Tools to Check a Bicycle Threadless Head Set

Video Transcript

A more common head set used today, pretty much is becoming ubiquitous is the threadless head set. This head set does not use any sort of nut that tightens down on the bearing. This fork actually continues all the way up through the frame and is clamped on by the stem. So you have this stem clamping here and here and this bolt here is actually the one responsible for adjusting how tight the bearing is. So, if you clamp your front brake, rock your bike back and forth this way and then this way, and if you detect play, especially with the wheel this way, you do need to tighten the head set. One would tighten a threadless head set by first loosening the stem, tightening, going to tighten this right away will accomplish nothing but destruction. So, you do need to loosen this one and loosen this one, go back up to this, make sure that it's still loose, that's there's no more pressure being exerted by these pinch bolts, then you can go here, tighten it slightly, check it, the play is gone. I recommend lifting the bike up, turning it, making sure that it spins freely here, which it's doing, adjustment is finished. Do not forget to reclamp these pinch bolts. Don't need to tighten them with all the strength in your hand but they do require a descent amount of torque to hold still. In case of a bike that is equipped with a carbon fiber steerer tube, you need to look at the manufacturers specifications for torque values and own a torque wrench. I usually check if they're tight, making sure it doesn't move with a fair amount of force. That's it.

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