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new stem=loose steerer tube wobbling around

By willy101 - Posted on 31 May 2011

NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.

I just replaced my old stem with a new funn crossfire stem and the sterrer tube is now banging the frame even though everything is tightened. If anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated,

Cheers,
Will

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Headset

Submitted by loki on Tue, 31/05/2011 - 18:24.

Did you make any changes to the headset?
Or the spacers (if any)?

Could be that your new stem is no longer making proper contact (either directly or via spacer) with the bearing, thus not giving you the correct bearing preload.

I had a similar problem recently and had to find a suitably sized washer to fit over the steerer tube and make contact with the inner bearing surface. I could then preload the bearing correctly and stop it from wobbling around in the head tube.

Make sure the top of the stem

Submitted by Brian on Tue, 31/05/2011 - 18:27.

Make sure the top of the stem (where the cap sits) is higher then the steerer tube.

I had an issue on my road bike where the nut in the steerer tube had worked its way loose and was sitting proud of the top of the steerer tube. This meant it didn't matter how tight it was there was play. I pushed it further down the tube, tightened it up (it was the sort you tighten in the tube), fitted the stem and everything was good.

As people have said make sure

Submitted by VTSS350 on Tue, 31/05/2011 - 18:32.

As people have said make sure that the steer tube is about 4-5mm lower than the top of the stem.

Unfortunately stems are not all the same and you might need to cut down your steerer tube.

Or use a headset spacer or

Submitted by herzog on Tue, 31/05/2011 - 18:47.

Or use a headset spacer or two to achieve the same result without cutting.

This may sound obvious

Submitted by haydos on Tue, 31/05/2011 - 18:56.

Make sure you are tightening the top cap before you tighten the stem, otherwise your tightened stem stops the top cap pulling everything tight (i speak from experience )