Adjusting your headset
Although headsets don’t need to be adjusted very often, over time all the turning you do on your bike and all the bumps and jolts the headset receives from the road may cause the headset to loosen. If you inspect the headset following the steps in the preceding section and find looseness, follow these steps to adjust it.
Threadless headsets
Threadless headsets usually don’t require adjustment very often, especially when compared to threaded headsets, but you may need to make an adjustment occasionally. Here’s how:
1. Loosen the stem clamp bolt or the bolts holding the stem in place.
2. Tighten (clockwise) or loosen (counterclockwise) the bolt in the center of the top cap.
3. After you’ve made the adjustment, retighten the stem clamp bolt or bolts.
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Do not over-tighten the top cap. It isn’t designed to hold the fork in place — it’s designed only to keep a slight load on the bearings for the adjustment procedure until the stem clamp bolts are tightened, holding everything in place.
4. Check the adjustment using the procedures from the preceding section, “Inspecting the headset.”
Threaded headsets
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To adjust a threaded headset, you generally need two specialized headset wrenches that fit your bike.
If you have a large, adjustable wrench for the top lock nut, you can get by with one headset wrench for the adjusting nut or cone.
The headset sizes are almost always 32 or 26. Some adjustable cones use round surfaced edges, which you can use your hands or lock jaw pliers to adjust.
To adjust a threaded headset, follow these steps:
1. Loosen the locknut on the top of the headset by turning it counterclockwise about one turn.
2. Below the locknut, locate the adjustable cup or cone.
3. If you are tightening the headset, turn the adjustable cup or cone clockwise in 20-degree increments. Turn it counterclockwise to loosen it.
After each turn, secure the locknut and check the headset adjustment (see “Inspecting the headset,” earlier in this chapter).
It may take several adjustments until you get it right. Continue until there is no looseness and the bearings are not being pressed against too tightly. If you aren’t sure, err on the side of being a little tighter.