Cycling UK Forum

Hi all,
The quill stem to A-head set adapter / steerer is stuck in the steerer tube. I can still twist it with extreme force. The long adapter bolt is still fixed to the wedge at the bottom and this picture shows that the bolt can be pulled up.

Twisting the handlebars to the other side results in the screw not moving up any more.

I started all that twisting as I want to remove the adapter/steerer. When cycling I noticed that the steering rocks when pulling the front break and there's something clunky going on.

I spray the area adapter/steerer tube area with Halfords release spray which helped me to at least twist the stem. Initially it was completely stuck.

Should I just continue spraying and twisting?
Should I pull out the adapter screw and hope, or fear, that the wedge drops to the bottom? Would that somehow loosen the adapter?
Would someone guess what the initial 'clunking' noise was?

Thanks in advance
Blackredgold1964

Can you remove the bolt completely then remove the adapter leaving the stuck wedge behind. This may allow you to see how it's stuck in the fork column.

When you rock the steering, hold a finger on the gap between the adjusting cup and the frame; this will indicate if there is play in the headset, the common reason for steering rocking.
If you can lift the bolt up and down and the bolt is threaded into the wedge then the wedge can’t be stuck.
The alloy quill adapter is probably corroded into the steel steerer; if it twists, it will eventually come out; plus gas penetrating oil gets good reports on here for stuck seatposts and stems.

Thanks, rjb, I removed the bolt and now cannot screw it back into the wedge any more. Anyway, I suppose the wedge is somehow stuck in the steerer tube AND also somehow wedged to the adapter. Is that possible? After all twisting the adapter still is as difficult as before

I've got a rod that fits the whole but banging it with a hammer only crumples it as it is aluminum and too soft. Would anyone have any further ideas?

When you undid the expander bolt did it rise above the stem cap?

And did you tap it down to free the expander wedge?

You say that the expander bolt can be lifted with the bars turned left but does it drop back down freely when you let go?

Thanks, 531Colin, it's not the headset. I'll continue with therelease spray and might try plusgas if no success
Thanks too, Norman H, . I loosened the screw yesterday and it did rise above the cap and I had to knock it down.
Meanwhile the bolt cannot be threaded back into the wedge any more though. Somehow knocking it down with the aluminum rod as mentioned above does not work either.

are you certain it is the adaptor that is turning, not just the stem? If the adaptor still turns, it should come out. Otherwise, you could be in trouble.

Brucey wrote: ↑1 Aug 2024, 3:05pm are you certain it is the adaptor that is turning, not just the stem? If the adaptor still turns, it should come out. Otherwise, you could be in trouble.

Yes, that occured to me too.

Brucey wrote: ↑1 Aug 2024, 3:05pm are you certain it is the adaptor that is turning, not just the stem? If the adaptor still turns, it should come out. Otherwise, you could be in trouble.

Hi Brucey, Yes, I put pieces of insulation tape on the stem and also on the adapter and they were moving in one go. So, the adapter is moving and unfortunately further into the steerer tube.

Oh dear, having turned the bike upside down I think I found the reason for the ominous clunking. crack in the top tube ...
UN-BE-LIE-VA-BLE

Go buy a lottery ticket.....if anybody ever dodged a bullet, it was you!

the top tube is usually the least loaded, of the three tubes in the main triangle. If you don't fancy welding, epoxy resin plus Al tube makes good in most cases, if it is correctly used. However, if corrosion is part of the failure, you will have to attend to the cause, especially if the corrosion is internal.

Unless it's a Hetchins just put it out for the scrapper.

531colin wrote: ↑1 Aug 2024, 4:30pm Go buy a lottery ticket.....if anybody ever dodged a bullet, it was you!

yup, I maybe should count myself lucky in a way.

I guess it's the end for that frame but have to think about it.
Again, Thx everyone for the contributions.
Regards
Blackredgold1964