I put in both bearings – top and bottom inserted the fork, screwed down the preload top cap, and then tightened the pinch bolts all with a torque wrench but it feels SO stiff.
I am attempting to build up a trek checkpoint from the frame and a bit lost here…
What am I missing?
by BavardR
3 Comments
At what point did it get stiff? Top cap or stem bolts? Could be you over tightened the top cap, it doesn’t need to be crazy tight, just there to keep things snug/preloaded
Top cap don’t need a torque wrench. It needs _just enough_ to take up any slack, before tightening the stem pinch bolts
If there’s no middle ground between play and tight steering when tightening the top cap, you might need a headset microspacer or two to prevent the bearing cover from dragging on the frame.