Threadless headset question

[Ray]

I'm relatively new to threadless headsets - just within the last year and a few months. I have two of 'em now and both of them seem to be clicking. I'm not absolutely certain that the headset is the cause, but I've pretty well eliminated all of the other possibilities I can think of.

Can overtightening cause this? In adjusting these pups (they're both Kings, btw), I tighten just until there's no play when I grab the front brake and push the bike up and back against the front wheel. Then I tighten up the stem bolts and figure I'm good. A couple of times, I've found that its loosened up a bit using this method, so I'll tighten a bit more, but still well short of feeling any stiffness in the movement of the head tube. I frankly don't know whether I'm over-tightening or under-tightening or getting it right. The bikes ride fine - I don't feel any play or tightness in the front end. But there's a click that's independant of pedalling and independant of sitting or standing. So I don't believe it's in the drive train or seatpost/saddle area. I can't replicate it off the bike (grab the brake and push fore and aft against a restricted front wheel and nothing, nada, zilch) but it's pretty close to constant when I'm riding.

Any ideas?

-Ray

[eddief]

On my Steve Rex I had a noise which was the cable housing ferrule moving inside the headtube mounted cable guides. This only happened occasionally and of course only when turning side to side in either direction. I think I gave it a squirt of one lube or another and have not heard it since.

[Ray]

On my Steve Rex I had a noise which was the cable housing ferrule moving inside the headtube mounted cable guides. This only happened occasionally and of course only when turning side to side in either direction. I think I gave it a squirt of one lube or another and have not heard it since.
Mostly hear it, but I can at least imagine I feel it. Been there done that with the ferrules - not the situation this time.

-Ray

[Steve Hampsten]

Tighten/loosen/lube/clean the front QR skewer - if that doesn't work then throw it away and use an old Campy skewer. Try washing your bike too, if it's been a while.

Then have a beer. Maybe the click will be gone when you get back.

Or else it's the valve stem clicking in the rim when the tire is compressed as the stem rotates through under load.

[Jeff N.]

Remove the stem top cap and check the clearance that you've got between the top of your steerer tube and the top of your stem clamp. If it's (steerer) too close to the top cap, there may be some rubbing. That'll for sure cause clicking. Ideally you'd like to have between 3-5mm clearance between the top of the steerer and the top of your stem clamp. Check it out. I wish you luck, as that kinda stuff drives me up the wall! So I can empathasize with you. Jeff N.

[Ray]

Tighten/loosen/lube/clean the front QR skewer - if that doesn't work then throw it away and use an old Campy skewer. Try washing your bike too, if it's been a while.

Then have a beer. Maybe the click will be gone when you get back.

Or else it's the valve stem clicking in the rim when the tire is compressed as the stem rotates through under load.
Hmmm, not encouraging. I've swapped wheels a few times with no change and can't replicate the sound on other bikes. And the sucker's outlasted more than a few beers already. But it's happening on two bikes and the main thing they have in common is the same threadless headset. Oh well, I'll keep hunting.

-Ray

[Endless Goods]

I tighten just until there's no play when I grab the front brake and push the bike up and back against the front wheel. Then I tighten up the stem bolts and figure I'm good.

I'd start here- on my Reynolds Ouzo Pro setup w/CK headset, I first torque the top cap to only 25 in-lbs (as required by Reynolds) and then the stem bolts to 78 in-lbs.

The top cap really doesn't need too much torque. I'd really recommend getting a proper torque wrench and going over the front end bolt-by-bolt. Stem bolts at the handlebar junction can create clicking noises.

I've been very pleased with my Craftsman #944593 Microtork and #934448 hex bit socket set.

First and foremost, make sure all is CLEAN- rid everything of dirt, old grease, etc.

Good luck- you'll get it soon enough!

[bcm119]

Ray, you don't seem like the type of guy to use carbon headset spacers, but if you are, try aluminum instead, they don't change adjustment with temp/humidity swings.

[Ray]

I'd start here- on my Reynolds Ouzo Pro setup w/CK headset, I first torque the top cap to only 25 in-lbs (as required by Reynolds) and then the stem bolts to 78 in-lbs.

Good luck- you'll get it soon enough!

How much of an idiot you ask? This much:

I've been doing 90% of my own wrenching for many years. All steel all the time - never needed or used a torque wrench. Never had any problems intuiting proper tightness (except on that one busted aluminum rack bolt - please don't use alu bolts to hold up racks!).

Year and a half ago I gets me a newfangled bicycle with a carbon steerer tube on the forque. Better get me a tork wrench I figure. So I do. I'm told you need five newtons for this and 7 newtons for that. Both of the little scales on the wrench are about the same, so I go to 5 or 7 and it REALLY doesn't feel like I've even half turned the bolt, so maybe I push it and go to 10. Still pretty loose, but I figure this carbon stuff is really delicate like they say, so alls good and I ride off happy into the sunset hoping I haven't overdone things by going to 10.

Amazing my bike hasn't fallen apart under me before now. This clicking and all of your helpful responses, particularly EG's here, get me thinking. So I look up Newtons. And I look up inch pounds. And I look up centimeter kilograms. And I look up the conversion factors. Holy Shee-ite I say to myself. I've been UNDERtightening everything by a factor of roughly 10. Why did this take so long to develop? I don't know. But now that everything's properly tightened, the click is well and fully gone and all that's left is the far less frequent and easily dealt with click from my saddle rails. That one's music to my ears!

I'm also enough of an idiot to admit this to all of you here.

Oy vey.

-Ray

[Lincoln]

Ray,

Thanks for the laugh. I'm laughing with you, not at you, BTW. I've certainly had plenty of my own "doh" moments.

Lincoln

[Lunar Probe]

I'd start here- on my Reynolds Ouzo Pro setup w/CK headset, I first torque the top cap to only 25 in-lbs (as required by Reynolds) and then the stem bolts to 78 in-lbs.

The top cap really doesn't need too much torque.

You set your headset by torque?

[Endless Goods]

You set your headset by torque?

I assume this is a serious question...but yes, I do. The Reynolds fork setup is a little different with a two-stage top cap, which I kind of like. It appears their webpage is being updated at the moment, but I was able to obtain the installation instructions via PDF on their site...

[sgmidf]

Do you have a copy of the PDF, or the URL for it? The site appears to be down. I'm having problems with the "glued-in (not really) insert in my F2 and want to switch to a compression plug. I might as well do it right the first time.
By the way, does anyone have an extra 1-1/8 Reynolds compression plug?

Thanks