F3 fork torque question

[kgreene10]

So, I went into my local Serotta dealer today to check out a clicking sound that seemed to be coming from the headset. A "tech" who clearly had no clue what he was doing quickly dis-assembled it. I became more and more nervous as he poked around. When putting it back together, he had no idea about the torque specifications. Another guy yelled at him to torque the stem bolts just past 45. Does anyone know if this is right, too tight, or too loose? Thanks.

[aLexis]

Ken,

The torque specs for your Thomson X2 stem are 45 in-lbs. Not every mechanic knows the torque specs for every stem, hence the reason that Ed, the "tech" with apparently no clue, asked the mechanic standing next to him what they were. Apparently he got the correct answer and proceeded.

I would be happy that the guys in the service department took your repair immediately and tried to get to the root of the problem. I think your post is very unfair, especially given the excellent level of service that our shop, Bicycle Sport Shop, has provided to you and your girlfriend recently.

The mechanics in our service department may not have PhDs like yourself, but they know what they are doing, and they do it well.*

If you are truly worried about the competency of our staff, please let me know, because we strive to be professional, and do not take pot shots lightly.

Thanks,
Alexis

*Ed is working toward a PhD in biochemistry and DNA repair, but is not quite there yet.

[kgreene10]

Hi Alexis: Talk about an unfair post! You will notice that I did not name the shop or any individual and my profile does not have a location attached to it, so viewers other than yourself would have no way of knowing the shop or the person I was referring to, until your post.

I had a weird experience there today. The tech looked around for someone who, according to him, knows road bikes, said no one was in, and then dived in. He tightened and then loosened the stem bolts without a torque wrench once before looking on the internet and then asking someone else how to torque it. I remembered that the Serotta booklet that came with the frame had some specific numbers in it about torque, so naturally it worried me that someone who specifically said he doesn't know road bikes was working on it.

I have had good service at BSS in the past, especially from you, and I do happen to have a Ph.D., but so what? Are you saying that a customer should just take what he gets and never question it? Yours is a pretty aggressive post that contains a personal attack while mine was an anonymous run-of-the-mill complaint. I just don't understand why you would come at a customer like that.

[Big Dan]

Wow. I would think you need a new shop.

[aLexis]

I took offense to the "tech" who clearly had no idea what he was doing comment. There is a difference in having no clue, and looking for the correct torque spec. From your previous posts, it is not hard to figure out where you were shopping, and I felt the need to defend the people I work with and respect.

I will let it go.

[vaxn8r]

...So, I went into my local Serotta dealer today to check out a clicking sound that seemed to be coming from the headset...
Big assumption that a clicking sound might be coming from a particular component. With ultralight bikes and components today, noises radiate everywhere. There are dozens of places from which clicking sounds may eminate, even when it appears to be an obvious source. atmo.

[regularguy412]

Forty-five inch pounds sounds 'about' right,, depending on the stem.

This year when I went to a threadless/carbon steerer on my CSI, I was really concerned about the torque specs, too. This was my first foray into the threadless world ( having been off the bike for seven years). I checked around several internet sources, Reynolds, Oval, etc., and even emailed Kelly at Serotta. From what I have been able to determine, the torque on steerer clamp bolts are more a function of the material out of which the stem is made, rather than from what the steerer is made or its diameter. Aluminum stems generally need to use lower torque values since the aluminum threads might strip easier. Titanium or CrMo stems can use higher values. I think this is why you see aluminum stems using two steerer clamp bolts instead of just one. You can get double the clamping power without having to over-tighten just one, single bolt.

I think it's also important to make sure the top of the steerer is just 'slightly' taller than the top of the stem clamp and then use an additional .5 cm spacer on top of the stem below the cap. This ensures that the top of the stem doesn't 'pinch' the free end of the steerer and possibly cause a failure. This is the way my LBS set up my Ouzo Pro and I've had zero problems with it in over 1,200 miles.

Mike in AR