Headset constantly coming loose

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Comments

  • lesfirth
    lesfirth Posts: 1,382
    Keezx wrote:
    In 95% of all cases of loosening headsets, the bung not staying fixed is the cause.
    The other 5% are "mechanics errors" , like lower race not being in place 100%, wrong model of bearings, steerer top too high, centering ring damaged or similar.
    Not a shadow of rocket science...

    Total B0llocks!

    Are you are trying to wind me up?

    My last post on the subject.

    Try as you may ,you can take a horse to water but you can not make it drink.
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,297
    Keezx wrote:
    In 95% of all cases of loosening headsets, the bung not staying fixed is the cause.
    The other 5% are "mechanics errors" , like lower race not being in place 100%, wrong model of bearings, steerer top too high, centering ring damaged or similar.
    Not a shadow of rocket science...
    Nonsense. The bung or on ali tubes the star nut are only needed to tighten the top cap and put sufficient preload on the bearings whilst the stem is tightened. As has been said many times on this thread it is the stem that holds everything together after initial installation. The top cap can be removed, the only purpose of the bung after initial fitting is to stop the stem damaging carbon steerer tubes by supporting them internally.
    Kinesis Pro6
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  • michael7
    michael7 Posts: 18
    I have a 25 year old bike, not a cheap thing, and the two not very nice looking spacers under the stem appear to be bound (stuck in place) on the carbon steerer. They won’t budge. So far I've only used a hand grip. Any suggestions?
  • brundonbianchi
    brundonbianchi Posts: 689
    Once the headset is correctly tensioned, and the stem is correctly tightened to the steerer, that tension is ‘frozen in’ you can sling the top cap and bung / star nut in the bin if you want, it doesn’t matter. As long as everything stays constant in the components, the tension won’t change.
  • brundonbianchi
    brundonbianchi Posts: 689
    edited September 2020
    michael7 said:

    I have a 25 year old bike, not a cheap thing, and the two not very nice looking spacers under the stem appear to be bound (stuck in place) on the carbon steerer. They won’t budge. So far I've only used a hand grip. Any suggestions?

    I’d say leverage is key to this. Very carefully wind on a long handled monkey wrench, and increase your torque very gently until the spacers release. If you’re super careful you could try cutting through the spacers with a dremmel ( or similar) and cutting disc, then putting a pair of needle nosed pliers into the cut and prizing the spacers apart, but there is a bit of a risk of cutting into the steerer.

  • david37
    david37 Posts: 1,313
    vice grip is perfect for this job.
  • michael7
    michael7 Posts: 18
    brundonbianchi said:

    michael7 said:

    I have a 25 year old bike, not a cheap thing, and the two not very nice looking spacers under the stem appear to be bound (stuck in place) on the carbon steerer. They won’t budge. So far I've only used a hand grip. Any suggestions?

    I’d say leverage is key to this. Very carefully wind on a long handled monkey wrench, and increase your torque very gently until the spacers release. If you’re super careful you could try cutting through the spacers with a dremmel ( or similar) and cutting disc, then putting a pair of needle nosed pliers into the cut and prizing the spacers apart, but there is a bit of a risk of cutting into the steerer.


    Yes, thank you. Cutting will be a last resort. Will try the hairdryer and mole grips tomorrow.
  • michael7
    michael7 Posts: 18
    edited September 2020
    david37 said:

    vice grip is perfect for this job.


    Thank you. I’m a bit concerned about causing unseen damage to a spindly 1 inch carbon steerer.
  • michael7
    michael7 Posts: 18

    While we’re at it can anyone find/recommend a 1 inch threadless headset? Only half decent one I can find so far is an FSA Orbit X 1 inch threadless at SJS cycles.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,237
    25 year old bike with a carbon steerer? That is most unusual... fork carbon blades, yes, but typically the steerer was metal
    left the forum March 2023
  • michael7
    michael7 Posts: 18
    edited September 2020
    ugo.santalucia said:

    25 year old bike with a carbon steerer? That is most unusual... fork carbon blades, yes, but typically the steerer was metal


    It’s a mk-2 C40 Team Lampre from around 95 but it has an old Look HSC carbon fork, not the original which was probably a steel precisa. However the early Star fork was introduced around 95 and the paint job was similar to the steel one. Been looking for a 1 inch Star fork for a while now. There’s two apparently new (really?) going on ebay for a mere £800 each so I won’t be getting one.
  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    michael7 said:

    ugo.santalucia said:

    25 year old bike with a carbon steerer? That is most unusual... fork carbon blades, yes, but typically the steerer was metal


    It’s a mk-2 C40 Team Lampre from around 95 but it has an old Look HSC carbon fork, not the original which was probably a steel precisa. However the early Star fork was introduced around 95 and the paint job was similar to the steel one. Been looking for a 1 inch Star fork for a while now. There’s two apparently new (really?) going on ebay for a mere £800 each so I won’t be getting one.
    You could probably find a frameset (including the Star fork) for not much more!
    Ben

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  • michael7
    michael7 Posts: 18
    Ben6899 said:

    michael7 said:

    ugo.santalucia said:

    25 year old bike with a carbon steerer? That is most unusual... fork carbon blades, yes, but typically the steerer was metal


    It’s a mk-2 C40 Team Lampre from around 95 but it has an old Look HSC carbon fork, not the original which was probably a steel precisa. However the early Star fork was introduced around 95 and the paint job was similar to the steel one. Been looking for a 1 inch Star fork for a while now. There’s two apparently new (really?) going on ebay for a mere £800 each so I won’t be getting one.
    You could probably find a frameset (including the Star fork) for not much more!

    Exactly.
  • bianchimoon
    bianchimoon Posts: 3,942
    edited October 2020
    If I'm reading this correctly, I have had this ongoing problem with one of my bikes a Bianchi Intenso with full carbon fork, everything tightens up nicely, headset firm, but as soon as the stem is tightened to correct torque hold front brake and headset goes 'loose', release stem bolts slightly and rock solid. Only solution Is to find the sweet spot of safe torque which is slightly below recommended
    All lies and jest..still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest....
  • drexel1975
    drexel1975 Posts: 70
    bianchimoon said:

    If I'm reading this correctly, I have had this ongoing problem with one of my bikes a Bianchi Intenso with full carbon fork, everything tightens up nicely, headset firm, but as soon as the stem is tightened to correct torque hold front brake and headset goes 'loose', release stem bolts slightly and rock solid. Only solution Is to find the sweet spot of safe torque which is slightly below recommended

    Had this problem with a 2015 Intenso and changed the expander plug for a more substantial one than Bianchi provided. The original was a piece of shit but when replaced I have had no problems since.
  • bianchimoon
    bianchimoon Posts: 3,942
    edited October 2020
    I changed expander as that's the first thing that came to mind, seems you can only buy expanders made out of cheese round here :)
    All lies and jest..still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest....
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,237
    fuxxing expanders... I always mean to upgrade my forks to full carbon, but the sheer nonsense of expanders is putting me off.
    left the forum March 2023

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