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    What goes in the fork stem hole?

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    16 Comments

    1. OptionalQuality789 on

      You are missing the internal plug in the steerer tube no?

      Also you need more spacers. Top cap won’t clamp anything down like that even with the internal expansion plug. 

    2. walton_jonez on

      Is that a carbon steerer? If yes you need an expander plug. It has a threaded hole in it so you can use it and a top cap to preload your headset bearings.

    3. bmagsjet on

      There should be a stem cap with a bolt that runs down the middle tbat you tighten a little to “pre load” the stem.
      Is there not some wiggle in the front? Not as obvious without a front brake I imagine.

    4. Masseyrati80 on

      There’s supposed to be a component called “expander” inside of the fork’s upper tube.

      The component I’m talking about is the third component from the top in the image on the left [in this link](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0640/5255/9917/files/3-types-of-bike-headset.png?v=1723442732). As it’s pushed a bit inside of the tube, threading the top cap’s threads on it and then tightening, the expander sticks to the tube’s walls, allowing the screw to tighten things up to a suitable tightness where the headset has no play but isn’t tight, either.

      Check with a flashlight – there might be one in there already.

      If you shop for one, make sure you get one that suits the tube type: the one I linked to is fine for metal, but forks with a carbon fiber tube need another type.

    5. scyule on

      Technically, once the preload on the headset bearing is correctly adjusted and the bolts that clamp the stem to the forks steerer tube are tightened , you no longer need the top cap or the star nut or spacers above the stem
      It looks CRAZY but you could ride that for the next ten years, no problem

    6. Diederiksft on

      Buy an expander plug if the steerer tube is carbon

      Buy a star nut if the steerer tube is aluminium

      Then buy a top cap with bolt.

    8. NocturntsII on

      A cap and a compression plug or stsr nut so you can add preload tension to the headset.

    11. sai_ismyname on

      offtopic: but his is exaclty the reason why i never use white bartape, and also change my bartape regularly

    14. Vylnce on

      Nothing needs to be in there for the bike to function. However, to do a headset adjust (while the bike is being built) you need something (star nut or expander plug depending on your steer tube) to provide tension against the cap for the adjustment. After that is done the stem locks the assembly into place and neither the fixation point or cap is “strictly” required. Most sane folks leave them there as one may (likely) need to adjust the headset in the future. However, they are required for function after assembly/adjustment.

    15. Greedy_Pomegranate14 on

      A top cap, which uses a preload bolt to attach to a star nut inside the fork

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