headset as is but that might be a bad call in the long run. Should be plenty of useful online instructions but the whole things is pretty straightforward aside from the aforementioned crown races.

mudcow007

underneath the stem will be a big nut - this is a lock nut

underneath the lock nut is a bearing race cone/ nut this needs to be tightened a touch then tightened into the lock nut

if that makes sense

daniel_b

Doh sorry, yep wrong part I was referring too :oops:

Thanks chaps, I will have a trawl online and see what I can find, but thankyou for those pointers, will have a look at the weekend in more detail.

Is this a reasonable article?
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/workshop-how-to-service-a-headset-22225/

mudcow007

Daniel B wrote:

Doh sorry, yep wrong part I was referring too :oops:

Thanks chaps, I will have a trawl online and see what I can find, but thankyou for those pointers, will have a look at the weekend in more detail.

Is this a reasonable article?
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/workshop-how-to-service-a-headset-22225/

try this one

Clicky

nicklouse

Daniel B wrote:

I'm not even sure if it is a quill stem, I can take a close up pic if that might be of help?

please do as it does look like it has some extenders or something going on there.

and some reading

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

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

kelsen

Oh, quill and stem! I thought this was another 'aficionado of fine implements' thread