Author Topic: Creaky Stem/slight wobble/Help! (Read 993 times)

laidback · « **on:** November 30, 2013, 09:41 PM »

Hi chaps,

Well as some of you may have read in my FST thread:

http://www.radbmx.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,166722.0.html

I've finished my first build

I have an annoying problem though..My Group 1 stem creaks and has a bit of play when the bars have a bit of weight on them and are rocked back and forth. I have checked/done the following:

Greased wedge/stem bolt/quill

New Headset- cups are nice and tight in headtube, headset is nice and tight.

Quill is pressed in tightly to the head of the stem, and there is no play at all in this

Stem bolt and wedge are clean and do up tightly.

I have even tried oldtired's suggestions with no joy- polishing the wedge/quill surface and greasing it/reinstalling.

I'm now losing patience with it

I have tried another old stem i had kicking about, and this does up nice and tightly in the steerer tube (as does my group 1 stem), but doesn't creak. However, like my G1 stem, when you apply the front brake and rock the bars back and forth, there is a small amount of play/flex. You can see the quill moving ever so slightly between the gap of the headset top nut and quill.

I'm pretty sure this play is not supposed to be there, but it seems strange that both stems do it, and i'm running out of ideas as to what might be causing this.

My next thought was to try another new headset or shimming the stem, but i don't really want to throw any more cash at this thing, as it's cost me a fortune already!

I'd be grateful for any advice

oldtired · « **Reply #1 on:** December 01, 2013, 12:03 AM »

someone will post up the proper solution soon enough but in the mean time..........

have you tried a different wedge on the G1 ? worth a go maybe, with it being stuck in before

had the same movement on my mcs with a gt pro stem ,didn't have any noise but it felt like the headset was loose, beer tin shim cured it

guiness or john smiths i find quite adequate

of course you can use pop can if you like

laidback · « **Reply #2 on:** December 01, 2013, 12:41 AM »

Well, i tried about 6 different beer can shims tonight

Stella seemed to do the trick, and reduced the amount of movement

I have narrowed down the clicking/creaking noise to the stem... i removed the stem with the bars still mounted and placed it/them on the floor (with stem bolt out)...If i stand on the stem and pull the bars up, i get the 'click'. so it must be the stem/quill- whatever it's called-being loose in the head of the stem. The movement must me minute because it doesn't look like it moves at all.

It's not the bars, as i tried them in the other stem with no clicks or creaks

How is the stem pressed into the bar clamp/head? is it bonded? Does anyone know if this can be fixed?

QUADROPHENIA · « **Reply #3 on:** December 01, 2013, 06:04 AM »

Sounds like it rolloxed, Fook trusting it

oldtired · « **Reply #4 on:** December 01, 2013, 09:15 AM »

i think you've exhausted all the options now ,

the broken ones i've had in the past have small splines on them, a few thou bigger than the hole in the head, and i think the head is pressed on hot so it contracts onto the splines as it cools , it is sounding like the quill unfortunatly ,

the only other thing is the beds in the top cap where the bolts sit, make sure they look flat and the washers on the bolts are good, over time the beds can get pushed in a bit so it looks like they have a chamfer on them, so one or more of the bolts will only be applying pressure on one side, worth a look ?

Trickyrich on here mentioned the other night he had a 1 1/8 stem that creeked, obviously got to be the bolts as no quill ,

sadly looking like the stem is a dud , some you just can't cure

,

as Quad' say i wouldn't trust it either, get another one to ride with and keep the G1 for a carpet queen

if the head does come loose on the quill while your riding it won't pull out because of the bolt, but it will spin round this will no doubt end up in you being covered in scabs and bruises .....

pickle · « **Reply #5 on:** December 01, 2013, 09:40 AM »

Could be that the stems a fake? Theres lots about and they tend to slip a lot.

laidback · « **Reply #6 on:** December 01, 2013, 11:15 AM »

Pickle- this stem has been on the bike since new, so we can rule that one out

Old tired- tried the washers etc. stem cap looks fine inside. Think i'll just accept the fact it's on its way out

...It's a shame because it's quite a tidy looking stem.

I've got a team stem for my master en route, so i'll try that one for a while. Hopefully it doesn't have the same issue!

How much would i be looking at for a good condition G1 stem? it doesn't have to be a minter, as i'm only interested in the bottom part as my cap is in nice condition. Keep your eyes peeled chaps