Help - handlebars not staying place

Gawnsoft said:

The handlebars do not stay in position w.r.t. the front wheel. i.e. it's possible to turn the
handlebars and have the frone wheel not turn with them.

At the very top of the stem, there's a female-allen-head bolt dropping vertically down into
the stem.

Which (if any) should I be adjusting?

The one I didn't snip above. It might be a good idea to loosen it a bit, pull out the stem, clean
and apply corrosion protection (GT85 or similar would do) to it and the inside of the tube, and
reassemble nice and tight.

--
Jim Price

jimprice.dsl.pipex.comjimprice.dsl.pipex.comOpen ↗

Conscientious objection is hard work in an economic war.

Gawnsoft said:

This is going to sound hopelessly ignorant, but...

I visited a neighbout today, and her boy's Raleigh MTB-ey bike has a problem.

The handlebars do not stay in position w.r.t. the front wheel. i.e. it's possible to turn the
handlebars and have the frone wheel not turn with them.

There appears to be three things which might be adjustment points for this.

At the very top of the stem, there's a female-allen-head bolt dropping vertically down into
the stem.

That's the one you want, it needs tightening up. But while you're at it, you might want to take out
the whole strem (which means further undoing the top allen nut, until it protrudes about 5 mm,
lightly tapping it with a hammer to release the bolt and pullling it straight out - you could well
have to release the brake cables too) and grease the threads on the bolt and nut at the end of the
stem. This will facilitate the tightening of that top allen nut.

gb

Quoted message said:

Just above the bracket for the front brake cable there's a dome-headed nut.

Just below that bracket there's a ring with a milled edge

Which (if any) should I be adjusting?

Cheers, Euan Gawnsoft: gawnsoft.co.srgawnsoft.co.srOpen ↗ Symbian/Epoc wiki: html.dnsalias.nethtml.dnsalias.netOpen ↗
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"Gawnsoft" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

This is going to sound hopelessly ignorant, but...

I visited a neighbout today, and her boy's Raleigh MTB-ey bike has a problem.

Quoted message said:

Which (if any) should I be adjusting?

In this age of liability and litigation none of them based on your level of ignorance :-)

Pete

Gawnsoft said:

The handlebars do not stay in position w.r.t. the front wheel. i.e. it's possible to turn the
handlebars and have the frone wheel not turn with them.

If it's this bad, then you need to adjust at least two things.

What you have is some form of "threadless" or "Aheadset"
sheldonbrown.comgloss h.htmlOpen ↗ I like these, they're quick to adjust and they only
need an Allen, not a big octagonal wrench.

The Allen down the length of the stem is used to pre-load the adjustment. Then you tighten up the
small bolt that clamps the stem to the steerer tube. Once this is tight, the pre-load bolt is
superfluous (but leave it in place).

You can't adjust the pre-load if the stem is still clamped tight (this isn't your case).

You can't adjust the stem without disturbing the bearing setting. Whenever you adjust this, re-set
the bearing pre-load.

Andy Dingley said:

What you have is some form of "threadless" or "Aheadset"

Um, my analysis of why this chap has a quill stem, NOT an aheadset goes like this:

He said: "Just above the bracket for the front brake cable there's a dome-headed nut." Now, "bracket
for the front brake cable" suggests canti brakes, and therefore probably an older bike. You don't
see many bikes with threadless headsets and canti brake hangers. Also, where would the "dome headed
nut" be on an aheadset, exactly? It sounds like the lock nut on a threaded headset to me.

He said: "Just below that bracket there's a ring with a milled edge" Sounds like the bearing
adjustment nut on a threaded headset to me.

I'd be interested to know how you came to the conclusion its a threadless design with
those features.

--
Jim Price

jimprice.dsl.pipex.comjimprice.dsl.pipex.comOpen ↗

Conscientious objection is hard work in an economic war.

Quoted message said:

Um, my analysis of why this chap has a quill stem, NOT an aheadset goes like this:

Well you learn something new every day! I also understand threadless headsets but can't envisage the
problem described.

I was hoping to help but I can't. Lucky there are lots of people on here with a broad range of
experience.

--
...meandering mule...

Quoted message said:

It might be a good idea to loosen it a bit, pull out the stem, clean and apply corrosion
protection (GT85 or similar would do) to it and the inside of the tube, and reassemble nice
and tight.

I suggest using grease instead of anything thinner because it will last longer.

~PB

Pete Biggs said:

Quoted message said:

It might be a good idea to loosen it a bit, pull out the stem, clean and apply corrosion
protection (GT85 or similar would do) to it and the inside of the tube, and reassemble nice
and tight.

I suggest using grease instead of anything thinner because it will last longer.

The reason I use GT85 is laziness[1] - I don't have to take the quill out to re-apply it during a
service, thanks to its penetrating properties. I've not had any problems with it, but then as I
hinted, any corrosion protection would do about the same job.

[1]That well known advanced form of efficiency.
--
Jim Price

jimprice.dsl.pipex.comjimprice.dsl.pipex.comOpen ↗

Conscientious objection is hard work in an economic war.

Jim Price said:

Um, my analysis of why this chap has a quill stem, NOT an aheadset goes like this:

In the absence of a picture, I'd suggest that we're both pissing up a rope !

Quoted message said:

You don't see many bikes with threadless headsets and canti brake hangers.

Apart from my two 8-)

Quoted message said:

Also, where would the "dome headed nut" be on an aheadset, exactly?

Clamping the stem in place. I wouldn't describe the nut on a threaded headset as "dome headed".

Andy Dingley said:

On Sat, 23 Aug 2003 19:48:37 +0100, Jim Price <[email hidden]> wrote: In the absence of a
picture, I'd suggest that we're both pissing up a rope !

True, a picture would help, as would a comment from the original poster.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

You don't see many bikes with threadless headsets and canti brake hangers.

Apart from my two 8-)

In the non-standard department, I've got a bike with a threadless headset, a canti brake hanger and
a 20" front wheel in a 26" fork with a U brake...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Also, where would the "dome headed nut" be on an aheadset, exactly?

Clamping the stem in place.

You're sure that wouldn't be a dome headed hex bolt (or even two) doing that, or do you have two
of these? 🙂

Quoted message said:

I wouldn't describe the nut on a threaded headset as "dome headed".

They vary quite a bit. I have one which I could call "dome headed with a hole", but not as dome
headed as the blind dome headed nuts frequently found on brake assemblies.

--
Jim Price

jimprice.dsl.pipex.comjimprice.dsl.pipex.comOpen ↗

Conscientious objection is hard work in an economic war.

On Sun, 24 Aug 2003 12:26:20 +0100, Jim Price <[email hidden]> wrote (more or less):

Quoted message said:

Andy Dingley said:

On Sat, 23 Aug 2003 19:48:37 +0100, Jim Price <[email hidden]> wrote: In the absence of a
picture, I'd suggest that we're both pissing up a rope !

True, a picture would help, as would a comment from the original poster.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

You don't see many bikes with threadless headsets and canti brake hangers.

Apart from my two 8-)

In the non-standard department, I've got a bike with a threadless headset, a canti brake hanger and
a 20" front wheel in a 26" fork with a U brake...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Also, where would the "dome headed nut" be on an aheadset, exactly?

Clamping the stem in place.

You're sure that wouldn't be a dome headed hex bolt (or even two) doing that, or do you have two of
these? 🙂

Quoted message said:

I wouldn't describe the nut on a threaded headset as "dome headed".

They vary quite a bit. I have one which I could call "dome headed with a hole", but not as dome
headed as the blind dome headed nuts frequently found on brake assemblies.

"Dome headed with a hole big enough for the stem to pop out the top"

And yes - having just been to the SheldonBrown page cited earlier in the thread, a picture /is/
worth a thousand wods in these cases. :-)

Thanks for the help folks.

I suspect that, due to the fact it's a Raleigh bike, it'll be a Raleigh threaded headset.

Cheers, Euan Gawnsoft: gawnsoft.co.srgawnsoft.co.srOpen ↗ Symbian/Epoc wiki: html.dnsalias.nethtml.dnsalias.netOpen ↗
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Gawnsoft said:

I suspect that, due to the fact it's a Raleigh bike, it'll be a Raleigh threaded headset.

Might be but not necessarily. My 1984/5 Raleigh tourer forks have a standard thread.

~PB