Specialized Allez creak and headset top cap torque setting

benws1

Hello.

I have a 2019 Specialized Allez aluminium bike with a carbon fork, I think. This one here:

https://www.cyclesolutions.co.uk/30278/products/specialized-allez-2019-road-bike--blackcharcoalclean.aspx

I have only owned it a year and not really ridden it a lot. Took it out on Tuesday for the first time this year and noticed a really annoying creaking/popping noise when I'm in the saddle and pedalling. To fix this, I thought I would start with the headset.

Stripped headset yesterday, found very little grease around the bearings and the bearing faces, so I reassembled with lots of grease in the right areas. When doing this, I noticed some writing on the top of the headset/stem which states 'align stem clamp 9nm' (see attached pic).



Does this mean the headset top cap needs to be tightened to 9nm? I thought that top caps were only done up as tight as possible to reduce play in the headset/fork area?

Also, I noticed the bolt in the picture (which the headset bolt screws into) was loose. So I nipped this up. Does this need to be tightened to 9nm too, or just the headset top cap bolt?

I rode the bike this morning and it seemed quieter for about 5 - 10 minutes, then the dreaded creak/popping noise reappeared. I hadn't done the top cap up to 9nm (because everything I have read just says nip the top cap up to reduce play) and when I got home, it seemed a little loose again.

To sum up, I have never seen a headset like this before with another bolt in the top of the fork that the top cap bolt screws into (my other bike has a star nut thing), and the writing on the stem says 9nm, so does the top cap need to be done up to 9nm?

Thanks all.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

As a gneral rule, that bolt in the photo needs to be firmly (but not ham-fisted) tight, so that the steerer tube bung wedges against the steerer and stays in the intended place. If it's loose, you risk the topcap tightening (which as you say, should just be lightly tight before you tighten the stem's steerer clamp bolts) pulling the steerer bung upwards and creating some unwanted play.

9nM between the stem and the handlebars sounds excessive to me, with a bit of carbon paste between my alloy stem and the clamping points on my Wazoo's upgraded Knuckleball (carbon) bars, I'm using ~4nM.

benws1

Thanks.

I've done some reading and it looks like I need to align the triangle on the text to the stem clamp, then tighten to 9nm.

Thanks again.

benws1

I just stripped the headset again. Couldn't align the triangle so just tightened the bolt in the fork to 8nm. On reflection, I cant beljeve it was loose. Must have been loose from the factory as I havent ridden the bike much.

Reassembled everything so will see if the creak has gone now.

Thanks.

benws1

Update.

Creak gone.