I switched out my stem recently and now I can’t seem to get the extra play out of the headset. It is my understanding that with a threadless stem you put the plug in, tighten the bottom bolt and then tighten the top bolt to suck it up against the races, fork, ect. Then you tighten your other stem bolts and off you go. Except that does not seem to work and I’m at a loss.
Suggestions, anyone?
Chad
Keep the stem bolts loose and tighten the cap first. Just make sure the stem is straight
Chad,
The new stem is likely not as tall top to bottom as your old stem and the top cap is butting up against the steerer tube, preventing it from tightening the assembly. If that is the case, then you need to add another spacer to provide ~ 1/8" gap between the top cap and the steerer tube.
Ivan
Keep the stem bolts loose and tighten the cap first. Just make sure the stem is straight
+1. The stem bolts should be barely finger tight (tight enough to keep things straight but no tension on the interface) until the top bolt in the cap has been adjusted to set the tension.
could be that too.
“It is my understanding that with a threadless stem you put the plug in, tighten the bottom bolt and then tighten the top bolt to suck it up against the races, fork, ect.”
That’s incorrect. Put the stem on but don’t tighten any of the bolts. Install the top cap and tighten it until snug (don’t crank it). That loads the bearings in the headset. Then you position your stem and tighten the stem bolts. By tightening the bottom stem bolt before the top cap you’re preventing the top cap from loading the headset bearings.
“It is my understanding that with a threadless stem you put the plug in, tighten the bottom bolt and then tighten the top bolt to suck it up against the races, fork, ect.”
That’s incorrect. Put the stem on but don’t tighten any of the bolts. Install the top cap and tighten it until snug (don’t crank it). That loads the bearings in the headset. Then you position your stem and tighten the stem bolts. By tightening the bottom stem bolt before the top cap you’re preventing the top cap from loading the headset bearings.
If you don’t tighten the compression bolt (not to be confused with a stem binder bolt) enough you will still have play. If that happens just loosen all bolts and repeat the process with slightly more torque to the compression bolt.
Typically, most people over-tighten the compression bolt though and you’ll get a nice grinding sound when you turn the wheel if thats the case–your headset won’t last as long also. There is a sweetspot that you should be able to dial in with practice.
Finicky little bugger isn’t it?
Integrated? Is the stack height of the new stem equal to the last stem - or did you get more spacers?
Depends on the type of steerer tube and the compression plug/star-fangled nut used…with carbon steerer tubes, the compression plug isn’t used to snug everything together, it’s more to keep the steerer tube from being crushed by the stem.
Ah, I thought he was referring to the bottom bolt on his stem, not the bolt on the compression plug - i.e. he was tightening his stem before his top cap.
My explanation was not clear, but I think you helped me to diagnose the problem. I meant tighten the bottom bolt of the cap, not the stem, but I am using a shim with a 1 1/8 diameter stem and it is VERY tight. I suspect too tight for the top cap to move it at all. Knowing that, I will figure out how to make it work.
Thanks go to you and the others who piped up.
Chad