Unpopular opinion: most shops over-tighten the preload on threadless headsets

I see it all the time, especially on new builds from big box stores. They crank the top cap bolt down like it's holding the frame together. All that does is bind the bearings and wear them out fast. You just need enough tension to remove play, maybe 2-3 Nm on the top cap before you lock the stem bolts. Anyone else find they have to re-adjust almost every headset that comes in for a tune?

3 comments

3 Comments

gray5572mo ago

Forget the bearings, they're crushing the actual fork steerer tube. I've seen carbon ones with permanent compression rings from that kind of torque. It's a basic step that gets messed up constantly.

simonw412mo ago

Use a torque wrench and follow the manufacturer's specs to avoid that.

dylanwilliams1mo ago

Yeah I actually saw a video from a mechanic at a shop who said the same thing. He showed a before and after of a carbon fork that had permanent rings pressed into it from overtorquing the stem bolts. It was wild to see how much damage just 2-3 nm too much can do. The trick he mentioned was using a beam style torque wrench on the steerer clamp bolts, those click type ones can be way off if they haven't been calibrated in a while.