Integrated headset preload

deaco...@gmail.com

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Dec 27, 2016, 1:42:42 PM12/27/16

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My Wilier has. Carbon Fork with carbon steering tube. After 3 years I decided to clean the headset and grease. It is an FSA. I think it was a waste of time I was not having problems but since I was doing some routine cleaning I gave it a go. Seems the bearings are not really serviceable sealed do not come apart. Well I cleaned and put grease on what I could and on the upper and lower races.

What I noticed setting preload was it was a fine line between too much and too little. I got the fork correct no movement with brake clamped, seated nicely. A little more and it would bind a bit turning. Then I notice I can turn the spacers by hand. They are not loose but will move if I grabbed them to rotate. When the steering is turned they all rotate with the whole column.

My research seems to say the spacers should not be able to rotate by hand if preload is correct. I cannot seem to get it to do this without too much and binding a bit turning. So what do the experts here think. Now am going to say it was like this before I did the cleaning I could rotate them by hand. My other bike has the same set up and I can rotate those spacers too. So far I have made it 13000 miles. I am wanting the definitive answer.

Deacon Mark Cleary

jbeattie

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Dec 27, 2016, 3:06:55 PM12/27/16

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There is no recommended torque value for the top cap, but I would guess it is no more than a few NM to get proper adjustment without bearing binding. That's not a lot of torque, so if you have slippery spacers and strong hands, I imagine you could move the spacers. I've never checked mine. If the headset is snug, I'm pretty much done.

-- Jay Beattie.

AMuzi

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Dec 27, 2016, 3:17:24 PM12/27/16

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Definitive answer = Yes.

When you ditz around with an aheadset adjustment you may
possibly end with the centering cone stuck in the right
position but the top adjuster bolt not tight. In that case,
it will turn properly without play and the spacers, which
bear no load, will spin. If ridden, the headset would loosen
right away. Just try again, incrementally tightening until
there is no play rather than loosening until it doesn't bind.

--
Andrew Muzi
<www.yellowjersey.org/>
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

cycl...@gmail.com

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Dec 27, 2016, 3:57:06 PM12/27/16

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On Tuesday, December 27, 2016 at 10:42:42 AM UTC-8, deaco...@gmail.com wrote:

As the local expert Andrew Muzi will tell you, there isn't any "preload". You tighten until there is no up and down play and no more. At this point you can still hand rotate the spacers but they really have no bearing in the matter.

Find this point may require a little tightening and loosening to practice before you can feel it.

DATAKOLL MARINE RESEARCH

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Dec 27, 2016, 9:46:21 PM12/27/16

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amazing language quagmires

Tosspot

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Dec 28, 2016, 4:52:31 AM12/28/16

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I've just checked my Galaxy, it requires a bit of effort, but they can
be rotated. Also, no steering head play and full movement, so probably
at the correct tension.

jbeattie

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Dec 28, 2016, 9:52:22 AM12/28/16

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And maybe he got a little grease on the spacer faces after greasing the bearing cartridges.

-- Jay Beattie.

DATAKOLL MARINE RESEARCH

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Dec 28, 2016, 12:44:35 PM12/28/16

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veering from preload not preload.... in a perfect world correct preload then accurate torque with optimal grease allows spacer movement when contacting an immovable object at speed.

I'm working on an under front end fog lamp bar ...fondling hardware at the Naples Ace this morning boasted idea that a forward stop tensioned with 2 triangulating springs from strapping hung of the bumper bottom would be trick ... if a moment of no motion vibration is available.

or maybe a small motion frequency is better than no motion ?

anyone profess skill preloading worn surfaces ?

Doug Landau

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Dec 28, 2016, 4:14:39 PM12/28/16

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http://www.graphzines.net/cartes-postales/carte-postale-peed-skills.html

Joerg

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Dec 29, 2016, 4:10:08 PM12/29/16

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A hose clamp would hold them in place 8-)

BTW, my road bike threaded steerer has not come loose anymore ever
since. Probably 1000mi or so. Not once.

--
SCNR, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Andre Jute

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Dec 29, 2016, 6:26:07 PM12/29/16

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I have a Trek built in a very limited edition (mine is the proto) by Trek Benelux with a semi-integrated headset and a whole row of spacers to bring the handlebars to where I like them, and I just checked the spacers.
http://coolmainpress.com/BICYCLINGsmover.html
They don't turn, and I don't remember that they ever did or, as you did, I would have asked about it in one of the bicycle spaces on the net I frequent.

On my Utopia Kranich, on which the threadless headset is not integrated, the aheadset stack, including spacers is held together by a twin-bolt seatpost clamp, with the n'lock stem above that adding no further pressure. No turning here either. Photo at http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=3930.msg26347#msg26347

Seems to me that if spacers can turn, the pressure when riding the bike will be variable and the whole assembly will soon loosen itself. A solution is to replace the spacer immediately above the headset with a seatpost clamp, so that clamping is independent of fitting the stem.

Andre Jute

deaco...@gmail.com

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Dec 30, 2016, 12:53:33 PM12/30/16

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Update. I went back took the fork out and the bearings. Cleaned again and grease on the races just a little. The applied the pressure and hit the preload correct. It was perfect. Now there is no play at all and the spacers do not move, I could probably get them to turn if I used the Vulcan death grip. All is going good. The wheel turns correct and no binding.

The difference between this and the first try is actually I could apply more preload and no binding when turning the wheel. Muzi was correct I think I just did not have it all lined up correctly going back to square one is the key

Deacon Mark

DATAKOLL MARINE RESEARCH

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Dec 30, 2016, 2:35:13 PM12/30/16

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PRE PREload. unexpressed reason for pre load.

butbutbut have you checked load at 45 degree areas ? with a digital torque wrench ?

James

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Dec 30, 2016, 7:49:38 PM12/30/16

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On 30/12/16 08:10, Joerg wrote:

>
> A hose clamp would hold them in place 8-)
>
> BTW, my road bike threaded steerer has not come loose anymore ever
> since. Probably 1000mi or so. Not once.
>

Without the use of an kludge, my headset has not come loose since I
installed it, which was tens of thousands of kilometres ago.

--
JS

Joerg

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Dec 31, 2016, 2:34:16 PM12/31/16

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Mine is from the Shimano 600 EX. Back when I was living in Europe other
riders were complaining about it coming lose as well no matter how hard
they torqued the top nut. So ...

Some day I'll get a new one of better design. Maybe. That ranks really
low on the priority list because the kludge works well.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/