Help: Loose Headset Problem

[C.H. Luu]

Hello,

I'm having a problem with my headset always coming loose. After a few
bike rides the headset loosens up. I mount the stem on the steerer
tube of the fork and load the headset with the compresssion plug.
Everything works fine until I go for a long ride. I tried increasing
the load on the headset with the compression plug, but the problem
returns. I did notice something very odd on the headset. I use a
Cane Creek S-8 headset. The space between the upper cup and the
bearing cap is uniform when I load the headset to remove the play.
However, as soon as I torque down the stem's steer tube clamp bolts,
the spacing is no longer uniform. In fact, the spacing near the rear
of the headset becomes compressed, compared to the forward area of the
headset.

Does this mean that the bearings of the headset are no longer evenly
loaded, leading to the loosening of the headset? I do use a torque
wrench to tightened the stems steerer tube clamp bolts.

Hardware:

Headset - Cane Creek S-8
Stem - Thomson X2
Fork - Easton EC90 SLX (Carbon Steerer)
Compression Plug - Profile Design Compression Plug

Any help is very much appreciated. Thanks.

Claude
[email protected]

 

[Mark Hickey]

"C.H. Luu" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I'm having a problem with my headset always coming loose. After a few
>bike rides the headset loosens up. I mount the stem on the steerer
>tube of the fork and load the headset with the compresssion plug.
>Everything works fine until I go for a long ride. I tried increasing
>the load on the headset with the compression plug, but the problem
>returns. I did notice something very odd on the headset. I use a
>Cane Creek S-8 headset. The space between the upper cup and the
>bearing cap is uniform when I load the headset to remove the play.
>However, as soon as I torque down the stem's steer tube clamp bolts,
>the spacing is no longer uniform. In fact, the spacing near the rear
>of the headset becomes compressed, compared to the forward area of the
>headset.
>
>Does this mean that the bearings of the headset are no longer evenly
>loaded, leading to the loosening of the headset? I do use a torque
>wrench to tightened the stems steerer tube clamp bolts.
>
>Hardware:
>
>Headset - Cane Creek S-8
>Stem - Thomson X2
>Fork - Easton EC90 SLX (Carbon Steerer)
>Compression Plug - Profile Design Compression Plug

The scary thing is that the stem is tightening down "crooked"... my
biggest concern is that the steer tube itself might be damaged
(possibly by too much torque trying to get the slippage to stop). I'd
pull the fork and check the steer tube VERY carefully.

The other thing that occurs to me is that a badly prep'd head tube
could cause similar problems, though I'm not sure why the "gap" would
occur only upon tightening down the stem clamp.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $795 ti frame

 

[[email protected]]

On Feb 1, 2:11 pm, Mark Hickey <[email protected]> wrote:
> "C.H. Luu" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >I'm having a problem with my headset always coming loose. After a few
> >bike rides the headset loosens up. I mount the stem on the steerer
> >tube of the fork and load the headset with the compresssion plug.
> >Everything works fine until I go for a long ride. I tried increasing
> >the load on the headset with the compression plug, but the problem
> >returns. I did notice something very odd on the headset. I use a
> >Cane Creek S-8 headset. The space between the upper cup and the
> >bearing cap is uniform when I load the headset to remove the play.
> >However, as soon as I torque down the stem's steer tube clamp bolts,
> >the spacing is no longer uniform. In fact, the spacing near the rear
> >of the headset becomes compressed, compared to the forward area of the
> >headset.
>
> >Does this mean that the bearings of the headset are no longer evenly
> >loaded, leading to the loosening of the headset? I do use a torque
> >wrench to tightened the stems steerer tube clamp bolts.
>
> >Hardware:
>
> >Headset - Cane Creek S-8
> >Stem - Thomson X2
> >Fork - Easton EC90 SLX (Carbon Steerer)
> >Compression Plug - Profile Design Compression Plug
>
> The scary thing is that the stem is tightening down "crooked"... my
> biggest concern is that the steer tube itself might be damaged
> (possibly by too much torque trying to get the slippage to stop). I'd
> pull the fork and check the steer tube VERY carefully.
>
> The other thing that occurs to me is that a badly prep'd head tube
> could cause similar problems, though I'm not sure why the "gap" would
> occur only upon tightening down the stem clamp.
>
> Mark Hickey
> Habanero Cycleshttp://www.habcycles.com
> Home of the $795 ti frame

I have a stem (useless) where the bore for the bar is not square to
the stem. So to get the bars square to the wheel, the stem needs to
poke off to one side a bit. Perhaps his stem has the steerer bore
canted a bit.

Joseph

 

[A Muzi]

C.H. Luu wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I'm having a problem with my headset always coming loose. After a few
> bike rides the headset loosens up. I mount the stem on the steerer
> tube of the fork and load the headset with the compresssion plug.
> Everything works fine until I go for a long ride. I tried increasing
> the load on the headset with the compression plug, but the problem
> returns. I did notice something very odd on the headset. I use a
> Cane Creek S-8 headset. The space between the upper cup and the
> bearing cap is uniform when I load the headset to remove the play.
> However, as soon as I torque down the stem's steer tube clamp bolts,
> the spacing is no longer uniform. In fact, the spacing near the rear
> of the headset becomes compressed, compared to the forward area of the
> headset.
>
> Does this mean that the bearings of the headset are no longer evenly
> loaded, leading to the loosening of the headset? I do use a torque
> wrench to tightened the stems steerer tube clamp bolts.
>
> Hardware:
>
> Headset - Cane Creek S-8
> Stem - Thomson X2
> Fork - Easton EC90 SLX (Carbon Steerer)
> Compression Plug - Profile Design Compression Plug

Are you certain the centering spacer is in place between the upper cone
and the steerer? If it is upside down or missing you'll have that symptom.
Oh, and a bearing retainer upside down might also do that.

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