Front fork play

[SquareDaff]

Recently changed out the stem on the road bike. Fixed the new one vertically tight against the spaces so that no play was evident between the forks and frame but after riding for 20 or so miles then some play is evident again!! This has happened a couple of times now - I keep removing the issue on the bikes regular maintenance (i.e. by loosening the stem and pushing it down to remove play - then retightening).

Is there something I'm not doing? I always thought movement between the fork and frame was a bad thing.

 

[accountantpete]

Do you have a top cap?

The usual method is

loosen stem bolts

tighten top cap until no play

re-tighten stem bolts

 

[SquareDaff]

I do - cheers for the help - will give it a go tonight.

 

[Svendo]

I'm assuming you have an 'aheadset' threadless type headset, rather than a quill stem from your description. The headset bearings need to be pre tensioned (pulled together) with the bolt in the topcap, so that you have free movement of the steering but no play of the fork steerer within the frame's steerer tube. This can sometimes take a couple of readjustments to settle down when initially assembled, as the components 'bed together'.
From your post I wonder if your just using your weight to tighten the stem on the steerer rather than the more secure and precise adjustment available using the topcap?

Information on adjusting threadless headsets: Headset Adjustment - Threadless Type about 4/5 of the way down
or Adjustment (Threadless) about 2/3 of the way down.

One tip is having made sure the stem bolts are tight enough to keep the top cap tight as insurance. Other 'outside chances' are that the starnut or bung in the steerer isn't tight enough. My bung in a carbon steerer needs carbon fibre assembly paste to stay put. These seem unlikely as it presumably worked with the previous stem.

Hope that helps.

 

[Svendo]

Do you have a top cap?

The usual method is

loosen stem bolts

tighten top cap until no play

re-tighten stem bolts

Ah cross posted! This is a much more succinct way of putting it.

 

[SquareDaff]

Ah cross posted! This is a much more succinct way of putting it.

I understood both - thankjs for your help - will check out tonight. Hopefully, as your say, it just requires a couple of minor adjustments.

 

[SquareDaff]

That seems to have fixed it. Will know in a couple of days when I'm next riding it but looking promising. Cheers for the help. :-)

 

[boydj]

It may be stating the obvious, but make sure you are tightening the top cap against the top of the stem or a spacer and not the top of the steerer.

 

[fossala]

This was the first mechanical mistake I made. Done many more since then though...

 

[SquareDaff]

This was the first mechanical mistake I made. Done many more since then though...

It's the only way to learn unfortunately - lesson learnt - onwards to more mistakes!