Headset constantly coming loose?

[Airtoy]

Hey, i have a problem with my integrated headset.

when i first got my new bike it was all good, i rode it for half an hour then the headset came loose, so i went home to tighten it. It stayed tight for 2 days then went loose again so i opened it to see what was wrong. i saw the centering sleeve, as they usually have a split in them and i thought that was the problem. I looked it up about them and i found out thats the way they are.

I do my top bolt tight and stem bolts tight aswell, but for some reason it keeps coming loose.

Any ideas??

Cheers.

[KA0S]

I have just recently encounted the same problem. Still can't work out why althought mine is a few years old now

[rhysrhysbaby]

Do the top bolt up tighter. Make sure where the bearings sit in your frame has a bit of grease on it. Maybe even put a spacer between ur stem and top cap just incase there isn't a bit of stem sitting above the steerer tube (does that make sense?)
The last suggestions fixed my loose headset up on my track bike

[Airtoy]

hmm i've done all that, all bolts are tight, bearings are greased ( new ), the forks and stem are at the same level, there already is a spacer in between the stem and the dust cap. Maybe i should dis-assemble it and put it together again?

[tld_06]

I had the same problem on my bike, turned out to be a stripped thread in the starnut. Even though it was a mountie, same sort of deal?

Otherwise, are you sure you're assembling it properly? Greasing it up?

[bowzaa]

hmm i've done all that, all bolts are tight, bearings are greased ( new ), the forks and stem are at the same level, there already is a spacer in between the stem and the dust cap. Maybe i should dis-assemble it and put it together again?

Sounds like that could be your problem, as rhys alluded to (unless i'm reading into this wrong).
You need to have your steerer finish at least a couple of mm inside the top of your stem or otherwise add a spacer either below or above the stem so that the top of your stack is the couple of mm over the height of the steerer.
This way when you tighten it, the bearings will be pulled together and you won't just be tightening the bolt into the metal for no reason.

[Matt H]

Do BMX forks use a conventional star nut system? If so, it could be slipping...

[Airtoy]

Well the way i got it, turned out to be fine for like 30 mins. I'll just keep retightening it every few days until my Jan 9th service.

[DANCLOSH]

like said above, your stem needs to be a few mm's above the end of the steerer tube

i know, i had no spacer under mine and it was flush, but came loose
i put a spacer under, and whammo she's sweet as

[Airtoy]

Well to be precise the forks are like 2mm below the stem.

[slip]

Are you sure that slack isn't being taken up when tensioning the bolt?

Run another spacer, see what happens.

[Airtoy]

I am sure of what's happening, because it's tightening fine and all but it just comes loose over and over again?

Weird stuff, it gets on my nerves why this is happening because it's a new bike and already something is buggered up. I don't think the mechanic put it together right.

P.S may it be the headset is too small or something?

[rhysrhysbaby]

Put another spacer in there. At least try it and see what happens.

Also, when u tighten it up. Push the front wheel up against a wall so its seated correctly in the frame.

[slip]

And if that doesn't work, loctite.

[Sleep266]

Yer i had that same problem with my old Haro... alls i did was put a another spacer in and that fixed it....

[DJninja]

Weird stuff, it gets on my nerves why this is happening because it's a new bike and already something is buggered up. I don't think the mechanic put it together right.


Did you buy it as a complete bike? or one you've built up yourself? Complete bikes come with the headset already inplace. I had the same problem as you but it was because something was in the wrong order. Try what everyone else is saying and put another spacer on top of your stem. It may just be that your headset is not bedded properly and this should pull it into place.

[Dhercj]

Is it Intergrated? If its the mtb style your headset wedge might be up the wrong way or broken? or you need more spacers! even if you can see you forks is 2mm lower than the stem when you tighten it it will pull it up, throw in another 2mm spacer and you should be laughing.

[Airtoy]

Well i was laughing for about 3 days extra than normal, but again, it makes that loose sound.. T_T

It doesn't exactly feel loose, but whenever i drop in or go up something it make a dinging noise. The spacer did seem to keep it tight longer but in the end it still came loose.

Anyone got same problems and resolved it? If so please post here.

Cheers guys

[gr33ky]

Well if it doesn't feel loose, most likely is that it's not loose. It may be something else in your front end that's making that noise; maybe your front wheel?
I had the same problem as you before. The steerer tube was around 2mm lower than the stem; I just put a 5mm spacer in and it fixed it up.

If the spacer helped then obviously you're doing something right. Put a larger one in just to be sure.
What size is the spacer you put in? Larger than 2mm?
Otherwise just deal with the noise.:rolleyes:

[DJKrusn]

yer bike shop told me my forks were bent thats why my pressure bolt kept coming loose but thats bullsheet because they were brandnew and i changed them to see if it was true
just go back to the shop and ask if he put a rock or sumthing in the steerer tube so it makes a ding noise

[Airtoy]

Hmm my pressure bolt isn't loose, but when i loosen my pinch bolts then loosen my pressure bolt it unscrews very quick, but it's not threaded or anything.

My mate has a trust aswell, and the bottom of his headset is exactly inline with the bulge in the headtube, but mine is like 1mm under. Does that mean my headset might not be fitted correct?

[rhysrhysbaby]

Obviously you know pretty much nothing about your bike, we can all see that by reading your threads.
Why don't you go to your bike shop and tell them you think you're having issues with your bike and would like them to take a look when you are there so you can learn for yourself.
Bmx bikes are real simple machines so if you paid attention you could probably get to know every bit of maintenance on your bike in an hour or so.

[Airtoy]

Err, i know about my bikes, but not my problems..

I'm choosing to do this, because i'm seeing what i can do before i get my bike serviced??

And by the way, you're the only one complaining about me knowing nothing about bikes..

[rhysrhysbaby]

Err, i know about my bikes, but not my problems..

I'm choosing to do this, because i'm seeing what i can do before i get my bike serviced??

And by the way, you're the only one complaining about me knowing nothing about bikes..

Err, so if you can't solve a problem with your bike, wouldn't that mean you actually don't know about your bike?

I'm not taking a dig at your or complaining about your posts, I'm just trying to offer a simple solution to what seems like a simple problem.

Or at least when you take your bike in for a 'service', stay there with the mechanic and get him to walk you through the parts of your bike you lack knowledge in.

Education is the key!

[Airtoy]

Mm, but i'd doubt the mechanic will service it straight away when i take it in, he's always assembling a bike, or repairing one.

[slip]

Maybe if you made an appointment.

Crazy, I know.

[Airtoy]

I have new info:

I recently tightened it, as rhys said, push it up against a wall so it seats in properly. I did so and tightened it.

It was all fine, and i tested to see if it was loose; i turned the bars left 90 degrees and pushed it back and forth, it was tight, i kept the bars straight facing forward, it was tight, after that i turned the bars right and pushed it back and forth it was dinging, and felt loose.

What the hell is going on? should i get a new headset?

[rhysrhysbaby]

I have new info:

I recently tightened it, as rhys said, push it up against a wall so it seats in properly. I did so and tightened it.

It was all fine, and i tested to see if it was loose; i turned the bars left 90 degrees and pushed it back and forth, it was tight, i kept the bars straight facing forward, it was tight, after that i turned the bars right and pushed it back and forth it was dinging, and felt loose.

What the hell is going on? should i get a new headset?

Have u taken it back for ur service yet?

[DANCLOSH]

put another freakin spacer under the stem!

my old bike had 2 spacers about 5mm each underneath the stem


do you have a friend with a bike that has an integrated headset?

test out your headset on his bike