How To Tighten Mountain Bike Headset
The easiest way to find a loose headset is to pay attention when you re moving your bike around like rolling it up over a lip in the pavement or curb to park at a coffee shop etc.
How to tighten mountain bike headset. Lowering the starnut wont make a jot of difference if this is indeed the issue. Depending on your bike the tools that you ll need for this job will vary but it s always good to have a torque wrench and a selection of allen keys to hand. This will most likely tighten the race a little despite any washers that may be between the two which means the headset will tighten a little bit. Whats needed is a higher another spacer so that the top of the steerer is 3mm below the underside of the topcap so the bolt actually does preload the headset bearings when you tighten it.
This headset is for frame with an external cup design headtube with approximately 33 8 33 9mm id. Any headset with the same shis would fit the bike as would headset in example 2. If you hear or feel a knock or rattle or clunk stop and try to re create it. If there is any movement between the bike and the spacers the headset bolt isn t tight enough so try again and again.
Loose headset interface will lead to premature wear on frame and fork assembly. It is intended for a straight fork not a tapered fork. Tighten the top cap. It can affect braking and steering and make the bike less safe.
4 5 and 6mm would be a good place. A headset that s too tight will hold the bike s steering in place or slow it down as it flops back and forth. Place your hand over the fork crown and lower headset cup to feel for any slop from a. Luckily tightening a headset is an easy job.
Carbon fiber frames should only run top quality headsets such as those produced by chris king. Again check the adjustment of the headset turn the handlebars back and forth then grab the brakes and rock then turn the handlebars at a 90 degree angle and rock as previously described. A loose headset can make the whole bike feel a bit wobbly and unstable. The steering column is 28 6mm and a crown race of 30mm.
Yup thats how it looks to me too.