Star fangle but V.S. hope head doctor for secure headset

[legrandefromage]

The other good mechanical alternative was the top cap with the long rod that went all the way through to the bottom of the steerer and even after two coffees, the name totally escapes me - I have one in red and it looks nice

If you read my last post there might be a clue in there

Ta!

'headlock' usually referred to the last position I remembered before blacking out in the pub/ garden/ sex dungeon

heres mine, if you wiggle and jiggle it you can use your own top cap

 

[ibbz]

Re:

thanks for these replies! Thank you!!
The damn headset keeps loosening and starts to wobble
It’s becoming impossible to ride - there is no star nut and no top cap - would having one (or the Hope doctor ) solve my problem?
I have a Hope spacer and the XLite Fly stem is on top of it - i tighten the stem and seems solid and secure - then after 5 minutes on the trail - loosens up - I have to keep stopping and then re-securing - pretty much fed up
I’ll take some pictures and post them up - a standard 1998/99 FSA Orbit Extreme -

 

[clubby]

Re: Re:

there is no star nut and no top cap - would having one (or the Hope doctor ) solve my problem?

Yes! You can tighten the stem all you like, but unless the headset has been properly compressed before hand it will come loose really easily.

 

[Timoth27]

Re: Re:

thanks for these replies! Thank you!!
The damn headset keeps loosening and starts to wobble
It’s becoming impossible to ride - there is no star nut and no top cap - would having one (or the Hope doctor ) solve my problem?
I have a Hope spacer and the XLite Fly stem is on top of it - i tighten the stem and seems solid and secure - then after 5 minutes on the trail - loosens up - I have to keep stopping and then re-securing - pretty much fed up
I’ll take some pictures and post them up - a standard 1998/99 FSA Orbit Extreme -

In a word yes it will, the whole purpose of the start nut and stem cap is to pre load the headset to stop it from “wobbling”

It goes like this:

Fit headset,
Fit crown race and star nut to fork,
Insert fork into frame,
Fit stem and any spacers you require***
***Top of fork steerer MUST be a couple on millimetres below the top of the stem***
Fit stem cap and tighten.
Straighten handlebars and then tighten stem,
Done,

stem cap is actually now no longer needed but I can’t really see any reason why you would want to remove it.

As for your original question both a star nut and a head doc do the same thing, only a star nut is a much more fixed solution to the head doc which can be easily removed but is equally (in my experience) as effective.

 

[ibbz]

Re:

Thank you!
I’ve had a reply to my Hope wanted ad so will
Let you know how I get on

 

[mk one]

Ive preloaded headsets just with the stem before but obviously easier with top cap.

If the headset comes loose while riding i would check the stem bolt. Can you move the stem when it all goes loose? If the headset is tightened and the stem done up properly then it shouldnt all come loose, Is the headset complete? dont know these headsets but some have a cone shaped compression washer that fits inside the race on the top.

 

[Imlach]

Sorry to hijack the thread a bit but I noticed that some of you recommended headlocks, is the gusset headlock available on triton any good?

 

[Trialsmeister]

Re: Rod

Here's a used, "lock through" effort from Azonic, on 't bay if any use...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Azonic-Head- ... SwXjxerwht

Not mine, just sharing.

Cheers,

M

 

[TOMAS]

IMHO you won't beat a Star Fangled Nut... if installed correctly, light, simple, no fiddly bits to fall through the fork steerer and it pre-loads the headset bearings just fine on 23 of my bikes (modern and retro). If your clean stem is clamping down onto a clean steer tube there should be no reason for it slipping loose. When I was a teen I had one that DID used to come loose often, however this was down to an ovalized headstube and the lower cup would simply rock around/fall out - I think a lot of folk from back in the say will have experienced this at one time or another if they've ridden ARD!! haha

 

[ibbz]

IMHO you won't beat a Star Fangled Nut... if installed correctly, light, simple, no fiddly bits to fall through the fork steerer and it pre-loads the headset bearings just fine on 23 of my bikes (modern and retro). If your clean stem is clamping down onto a clean steer tube there should be no reason for it slipping loose. When I was a teen I had one that DID used to come loose often, however this was down to an ovalized headstube and the lower cup would simply rock around/fall out - I think a lot of folk from back in the say will have experienced this at one time or another if they've ridden ARD!! haha

Thanks man, you’re quite right and it was my neglect that lead to my problem - when I changed the stem And forks I didn’t use a star nut and instead used the rubbish FSA thing which promptly broke - I assumed (wrongly) that tightening the stem should be enough - but after this nuisance I thought I’d clarify here - and quite right, without a star nut or similar the steerer And headset won’t have compression