Problems with steerer.

[stanngg]

I changed my stem but now the top cap bolt doesn't seem to be engaging anything when I tighten it back down. Doesn't seem to be compressing the bearings like it should. The only thing holding everything together is the stem. Am I missing something?

 

[alienator]

I changed my stem but now the top cap bolt doesn't seem to be engaging anything when I tighten it back down. Doesn't seem to be compressing the bearings like it should. The only thing holding everything together is the stem. Am I missing something?

It sounds like your steerer may be cut too long. With the cap out, the top of the steerer should be 2-3 mm's below the top piece on the steerer, i.e. the stem clamp or a spacer (if there's a spacer on top of the stem clamp).

 

[stanngg]

It sounds like your steerer may be cut too long. With the cap out, the top of the steerer should be 2-3 mm's below the top piece on the steerer, i.e. the stem clamp or a spacer (if there's a spacer on top of the stem clamp).

That makes sense. Because the stem I replaced was slightly taller. The stem I have now is a little shorter. So I guess I need to get a bigger spacer to make up the space. Correct?

 

[alienator]

That makes sense. Because the stem I replaced was slightly taller. The stem I have now is a little shorter. So I guess I need to get a bigger spacer to make up the space. Correct?

It depends on how much space there is between the top of the steerer and spacer or stem. A bigger spacer could do it. Cutting the steerer could do it. If you only need to gain 1 mm or so, sanding with emery paper could do it.

 

[alfeng]

That makes sense. Because the stem I replaced was slightly taller. The stem I have now is a little shorter. So I guess I need to get a bigger spacer to make up the space. Correct?

FWIW. A similar situation arose when I replaced an old CONTROL TECH stem with an FSA stem (the stem was being changed for cosmetic reasons -- the particular bike was being "updated" with an OS handlebar [a "cosmetic" change]) ... I decided it was faster, easier, and cheaper to simply add another spacer to the stack.