Giant integrated headset

[martint235]

Ok, I stripped and cleaned my headset at the weekend. This morning when I left home it was tight and actually quite stiff on the steering. However after about 5 miles it was rocking again. What am I doing wrong? Should I be bouncing it up and down a bit before I leave home?

 

[YahudaMoon]

Ok, I stripped at the weekend. This morning when I left home it was tight and actually quite stiff. However after about 5 i was rocking again. What am I doing wrong? Should I be bouncing it up and down a bit before I leave home?

No idea. Have you seen a doctor ?

 

[GilesM]

Just sounds like everything was not properly in position when you tightened it up, and when you started to ride it, things moved into place, hence the slack, or the bolts clamping the stem to the steerer tube were not tight enough (careful you don't over tighten though), just try doing it up again, if you take the front wheel out and support the fork under the crown with one hand as you tighten the bolt down through the steerer with the other, you should be able to feel that everything is sitting together properly, once you have smooth rotation and no play, (and obviously a stem pointing straight ahead) then tighten the two stem bolts that clamp the steerer. Go for a little ride around by your house, try a few wheelies, jump up and down a couple of steps, kerbs etc., anything to give the headset a few gentle shocks to make sure it's all still okay.

 

[2Loose]

I am an advocate for raising the wheel off of the floor and using the top stem bolt to draw the fork up into its proper place before tightening the stem clamps. This seems to get the fork & headset all sat together perfectly before tightening.

Everytime I try to tighten the headset with the wheel on the ground, I end up with less than perfect adjustment and some symptoms similiar to the OP.

 

[martint235]

Thanks all. I'll give it another go tomorrow.

 

[fossyant]

Yes - useful to bounce about a bit and turn bars left right, and don't over pack the grease - hence the movement. I normally do this with bars/stem, then get the sinking feeling a day or two later as they rotate down.

 

[accountantpete]

If it is seated correctly then the only movement must be caused by the stem moving upwards.

 

[martint235]

This doing my nut now. Stripped it down again yesterday, put it together again and once again 5 miles in it's moving. You can see the cap below the spacers sliding across the top of the steerer tube, should part of this cap be "engaged" within the headset to stop this? Should I take off the little rubber ring thing?

My understanding is that once the stem bolts are tightened, the bolt at the top is redundant, it's no longer doing anything. So as accountantpete says this must mean the stem is moving upwards somehow. B*******d if I know how though.

 

[GilesM]

Have you got enough spacers for the steerer tube length, when you tighten up the bolt in the centre of the stem, with the two bolts on the stem that clamp the steerer tube loose, does the headset tighten up, or does the top cap clamp onto the top of the steerer tube, I recently saw this problem on a brand new bike, which I thought was a bit crap of the bike maker, and the shop that sold it, it wasn't a cheap bike, and it wasn't bought from Halfords.

 

[martint235]

Yeah there's definitely enough spacers.

All I can think of is degreasing the clamp again, degrease the steerer tube and maybe run over it with a rough file. Either than or try to fit a rubber strip between steerer and clamp.

 

[GilesM]

Yeah there's definitely enough spacers.

All I can think of is degreasing the clamp again, degrease the steerer tube and maybe run over it with a rough file. Either than or try to fit a rubber strip between steerer and clamp.

It sounds a bit strange, however rubber strips and a rough file sound a bit OTT, if you really think the stem is moving on the steerer tube, then try some of this stuff, the small tube will be enough, I use it on seatpins, and stem to carbon bars.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=30012

 

[martint235]

Thanks for that. I'll see if I can get my hands on some quickish. As earlier this week I had the steering so tight it was stiff to move, the clamp must be moving up the steering tube. I can't think of any other way it's becoming loose.

 

[Mista Preston]

Mart, where your top bolt goes in do you have a spacer? If not try putting a spacer between the top bolt and stem so it sits in something other than the stem reccess. Its just an idea that worked for me on my Giant stem on the TCR. I have some spare spacers if you need any.

 

[martint235]

Cheers Clive but touch wood I've sorted it. Tomorrow morning will tell

 

[martint235]

Ok didn't work. I think I'm getting there though, it isn't as bad today. Something clicked when I was putting it all back together last night.

I think I'll try Clive's idea although I'll just move the thinnest spacer up and over the stem to see if that works for now.