stem clamp bottoming out

Taking material off will only make the hole bigger and the problem worse.

If you want to do the job right, get a shim, or the proper sized handlebar/stem.

G

(ant) said:

i have a new threadless stem on a new set of wheels. with the correct sized handlebar, the stem
clamp bottoms out onto the main stem body around the time it is getting tight. consequently,
even when the clamp bolts are torqued as hard as is appropriate, i can rotate the bars with a
strong shove.

i put sandpaper in the clamp, a trick that sheldon advised for aerobars a while back, and they are
fine now. the sandpaper gave me a little clearance, and simultaneously more friction.

however, i wouldnt mind doing the job right. could i just take a little material off the main stem
body? i was thinking of a little filing, sanding, and rounding off the corners.

doesn't seem drastic to me. what about you?

cheers, anthony

Le Fourmis said:

i have a new threadless stem on a new set of wheels. with the correct sized handlebar, the stem
clamp bottoms out onto the main stem body around the time it is getting tight. consequently,
even when the clamp bolts are torqued as hard as is appropriate, i can rotate the bars with a
strong shove.

i put sandpaper in the clamp, a trick that sheldon advised for aerobars a while back, and they are
fine now. the sandpaper gave me a little clearance, and simultaneously more friction.

however, i wouldnt mind doing the job right. could i just take a little material off the main stem
body? i was thinking of a little filing, sanding, and rounding off the corners.

doesn't seem drastic to me. what about you?

If it's a two-bolt "pop-top" or "pillow block" type stem, this is OK. I'd take the material off ot
the front piece, not the stem body.

If it's a one-bolt stem with a single binder bolt, don't do it, because this type of stem physically
bends to clamp onto the bar, and if you bend it farther than it's s'posed to go it could facture.
This would not be fun.

Sheldon "Pop-Top Fan" Brown +--------------------------------------------------+
| What's not worth doing is not worth doing well. | --Don Hebb |
+--------------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗ sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗

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

Quoted message said:

Taking material off will only make the hole bigger and the problem worse.

If you want to do the job right, get a shim, or the proper sized handlebar/stem.

im not sure i follow you. im talking about taking material off the face of the stem, not out of the
hole/relief for the bar. that way i would gain a mm or two to screw the bolt down to spec.

the threaded holes are deep so i wouldnt suspect thread failure with this small modification. a shim
would do nothing, the stem and bar are correctly sized, AFAIK. the problem seems to be a poorly made
stem (it was a cheapo from a mailorder company.)

Sheldon Brown <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

If it's a two-bolt "pop-top" or "pillow block" type stem, this is OK. I'd take the material off ot
the front piece, not the stem body.

thanks to all who responded. it is, indeed, a 'pop-top', so ill have at it when im home. i had
thought to take the material off the body becuase it had more oompfh to it, but i imagine Sheldon's
note is good thinking, as the cap really needs little more material than a good washer (dont worry,
im not taking off much) and i wont have to deal with cleaning the threads on the stem body
afterwards.

cheers, anthony

Quoted message said:

GregR <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Taking material off will only make the hole bigger and the problem worse. If you want to do the
job right, get a shim, or the proper sized handlebar/stem.

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

Quoted message said:

im not sure i follow you. im talking about taking material off the face of the stem, not out of
the hole/relief for the bar. that way i would gain a mm or two to screw the bolt down to spec.

the threaded holes are deep so i wouldnt suspect thread failure with this small modification. a
shim would do nothing, the stem and bar are correctly sized, AFAIK. the problem seems to be a
poorly made stem (it was a cheapo from a mailorder company.)

I agree with you and Sheldon - taking a few file strokes from the bottom side of the faceplate is
the best solution.
p.s.- You can remain hep and manly while punctuating and capitalizing appropriately. And it doesn't
hurt a bit.
--
Andrew Muzi yellowjersey.orgyellowjersey.orgOpen ↗ Open every day since 1 April 1971

"A Muzi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I agree with you and Sheldon - taking a few file strokes from the bottom side of the faceplate is
the best solution.
p.s.- You can remain hep and manly while punctuating and capitalizing appropriately. And it
doesn't hurt a bit.

Busted!

(Sigh) I do use the shift key from time to time. It's not that I don't know my grammar, or am
ignorant and typographically slovenly (As Jobst might accuse). Nor is my type an attempt at
manliness, attitude, or 'hep'. (Really, I can't imagine it begs anything but the opposite).

I guess I've always had a naieve belief in the informality of the internet. I post in the same I
write email. Both of these media, I believe, come closer to conversation than to formal 'letters'.
Certainly, readers understand where my sentences begin and end. Does a capital letter truly make the
post more readable? Maybe readability is a function of what the reader is used to.

Anyway, old habits die hard.

(ant) said:

Certainly, readers understand where my sentences begin and end. Does a capital letter truly make
the post more readable? Maybe readability is a function of what the reader is used to.

Yes, it does. It introduces redundancy into the language, which means you can see either or both of
the marks together, instead of having to look with eagle eyes at just the one.

its even worse when people dont use punctuation at all and just keep their sentences running or not
and you dont really know what they are trying to say unless you look really hard and are a
mindreader

Jasper