Mountain Bike spacer snapped?

hussnainhabib

Hi,

So I have an XRATED mountain bike which has KALIN handlebars and stem. The problem is the spacer between the stem and handlebars was made out of plastic and overtime it just kept getting weaker and then eventually snapped in half. Now each time I brake from the front my handlebars move and are unstable. I am trying to find a spacer for the KALIN handlebars and stem but have literally no idea on were to start. I know there's the 1 1/8 spacer but im not sure if that will fit on my bike or not?

I have provided a link to the bike itself and will try to get a picture of the half broken spacer and handlebar/stem tomorrow.
http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/ss18 ... DC1349.jpg

Help will be appreciated!

nicklouse

Without pics of what has gone it is hard to say, but at a guess it is new headset time.

But let's see what has gone.

hussnainhabib

I will get a picture of the headset and spacer tommorow and upload it on here I dont mind buying a new spacer for it but the only problem is I can not find one on the internet. What would be really annoying is having to pay for new headsets seeing as they do cost a bit. Would have taken the pics today but its to dark so will do it tommorow! Thanks for the quick reply

The Rookie

The handle bars are usually clamped direct into the stem which then clamps round the Fork steerer.

Only time I have seen a spacer between stem and bars is when they are old fashioned 22.2mm touring bars, in which case just get some 25.4mm bars.

Or is it a headset spacer round the fork steerer?

nicklouse

as the spacers you mention are easy to find i bet it is part of the headset that has failed.

hussnainhabib

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RdH0NsyVF1Y/UcoO7HyKRSI/AAAAAAAAAN4/r3YXGBL1MKY/s328-p/IMG_0228.JPG

Thats the picture of the handle bar. There should be a plastic top cone just below the handlebar stem to cover the bearing and spacers but the plastic one I have is broken (thanks to the old bike owner). I am now trying to find a new one metal or plastic just so my handlebars do not rock forward and backward when applying pressure to them.

hussnainhabib

nicklouse wrote:

as the spacers you mention are easy to find i bet it is part of the headset that has failed.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ESfd ... Botoom.JPG

That is what the spacer looks like. The spacer is located just below the stem of the handlebars. The spacer is used to cover all the bearings and other spacers that are on the folks. It is basically like a top cap for the bearings and spacers. I know they are easy to find but I do not know what size I need to be getting? Any ideas?

hussnainhabib

The Beginner wrote:

The handle bars are usually clamped direct into the stem which then clamps round the Fork steerer.

Only time I have seen a spacer between stem and bars is when they are old fashioned 22.2mm touring bars, in which case just get some 25.4mm bars.

Or is it a headset spacer round the fork steerer?

Sorry for not being clearer, I meant the headset spacer round the fork steerer. My mistake.

nicklouse

ok it is not a spacer. it is part of the headset depending on the type of headset it is either the top adjusting race or top bearing cover.

they are not available separately but your LBS might have a box of old parts you could have a look in like this


or it is new headset time.

nicklouse

pictures this size are next to useless


so small no detail can be seen to ID what it actually is.

even at max zoom I am not sure if it is not the centering sleeve that should be under the top bearing cover that you also have missing.

reading this might help

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

cooldad

Spot what you're missing.


New headset.

hussnainhabib

cooldad wrote:

Spot what you're missing.


New headset.

This picture has definitely helped me. The part i am missing is the SEAL. I think this is why my bike forks keep rocking forwards and backwards. Could you by any chance look on the internet for the SEAL that will fit on my bike? I have no idea how I should measure the forks to know which size seal i need?

hussnainhabib

nicklouse wrote:

ok it is not a spacer. it is part of the headset depending on the type of headset it is either the top adjusting race or top bearing cover.

they are not available separately but your LBS might have a box of old parts you could have a look in like this


or it is new headset time.

Thanks for the information will ask my LBS for a top seal for the headset.

nicklouse

i never said top seal. and take your bike with you.

The Rookie

If it has a top seal as in that picture, iy serves no useful function other than stopping crud getting in, but not all are quite like those and on some that cap is functional as well.

hussnainhabib

nicklouse wrote:

The handle bars are usually clamped direct into the stem which then clamps round the Fork steerer.

Only time I have seen a spacer between stem and bars is when they are old fashioned 22.2mm touring bars, in which case just get some 25.4mm bars.

so do i ask for a top bearing cover?

hussnainhabib

The Beginner wrote:

If it has a top seal as in that picture, iy serves no useful function other than stopping crud getting in, but not all are quite like those and on some that cap is functional as well.

By looking at the picture you sent me I realised it is the seal i am missing from my headset. Before the seal was broken my handlebars did not rock forwards and backwards so it must have a big function if its going to stop my bike from rocking forwards and backwards?

delete_my_account

Given there's a compression ring, you could just replace the seal (harder to obtain) with a spacer ( really easy to obtain) and the headset should work as before. Obviously muck and water and stuff will be able to get in but it should work.

The Rookie

The seal only stops crud getting in, but remove it and you have to take up the slack by adjusting the bearing preload via the top cap.

hussnainhabib

The Beginner wrote:

The seal only stops crud getting in, but remove it and you have to take up the slack by adjusting the bearing preload via the top cap.

No the seal has some bumps at the bottom of it. Those bumps fit in between the gap of the forks which stops the forks from moving forwards and backwards. The first thing I did was tighten the top cap which did not help at all. In other words the seal works like a spacer aswell as a seal.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-JxmL ... hoto+1.jpg

^ That is what the Seal looks like from the bottom. You can see it has a bump on it which prevents the forks from rocking.

hussnainhabib

MichaelMLFC92 wrote:

Given there's a compression ring, you could just replace the seal (harder to obtain) with a spacer ( really easy to obtain) and the headset should work as before. Obviously muck and water and stuff will be able to get in but it should work.

Thats a good idea. I will go to my LBS and ask for a seal first and if not then ill just buy a spacer which fits my forks.

By any chance do you know how to check the fork sizes? I do not want to end up getting the wrong spacers/seal

The Rookie

If it has some bumps then it's not just a seal.....it's combined with the compression ring as has been pointed out further up the thread can be the case - noting you were the one that said it was the seal (and nothing else).

The Photo shows it is the compression ring as well, much harder to find a compression ring so you may be into a new headset.