Hey r/bikewrench I’m new to working on bikes and I switched out the stem on my Kilo TT and ever since then there is a slight wobble in my headset. Also if I tighten down the top cap bolt tight enough to get rid of the wobble there is friction when I turn the handlebars left and right. Maybe I am assembling the headset wrong? I attached a video of me putting it back together, thank you for the advice!
Headset wobble? What am I doing wrong?
byu/Sekretgarden inbikewrench
by Sekretgarden
7 Comments
Your steerer tube is not long enough to use that tall of a spacer below your stem. The top of the steerer should be 3-4mm below the top of the stem.
It also looks like the spacer sits loose on the steerer? Like its diameter is mismatched?
Take out the spacer below the stem, your fork’s steerer tube is too short to use with it.
Your bearings are also dry as a bone. For the love of God, please put some grease in there
So.
* Grease the bearings
* You’re missing a top cap that goes over the compression washer that will also protect the headset bearings
* The black spacer is unneeded, it also looks like it’s too big
* Place the stem directly on the compression washer
* If the steerer sticks out a little that’s fine, put the black washer or a 10mm washer on top of it then screw down the preload cap.
I had this recently, it was the ping ring being out in the wrong order for me – Once I got the order correct it was all snug
That’s how that kind of headset works. You have to tighten the top tap enough to get rid of wobble it’s literally a preload, you tighten it to get rid of wobble then you tighten the stem which is what locks everything in place so that the top cap bolt isn’t stressed. The reason that you’re feeling friction is because you haven’t greased your bearings.
Headset is going to wobble until you properly set the preload.
Also, I’d remove that black spacer or install a shorter one and grease the bearings.