[CR]Was tapers and grease; now HS adjustment tip.

(Example: Framebuilders:Tony Beek)

Date: Mon, 5 Aug 2002 10:14:42 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Tom Dalton" <tom_s_dalton@yahoo.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
In-Reply-To: <000f01c23c83$885a5940$3c91fa43@computer>
Subject: [CR]Was tapers and grease; now HS adjustment tip.

A friend taught me a method of dealing with headsets that pretty much gurantees that you will not damage the locknut. It is very simple in concept and execution, but may be a little tricky to explain. Basically you use the position of the locknut to set the adjustment and the adjustable race to lock things down. WHAT? Crazy you say? Try it, it works. Assemble the headset per usual, then tighten the adj race until things drag just a bit. Hand tighten the locknut until snug. Then, using a good headset wrench (Campy) back the adjustable race up against the top nut. If you need to you can stablize the locknut with a second wrench but don't torque on it. As with the "normal" way of adjusting headsets, it is trial and error, so if the adjustment is too tight or too loose you will need to change the setting. If too loose, tighten down on the adj. race until things break loose, then screw down the locknut by the amont that you want to tighten things up (usually a fraction of a turn). After that, you just loosen the adj. race up against the locknut to lock things down. If the initial adjustment was too tight just do the same thing, but instead of tightening the top nut, loosen it slightly. The advantage of doing things this way is thet headset wrenches do not slip off of adjustable races as easily as they slip off of top nuts, so scarring is much less likely. With SR and C-rec hedsets, the wrench effectively fits into a slot and can't pop off. If anything, there may be some minute marring of the flats of the adj race, if you really cank on it, but damage there is less conspicuous than on the nut. Also, this technique allows you to really jam the adj race against and nut together (with the toothed spacer in between, of course), so things don't drift. The kiss of death with Campy alloy headsets is bad adjustment. Assuming everything is properly prepped (big assumption, I suppose) it is perfect adjustment that determines whether you will get the usual short life out of them, or if you will get really short life. I use a trial and error with increasingly loose settings to arrive at a point where the headset just barely rumbles when you bounce the front wheel, then I tighten it back up just slightly to where the rumble goes away. It sometimes takes half a dozen attempts, but with the above technique it is not really hard on the finish to try as many times as you care to. Tom Dalton
   David Feldman wrote:I learned a long time ago to not use a flat, blade-like headset wrench on aluminum top nuts instead using large adjustable wrenches until Stein wrenches became available. A good quality, properly adjusted 12" crescent is a proper tool for this work--plus, it's period correct for your 70's Super Record, Edco, or other early aluminum headset. Oiling threads--a good idea most places, and also under the lockring on adjustable bottom bracket cups so that a dry lockring doesn't make the cup "creep" and make repeated adjustments necessary. David Feldman Vancouver, WA


----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew Gillis"
To:
Sent: Sunday, August 04, 2002 10:38 PM
Subject: Re: [CR] tapers and grease (drifting of aluminum on steel)



> All CRs:
>
> I found in the past that greasing the threads of a steel steering tube
> allowed for an aluminum headset to drift and lose its setting faster. This
> was not a problem with a steel headset installed on a steel steering tube.
>
> So, I've eliminated my problem with an aluminum headset drifting because I
> use OIL to lubricate the steering tube threads. My favorite is Phil Wood
> ("Uncle Phil") but any thicker oil will probably do.
>
> Similarly, I've lightly oiled the BB axle tapers without bad effects. One
> drop, rubbed around all four sides, just enough to dampen the surface of the
> axle, has been fine for me.
>
> The drifting of aluminum on steel, when using grease, has been consistent. I
> once ruined a NR hub when the greased setscrew of a rear NR derailleur
> loosened up and put the chain in the spokes (circa 1977).
> After a rear wheel rebuild, the setscrew stayed put when I used oil.
>
> I hate learning the hard way!
>
> Andrew Gillis (Long Beach, CA)
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________

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