tim-b wrote: ↑17 Jul 2024, 2:57pm
As suggested above it's almost certainly a lack of shims between the underside of the top cover and the compression ring (parts 2 and 3 in the diagram posted above), assuming that the bearings are smooth and free-running
Sorted. Thank you all for the responses, and to gregoryoftours for the schematic.
What happened was this:
I had cut the fork tube with a new 32T hacksaw blade; set the crown race with the use of a steel tube with plastic on the end from our Henry vacuum cleaner and a wooden mallet (with a wheel and inflated tyre in situ to absorb the impact); I had pressed in the lower and upper cups with a length of threaded steel rod with two pieces of MDF acting as press-plates (one at a time); I then over-generously greased the headset and put everything in place, indoors as it was raining.
But the family were around, so I was moved off into the garden and somehow managed to drop everything, with spacers and the upper headset going all over the place.
I assumed part 3, the split compression ring, was still in place with the rubber seal and the cartridge bearing. In fact, it had fallen out, and because it was covered in grease it had stuck to the side of a large cardboard box under a table, rather than landing on the floor with the rest.
This is why, when I tightened everything up, the headset was both overtight and had visible play in the top race.
I have only just found the split compression ring and reassembled the headset, which now works fine: the wheel turns without stiffness and there is no play.
I am pleased with the bike: particularly that I can now fit 28mm tyres; it has lost a bit of weight coming in at 9.3kgs; and it looks pretty decent, in my view (although losing the chrome steel forks was a wrench).
But I am wary about 1 inch carbon steerers on old steel frames.
The point below is interesting, and the reference tim-b gives is presumably to a wider carbon fork tube, so more likely to be stronger.
This is very much a summer bike, and I might trim more off the fork tube after a bit, but doubt that that in itself will add much to its safety. I would be interested to know if anyone has had a 1 inch carbon fork for long duration.
I think I need to be pretty careful with this bike, and perhaps the 101 times that I have tightened and loosened the stem here may have taken a few years off the carbon fork tube's lifespan.
tim-b wrote: ↑17 Jul 2024, 2:57pm
You probably have too many spacers for a CF steerer, but that's a safety issue rather than an operational one. IME manufacturers suggest either maximum steerer visible above the top race before a stem is fitted or...
"Check the amount of spacers required for the fit. No more than 40mm of spacers to be used (above and below the stem combined) for aluminium steerer tubes, and 30mm for carbon steerer tubes. We recommend at least 5 mm of spacer above the stem, so the preload cap is loading against a spacer not the stem itself."
