Headset adjustment ?

[Jaybee]

Any thoughts on a headset (Cane Creek 40) that seems to be very finicky to set the preload on? It’s too loose, then 1/8 or less of a turn of the top cap screw (star nut/alloy steerer) later it’s binding to the point there is resistance to turn the fork. I’ve already checked that the correct pieces are in the correct order and that the crown race is seated correctly.

[AngryScientist]

is this on a new (to you) frame?

that'll happen if the head tube is not faced properly and the to and bottom are not perfectly square...

[charliedid]

^ My thoughts as well

[Jaybee]

Good thought, but nope. I'm swapping suspension for rigid on my fat bike. To further complicate things, the sus fork was adjusted just fine before I took it off, and I've also made this particular swap in the previous 2 winters with no issues. I guess I could put the Bluto back on to see if it's the fork or the headset.

[prototoast]

Good thought, but nope. I'm swapping suspension for rigid on my fat bike. To further complicate things, the sus fork was adjusted just fine before I took it off, and I've also made this particular swap in the previous 2 winters with no issues. I guess I could put the Bluto back on to see if it's the fork or the headset.

Maybe it's an issue with the crown race, either you have the wrong one, or it's not seated properly.

[bikinchris]

Something is wrong way up.

[m_moses]

I had a similar issue with the same headset and discovered that the crown race was upside down.


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[dddd]

When the headset becomes too "tight", does it feel like it's rough, or like it's rubbing somewhere?

Some setups will require a shim atop the tapered compression washer, to keep the cover from rubbing on the frame. This issue could arrive at any time, due to wear along the bearing races and seating surfaces.

I've also seen where a particular stem was installed with it's eccentric angle adjuster sleeve upside down on the fork steerer, which then didn't present a perpendicular surface bearing down on the headset. The result was just as you describe.

Could the fork steerer be bent? Might there be "dirt" in one of the bearing seating areas?

If this were a loose-ball headset, I would check for the possibility of one or more balls out of place having landed between the head tube and the steerer.

[Jaybee]

I'm going to close the loop on this one, in embarrassing fashion. The entire lower cartridge bearing stayed with the old fork, which I somehow failed to notice at least twice when checking. All together now, all good. Don't ever let me work on your bike.

Happy New Year.

[tuscanyswe]

I'm going to close the loop on this one, in embarrassing fashion. The entire lower cartridge bearing stayed with the old fork, which I somehow failed to notice at least twice when checking. All together now, all good. Don't ever let me work on your bike.

Happy New Year.

Haha thats pretty great. Thanks for sharing. Im laughing with you n not at you btw .) We all did some silly things with our bikes or elsewhere..

[charliedid]

I'm going to close the loop on this one, in embarrassing fashion. The entire lower cartridge bearing stayed with the old fork, which I somehow failed to notice at least twice when checking. All together now, all good. Don't ever let me work on your bike.

Happy New Year.

Happy New Year

I wish someone would never let me work on my bike :)

[DeBike]

I'm going to close the loop on this one, in embarrassing fashion. The entire lower cartridge bearing stayed with the old fork, which I somehow failed to notice at least twice when checking. All together now, all good. Don't ever let me work on your bike.

Happy New Year.


I am past the point of being embarrassed whenever I do something stupid while working on mechanical things. I do often wonder what it is about my thought processing, how my brain works, or doesn't, to make me so mechanically challenged.