When I hold the front brake, I can still wiggle the forks 1-2mm inside the steering tube.
There are 'guides' at each end of the steering tube to make a snug fit, but they come loose. I have taken eveything off the steering column (cap, bars, spacer) and tried to tighten it all up, but after a ride this morning (15km) it is loose again. How can I tighten it up for good?
For reference, it is a Reynolds Ouzo fork, inside a 22cm steering tube. The cap and spacer thing are FSA, but it isn't the pspring tensioned one.
For reference, it is a Reynolds Ouzo fork, inside a 22cm steering tube. The cap and spacer thing are FSA, but it isn't the pspring tensioned one.
I'm assuming since it's an Ouzo that this is road Ahead. Step 1 should be to make sure the steerer is free of grease, at least under the stem. Now tighten the top cap bolt until there is no wobble, and then around 1/8 turn more. Make sure the fork turns freely. Finally tighten the pinch bolts on the stem. If it's a single bolt then tighten to approximately rated spec (should be on a sticker), if it's twin bolt then tighten both to the limits of pinching the allen key's shaft, then go for around 1/4 turn on each bolt in turn until neither will turn anymore at the rated spec.
As far as rated specification goes - off the top of my head it's normally around 5 Nm, which is very roughly equivalent to hanging a 5kg mass at 10cm - so if you're applying about the force to lift a half full bucket on the end of a longish allen key then you'll be in the ball park.
-- Dave Hughes | [email hidden] Remember Jeebus loves you. Or maybe he's just sucking up to get your old bike bits. - Phil Las Gourgues
For reference, it is a Reynolds Ouzo fork, inside a 22cm steering tube. The cap and spacer thing are FSA, but it isn't the pspring tensioned one.
I'm assuming since it's an Ouzo that this is road Ahead. Step 1 should be to make sure the steerer is free of grease, at least under the stem. Now tighten the top cap bolt until there is no wobble, and then around 1/8 turn more. Make sure the fork turns freely. Finally tighten the pinch bolts on the stem. If it's a single bolt then tighten to approximately rated spec (should be on a sticker), if it's twin bolt then tighten both to the limits of pinching the allen key's shaft, then go for around 1/4 turn on each bolt in turn until neither will turn anymore at the rated spec.
As far as rated specification goes - off the top of my head it's normally around 5 Nm, which is very roughly equivalent to hanging a 5kg mass at 10cm - so if you're applying about the force to lift a half full bucket on the end of a longish allen key then you'll be in the ball park.
Thanks Dave.
When you say cap bolt, do you mean the cap itself or the hex bolt underneath it? This one has a circular piece aroun 10mm thick, with an 'O' ring around it, and by tightening the bolt you spread the circular piece by drawing a conical section through the centre of it. The cap then screws onto the thread on the conical piece. I am sure there are proper names for these pieces, but I don't know them.
If I keep tightening the cap, then I think it is drawing the circular piece up the inside of the steerer.
When you say cap bolt, do you mean the cap itself or the hex bolt underneath it? This one has a circular piece aroun 10mm thick, with an 'O' ring around it, and by tightening the bolt you spread the circular piece by drawing a conical section through the centre of it. The cap then screws onto the thread on the conical piece. I am sure there are proper names for these pieces, but I don't know them.
There's the problem. You've got a wedge instead of a star fangled nut. Loosen it a couple of turns, then tap the bolt to loosen the wedge. Pull it out and wipe the inside of the steerer tube and the outside of the wedge clean. Then reinstall. The wedge should sit firmly, since that's what you're using to preload the bearings. If it's sliding, as they often can, then you're not getting the correct preload.
From memory the Ouzo has a metal steerer, so if that doesn't work take it to your LBS and pay $10 or so to have a star nut bashed into the top. That won't move, and you simply use a 5mm bolt through a cap on top to preload the bearings. Option C is to get a Headlock, which is a very long threaded two piece threaded rod with a cap on each end which goes all the way through the steerer to achieve the same thing. It weighs more, but you can pull it out once the stem is tight.
-- Dave Hughes | [email hidden] I think it's a beautiful day to go to the zoo and feed the ducks. To the lions. -- Brian Kantor
When you say cap bolt, do you mean the cap itself or the hex bolt underneath it? This one has a circular piece aroun 10mm thick, with an 'O' ring around it, and by tightening the bolt you spread the circular piece by drawing a conical section through the centre of it. The cap then screws onto the thread on the conical piece. I am sure there are proper names for these pieces, but I don't know them.
There's the problem. You've got a wedge instead of a star fangled nut. Loosen it a couple of turns, then tap the bolt to loosen the wedge. Pull it out and wipe the inside of the steerer tube and the outside of the wedge clean. Then reinstall. The wedge should sit firmly, since that's what you're using to preload the bearings. If it's sliding, as they often can, then you're not getting the correct preload.
From memory the Ouzo has a metal steerer, so if that doesn't work take it to your LBS and pay $10 or so to have a star nut bashed into the top.
It's a carbon steerer. What I might try is to pull it out, clean both the inside of the steerer and the 'O' ring, and then tighten the [censored] out of it (within reason), so it can't move at all.
Are these generally a cruddy version of tensioning the steerer?
Are these generally a cruddy version of tensioning the steerer?
Yes and no. If they've got oil or grease on the binding surfaces, they're a pig to get right. On the other hand they're a lot less likely to break a lightweight steerer than the star nut. Clean it up and it should bind. You can also pretension the wedge a bit by putting a spacer in between the top cap and the wedge so that it isn't being pulled up the steerer. Tighten to about the right level, then pull the bolt out and take the spacer off. The wedge should stay in place. Take very careful note of any torque specifications, because cracked carbon in a steerer is a recipe for disaster.
Bleve, do you have any other ideas for getting a wedge to stick in a carbon steerer?
-- Dave Hughes | [email hidden] Thus leading us to the obvious conclusion that all software should look like a nipple. - Eric the Read
Bleve, do you have any other ideas for getting a wedge to stick in a carbon steerer?
I've had two done at Quantum Bicycles in Perth (a frame builder) and both of them they've machined an aluminium plug to fit inside the steerer with a threaded hole through the middle for the tensioner bolt to screw into, and epoxied the plug into the steerer with that special epoxy that one uses for assembling frames made of carbon fibre tubes...has worked much better than those damn slipping expander things.
Bleve, do you have any other ideas for getting a wedge to stick in a carbon steerer?
Nope! I'm gaining a lot from reading your descriptions 🙂 My bikes are all alloy steerers, and generally we don't swap a lot of road forks around, it's not something I've come across.
Nope! I'm gaining a lot from reading your descriptions 🙂 My bikes are all alloy steerers, and generally we don't swap a lot of road forks around, it's not something I've come across.
Assuming you don't already have one at the LBS I'd highly recommend getting one of the Amoeba headlock style things (a few people do/have made them). I've got one on my silly SS at the moment because the steerer is about 1cm shorter than it really should be. The stem seems OK, but having something that is reasonably solid holding it on just in case is comforting, especially since you do tend to pull up on the bars a bit going up hills.
Anyway, having something that'll pull the headset together without loading up the steerer at all is something that could be quite useful in a workshop.
A trail fix if you don't have a working preload mechanism is to lock the brake and push the stem down as hard as possible. If you've got a tree or sign nearby you could probably get a mate to stand on it while you hold the brake and tighten the pinch bolt. This is dodgy, potentially dangerous, and highly inaccurate in the tension applied to the bearings. OTOH it's a *trail fix*, and riding out beats walking any day.
-- Dave Hughes | [email hidden] Mr Tulip's vices were also limitless, but he owned up to cheap aftershave because a man has to drink *something* -- Terry Pratchett
