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Guys, I dropped my handle bars a couple of weeks ago to get lower on the front. Went out for a 60 miler yesterday and it feels good. As such I am gonna cut the excess steerer tube that sits above the stem to shave some weight. After farting around for about 1/2 hour, my attempts to move the star nut lower inside the fork by tapping on it did not get me anywhere. Is there a special tool out there that shops use to move this sonofabitch..?!? Or am i better off just taking it to the LBS..?
Paul
Paul..
There is a special tool, but it's not necessary. Put the stem cap in place (to keep the bolt straight), and thread the bolt into the star nut, but only a few turns. Leave it very loose so there's room to drive it down. Then use a hammer and a block of wood on the bolt to drive the star nut further into the steerer tube. Works like a charm, though a longer bolt may help if you have to move it a long way.
Good call on using the stem cap as a guide. I have set the star nut in the past for the same reason and had a little issue keeping it straight. I did not use a special tool or a guide. One nice thing about the tool is it's pretty heavy so things feel nice and sturdy while driving the nut. Just be patient and don't whack the hell out of it.
Ok.. thanks for the info. A little clarification though...
- Do I remove the fork from the bike and wail on the bolt?
- Do I leave the fork attached to the bike and wheel?
I'm afraid all the pounding while the fork is not 100% tight will do some damage to the headset/wheels/ skewers.
Paul
Paul..
You can leave it on the bike. It won't hurt anything. It really doesn't take much to make the star nut move--certainly nothing those components can't handle. If you're REALLY concerned about the headset, you can leave it properly adjusted and leave the stem tight and still do what you need to to the star nut.