How to adjust a threadless bicycle headset. (How it works and how to adjust it.)

[macleod348]

Thank you! This video was invaluable.

[JeremyTheSpectacular]

Amazing video deff going to sub keep posting tips and how to great job man .

[oem21]

Thank you. Very useful and informative. particularly the "how it works" section at the start

[traingp7]

This video is why I love my cannondale mountain bike. No starnut or top cap or spacers to dick around with.  Never needs adjusting like in this video and is always perfect. Just a bearing pressed into a cup that's pressed inot the frame top and bottom "newer ones have bearings pressed into frame with built in cup for them eliminating one more part. Just have a steerer tube pounded through the bottom of headtube up and then just put stem on and tighten two stem bolts. No fork crown race also.

[WheeliePete]

@traingp7 Ahh yes, but the problem with that (as has always been the case with cannondale) is that a lot of that is proprietary tech so you are forced to use their stuff, or at best, have a very limited aftermarket. My beef with proprietary tech and Cannondale goes all the way back to the 1 1/4" headtubes of the early 90's that they used on the road bikes and Mtn. bikes. Anyone else remember the pepperoni forks?

[traingp7]

@WheeliePete Cannondale makes a adapter now so you can use their fork on a standard 1 and 1/8th headtube bike. As far as being limited to their lefty fork that isn't a problem for me as it is one of the best and most expensive forks out their that I love. They make several different angle stems so you can find the one that's right for you. I'm lucky enough to be riding a USA made frame and like being on one of the few USA made bicycles I see on the bike trails and road.

[WheeliePete]

@traingp7 Not arguing with you. Cannondale generally makes a great product. Glad you have a lefty that doesn't have the death wobble problem. (Seen and ridden one of those first hand...) I cried when Cannondale ceased ALL frame production in the USA in 2009 (Carbon frames have been imported from Tiwan since 2007). Big reason why I'll never own another one. I owned lots of the USA made road and Mtn. bikes through the 90's and loved them. :-(

[bakerfan2]

i have a star angled nut ...and that got loose inside and now my top cap wont tighten up ..wut should i repair

[WheeliePete]

@bakerfan2 If your star-fangled nut has come loose (I have no idea how this is possible as they are a one-way pressed in item) your best bet it to remove it (usually the only way to remove the star fangled nut is to hammer it through the bottom of the fork steerer tube if the tube is open all the way down) and replace the nut with a new one. If you have to replace it, I would just buy an expanding nut type like the one in the video. DO NOT USE A STAR FANGLED NUT ON A CARBON STEERER!

[bakerfan2]

i was tightening up the top cap and i did it too much and now the inside has a problem something is loose ...what do i need to repair ?? please someone help!

[JESSEJAMES1551]

EVERYTHING IS TIGHTNED ON MY BIKE, AND IT STILL RATTLES.. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING??

[WheeliePete]

@JESSEJAMES1551 Most likely you do not have enough gap between the top of your steerer tube and the top cap. You have to have enough room (either using spacers or having the stem slightly above the top of the steerer tube) so that the top cap won't bottom out on the top of the steerer tube before it applies preload to the bearings.

[WheeliePete]

Or, you don't have your stem loose enough when you tighten the top cap. When you are tightening the top cap the stem should be loose enough to move around. If the stem is too tight and you crank down the top cap you won't preload the bearings, you'd just be tightening the top cap against the top of the stem compressing the distance between the top of the stem and the cap, not the distance between the cap and the fork crown.

[enyceckk1o11]

Very nice video! How many mm of spacers did you used @ 11:00 below the stem?

[WheeliePete]

@enyceckk1o11 Had to go measure the bike, but the spacers are as follows under the stem: 35mm total spacers under the stem. (1) 20mm spacer, (3) 5mm spacers

[enyceckk1o11]

@WheeliePete Thanks for the reply.

[bendingpixels]

Fantastic WheeliePete, you're a great teacher!!

[wazzawabbit]

Great tutorial! Thanks for the info. That diagram was very helpful.

[WheeliePete]

I'm not totally sure if it was clear in the video or not, but when I loosened up the stem prior to tightening the top-cap, I tightened the stem bolts just enough to keep the stem from flopping around (almost nothing pressure wise). The stem needs to be loose enough that when you tighten the top cap the stem can be pushed down the steerer tube. Once the bearing preload is set and the slack is taken out of the system, then you crank down the stem bolts to fix the stem in place.

[traxxasslash26]

Great Vid Wheeliepete!

few questions though:

1. How far above the steering tube can you space up, to mount the stem?

2. What kind of headsets do you reccomend for MTB?

3. Should locktite be applied?

Thanks!

[WheeliePete]

@traxxasslash26 #1 You can go quite a ways up, but I don't like to go much farther than what you see in the video. Obviously, the farther up the steerer tube you go the more leverage you put on the steerer tube so you increase the stress.

#2 I like name brand headsets: Cane Creek, Chris King, Crank Brothers. The headset in the video is actually a Crank brothers Iodine DH mountain bike headset, I love that thing...it's pretty bullet/idiot proof.

[WheeliePete]

#3 No need for Loctite unless you have issues with specific bolts loosening up. I use a torque wrench and tork my stem bolts all to spec. If you do use Loctite, make sure you use BLUE loctite (non-permanent).

on #1 again, with a road bike it's not *as* critical, but on a mountain bike (especially DH and FreeRideI would mount the stem as close to the upper headset bearing as I can to avoid putting undue stress on the steerer tube. If full-on SUCKS to shear off a steerer tube at speed.

[WheeliePete]

Doh...#2 again...that headset is actually a Crank Brothers OPIUM, not an Iodine...

[traxxasslash26]

@WheeliePete Awesome, thanks for the info!