[s-worksalot]

Unpacking my bike from a bike box (vacation time!!) How tight do you tighten the headset (the screw/bolt on top) ? I had to loosen it to turn the handlebar stem around to get it to fit in the box. If I tighten it too much, it affects the steering...tighten it not enough, and there is some play in the headset when I push forward/back with the brakes on. So My question is how much do I tighten the headset......????
Thanks!!

 

[JonathanGennick]

I would tighten just to the point where you eliminate play, and then stop there.

 

[Lakerat_sr11]

FWIW I loosened my stem bolts just a tiny but then tightened my headset allowing the stem to fully seat the headset then tightened the stem.

 

[jcaino]

FWIW I loosened my stem bolts just a tiny but then tightened my headset allowing the stem to fully seat the headset then tightened the stem.

thats the ticket. after tightening the top headset bolt to set the preload, you then tighten the stem bolts. once you have those good and tight, you can actually back off the headset bolt a turn or 3.

 

[Adirondack Blues]

Unpacking my bike from a bike box (vacation time!!) How tight do you tighten the headset (the screw/bolt on top) ? I had to loosen it to turn the handlebar stem around to get it to fit in the box. If I tighten it too much, it affects the steering...tighten it not enough, and there is some play in the headset when I push forward/back with the brakes on. So My question is how much do I tighten the headset......????
Thanks!!

Headset bearing pre-load on Cane Creek Aheadset and similar is like 22-25 inch pounds. Not much.

Grease the compression ring and stem clamp well if you are having trouble with fine adjustment.

 

[dan0]

thats the ticket. after tightening the top headset bolt to set the preload, you then tighten the stem bolts. once you have those good and tight, you can actually back off the headset bolt a turn or 3.

Why?

 

[dan0]

you want it just tight enough to take out any play, but not so tight as to bind it up.

 

[JonathanGennick]

thats the ticket. after tightening the top headset bolt to set the preload, you then tighten the stem bolts. once you have those good and tight, you can actually back off the headset bolt a turn or 3.

This practice doesn't make any sense to me. Once you've tightened the stem, that stem and steerer post shouldn't move. Loosening the headset bolt shouldn't matter one way or the other at that point. I would just leave it alone.