Cervelo Headset

mbrune

I have a cervelo R3 (2018) and have been getting a rattling in the headset. When I disassemble and reassemble the headset I tighten until I don't get any movement in the headset while holding the brake and rocking the frame, but it still rattles when on the road. I can tighten it up to the point where it doesn't make noise, but that seems well beyond (like a half turn) where it doesn't move against the frame. I don't want to overtighten the thing as I know it's just a thin piece of carbon fiber that I'm pushing against, so my question is, if anyone else out there has the same bike, how tight did you have to make your headset top cap?

By the way I have read posts that indicate that a integrated headset takes a bit more torque than other older versions. I just don't want to overdo it and break the carbon seat. Also, I have taken it back to the shop where I bought it, and he said he couldn't discern the rattle. I'm tempted to go back and ask him to disassemble and reassemble the headset looking for issues, but I need the bike to ride and live about an hour drive from where he is.

Thanks

Michael

Matthewfalle

We've owned and built 3 Cervelos (Soloist, S5 and S3) and never had any issues - order correct headset, assemble as normal, job jobbed.

Are you sure its the right headset and its been installed properly? Have you taken it to another shop or had someone who knows what they are doing have a look? Nothing silly like new headset/old crown race?

pilot_pete

Are you sure the top cap is tightening everything up correctly and not just tightening a bit and bottoming out on the steerer tube before all the slack is taken up in the bearings? Can happen if a steerer has been cut down and left a mm too long.

If you can’t see if it is bottoming out and have a spare headset spacer, remove the top cap and put that on before re-tightening the top cap. This will ensure that the top cap is not bottoming out on the steerer. If the bear8ngs still have play then they are probably shot (or at least the bottom one is which tends to get more road crud thrown at it).

PP

mbrune

Matthewfalle wrote:

We've owned and built 3 Cervelos (Soloist, S5 and S3) and never had any issues - order correct headset, assemble as normal, job jobbed.

Are you sure its the right headset and its been installed properly? Have you taken it to another shop or had someone who knows what they are doing have a look? Nothing silly like new headset/old crown race?

I doubt it's anything like you describe, the shop owner takes pride in his work and warranties all that he does. He has volunteered to completely disassemble and reassemble the headset with new parts to see if that solves the issue. If that doesn't do it I'll look into having another shop take a look. I just wanted to make sure the problem was not simply that the it was too loose. Other bikes I own basically just need to get to the point where there is no slop in the headtube and they are good, no rattle, no looseness. This one I get to that point and there is still a rattle in the headtube when I drop the front wheel. Makes me think it's not tight enough. I go a little further and it snugs up a bit, but the rattle persists. It doesn't have that firm connected sound of my old bike when I bounce the front tire.

Thanks for the reply. Sounds like the process should be the same as my other bikes and something is amiss. I'll post back here once it's disassembled reassembled if I learn anything new.

mbrune

Pilot Pete wrote:

Are you sure the top cap is tightening everything up correctly and not just tightening a bit and bottoming out on the steerer tube before all the slack is taken up in the bearings? Can happen if a steerer has been cut down and left a mm too long.

If you can’t see if it is bottoming out and have a spare headset spacer, remove the top cap and put that on before re-tightening the top cap. This will ensure that the top cap is not bottoming out on the steerer. If the bear8ngs still have play then they are probably shot (or at least the bottom one is which tends to get more road crud thrown at it).

PP

There is a gap in the stem that I can see the toptube through, there is still clearance between the steerer and the cap when tightened down (not a lot, 2-3 mm). So I'm guessing I'm not just tightening to the steerer yet. I might take an aluminum spacer off of the old bike just to see if that helps, but given that I can see the clearance I'm inclined to think it won't make a difference.

Thanks for the thought, I'll peek a little closer this afternoon to verify that I'm not missing something.

mbrune

Turns out the bottom bearing was out, explaining some of the issue. Added another spacer at the top just to be safe, replaced the bottom bearing, and it's riding quiet as a mouse at the front end now. So much better! Thank you for the helpful replies.