Ticking headset

Quoted message said:

I have an Inbred (steel mountain bike) with rigid forks and a Cane Creek S2
headset.

I've recently had the stem changed and the headset has been adjusted so that
there is no play in the headset.

I have just noticed though that if I apply the front brake and rock the bike
there is a slight ticking/clicking noise which seems to be coming from the
top race. I was wondering whether this is okay? Would it just be the
bearings moving against the race as force is applied to the steerer or do I
need to tighten the headset?

I can detect no play in the headset, either whilst rocking the bike or by
grabbing the forks and trying to move them against the frame.

Thanks for any thoughts,
PJay

Your headset needs to be tightened. As with most bearings, it will do
better with a small preload, so tighten, check, repeat until it's
slightly past the no-click position.

If that doesn't silence the clicking, it could be a race moving in the
frame. Could also be the handlebar in the stem. Bood luck.

--
Ted Bennett
Portland OR

"Paul Davis" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I have an Inbred (steel mountain bike) with rigid forks and a Cane Creek S2
headset.

I've recently had the stem changed and the headset has been adjusted so that
there is no play in the headset.

I have just noticed though that if I apply the front brake and rock the bike
there is a slight ticking/clicking noise which seems to be coming from the
top race. I was wondering whether this is okay? Would it just be the
bearings moving against the race as force is applied to the steerer or do I
need to tighten the headset?

I can detect no play in the headset, either whilst rocking the bike or by
grabbing the forks and trying to move them against the frame.

Thanks for any thoughts,

Answer 1. If you have a good lawyer, you do not have a problem: in
the event of injury, someone, somewhere, will owe you a lot of money.

Answer 2a. A little freeplay in the headset is normal, so ticking may
not be cause for alarm.

Answer 2b. The stem might have some free play in the steerer tube.
The expansion bolt or wedge or whatever your particular stem uses only
grips at the bottom, which can leave the part emerging from the top of
the steerer with a little harmless free play.

In view of 1. above, I wish to point out that I know nothing about
bicycles and anyone who acts on the opinions stated above does so at
their own risk. In fact, I doubt that 2a or 2b are anything to do
with me. Furthermore, I deny that I ever even posted this.

Now that the Administration has legalised torture of foreigners, maybe
I should just resign from the Internet altogether.

"Paul Davis" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have an Inbred (steel mountain bike) with rigid forks and a Cane Creek

S2

Quoted message said:

headset.

I've recently had the stem changed and the headset has been adjusted so

that

Quoted message said:

there is no play in the headset.

I have just noticed though that if I apply the front brake and rock the

bike

Quoted message said:

there is a slight ticking/clicking noise which seems to be coming from the
top race. I was wondering whether this is okay? Would it just be the
bearings moving against the race as force is applied to the steerer or do

I

Quoted message said:

need to tighten the headset?

I can detect no play in the headset, either whilst rocking the bike or by
grabbing the forks and trying to move them against the frame.

It's possible that the creak is coming from the headset cups that are
pressed into the frame... if they just shift a tiny bit, it might cause a
noise.

I thought that this might have been the reason for my headset creaking when
I brake really hard on the front, but it turns out it's not the headset
cups. I've begun to wonder if it's the stanchions in the crown (not likely)
or the various parts of the headset against the steerer (possible), but I've
begun to live with it, since chances are that I'm going to break the fork
I'm riding right now.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

"ZeeExSixAre" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Paul Davis" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have an Inbred (steel mountain bike) with rigid forks and a Cane Creek

S2

Quoted message said:

headset.

I've recently had the stem changed and the headset has been adjusted so

that

Quoted message said:

there is no play in the headset.

I have just noticed though that if I apply the front brake and rock the

bike

Quoted message said:

there is a slight ticking/clicking noise which seems to be coming from

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

top race. I was wondering whether this is okay? Would it just be the
bearings moving against the race as force is applied to the steerer or

do

Quoted message said:

I

Quoted message said:

need to tighten the headset?

I can detect no play in the headset, either whilst rocking the bike or

by

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

grabbing the forks and trying to move them against the frame.

It's possible that the creak is coming from the headset cups that are
pressed into the frame... if they just shift a tiny bit, it might cause a
noise.

I thought that this might have been the reason for my headset creaking

when

Quoted message said:

I brake really hard on the front, but it turns out it's not the headset
cups. I've begun to wonder if it's the stanchions in the crown (not

likely)

Quoted message said:

or the various parts of the headset against the steerer (possible), but

I've

Quoted message said:

begun to live with it, since chances are that I'm going to break the fork
I'm riding right now.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

My bottom bracket creaks quite loudly when I pedal hard up hills but since I
got myself a portable MPG player with earplugs it doesn't bother me any
more.

Marty

Thanks,

I have tightened up the headset a little and the ticking has gone, the
steering is still nice and smooth.

Just out of interest, since the ticking was only coming from the top race
does it mean that by tightening things up until it stoppen that they
bearings in the lower race will be under more load?

Thanks again,
PJay

Quoted message said:

Thanks,

I have tightened up the headset a little and the ticking has gone, the
steering is still nice and smooth.

Just out of interest, since the ticking was only coming from the top race
does it mean that by tightening things up until it stoppen that they
bearings in the lower race will be under more load?

Thanks again,
PJay

No. The bottom race carries most of the load whether the bearing is
correctly adjusted or not. The top race's main job is to locate the
steerer tube in the center of the head tube.

--
Ted Bennett
Portland OR

Ted Bennett said:

Quoted message said:

Just out of interest, since the ticking was only coming from the top
race does it mean that by tightening things up until it stoppen that
they bearings in the lower race will be under more load?

No. The bottom race carries most of the load whether the bearing is
correctly adjusted or not. The top race's main job is to locate the
steerer tube in the center of the head tube.

The question was "*more* load?". Tightening the headset increases preload
on both upper and lower races, does it not?

~PB

Quoted message said:

Ted Bennett said:

Quoted message said:

Just out of interest, since the ticking was only coming from the top
race does it mean that by tightening things up until it stoppen that
they bearings in the lower race will be under more load?

No. The bottom race carries most of the load whether the bearing is
correctly adjusted or not. The top race's main job is to locate the
steerer tube in the center of the head tube.

The question was "*more* load?". Tightening the headset increases preload
on both upper and lower races, does it not?

~PB

Yes, of course. But that preload is far smaller than the load due to
the weight of the bike and rider, and even smaller than the transient
loads.

--
Ted Bennett
Portland OR