It’s an uno stem and there appears to be an even gap on top and bottom after tightening it down gütenteit. Don’t come at me I ordered a torque wrench I’m just waiting on it. ChatGPT said it should be flush in the bottom with an even gap on top but this seems okay and I test rode it and it was okay. See images
by ChardeeMacdennis125
9 Comments
Some stems say no gap bottom then torque the top bolts to spec. But that is a special case.
Unless you have instructions saying something else, an even gap top and bottom is the way to go. Tighten gradually, in a pattern.
So long as its evenly torqued and you did a pattern on it then id run it as is. Some have a gap some dont
I’ve installed countless stems over the last 20+ years. This looks fine to me.
I gotta ask, though…what does “flush in the bottom” mean?
Do not listen to chat gpt on mechanical problems. Told me to put 4 qts of oil on my car when really it needed 5.
With that said, it is best to have even gaps on top and bottom of stem, so you did well. Nothing needs to be flush.
All my stems look pretty much like that – even gap on top and bottom. As long as you don’t over tighten and crack the bars you’re good
Some stems want it to be even but some specify “no gap” on one side so they want that side completely tightened then tighten the opposite side to the torque spec. If you don’t see the “no gap” on the stem anywhere then this looks fine. 5nm is snug but don’t kill it.
Some stems specifically require that the top half of the clamp be bottomed out and then the lower section be adjusted to torque spec. Those stems are clearly marked. Otherwise, you want an even gap on both halves of the stem. Tighten the bolts in a sequence and make sure the gap is identical, top and bottom. You can check the torque when all 4 bolts are snug and the gap is perfectly even.
Don’t ask AI for mechanic advice. The information it spit out was misleading and incorrect. There are tons of reputable ways to learn about bikes. Check out Park Tool videos on YouTube.
You need the space between the two parts of the stem to be equal and generally you can put a torque of 5-6 nm. Tightening cross.