Headset trouble.
Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2013 10:25 pm
Hoping to pick the brains of WW. Pretty much since I built up my bike I've never been able to keep the headset tight. I have a Planet X SL Pro with a FSA internal headset and a Ritchey WCS stem (torqued using a Ritchey torque key). Initially I thought the tensioning method was to blame and swapped the USE ringo set up for a Exoctic components tensioner and then finally to a FSA expanding wedge type expander. In retrospect apart from the USE being a bit of a pain all were tensioning and it was only after riding that the front end would loosen up, so I was probably barking up the wrong tree in that respect. I then tried cleaning everything thoroughly and using a carbon prep, this hasn't worked either. I then started thinking that the headset top cap was not acting on the wedge enough and tried a spacer between them to ensure the cap was not bottoming out on the top bearing. This hasn't worked either. I'm now thinking that the stem isn't retaining the loading as it should, is this a reasonable next step?
So I'm wondering if anyone else has had problems with Ritchey WCS stems not being secure enough, or if anyone has had problems in the past with FSA headsets and carbon steerer tubes.
Any free tips would be appreciated also, I'm considering roughing up the steerer and stem with some scotchbrite, but I've a feeling this will only partially help but not totally cure the problem.
So I'm wondering if anyone else has had problems with Ritchey WCS stems not being secure enough, or if anyone has had problems in the past with FSA headsets and carbon steerer tubes.
Any free tips would be appreciated also, I'm considering roughing up the steerer and stem with some scotchbrite, but I've a feeling this will only partially help but not totally cure the problem.